Formed in 1963 in Muswell Hill, North London, they first gained prominence on the heels of the well-received and highly influential single "You Really Got Me" (1964). The group originally consisted of lead singer/guitarist Ray Davies, his brother lead guitarist Dave Davies, drummer Mick Avory, and bassist Pete Quaife. Quaife left (twice) in the late 1960s, and Avory finally left in 1984 as the result of a long-running dispute with Dave Davies, leaving only the Davies brothers as the core of the original group.
With Ray Davies' songwriting skills and unabashedly English voices, Dave Davies' impressive guitar work, and Avory's tight and steady drumming, the band became one of the best and most influential groups of British pop and the "British Invasion" of the U.S.A., lasting longer than any of their competitors, apart from the Rolling Stones, as they broke up in 1996. Their catalogue of songs has been covered by Van Halen, The Pretenders, The Black Keys, The Stranglers, Queens of the Stone Age , and many more.
Members:
Ray Davies – vocals, rhythm guitar (1963–1996)
Dave Davies – lead guitar, vocals (1963–1996)
Pete Quaife – bass guitar (1963–1969)
John Dalton – bass guitar (1969–1976)
Andy Pyle – bass guitar (1976–1978)
Jim Rodford – bass guitar (1978–1996)
Mick Avory – drums (1963–1984)
Bob Henrit – drums (1984–1996)
John Gosling – keyboards, piano (1970–1978)
Gordon Edwards – keyboards, piano (1978–1979)
Ian Gibbons – keyboards, piano (1979–1989, 1993–1996)
Mark Haley – keyboards, piano (1989–1993)
Strangers
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've killed my world and I've killed my time
So where do I go? What will I see?
I see many people coming after me
So where are you going to, I don't mind
If I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
So I will follow you wherever you go
If your offered hand is still open to me
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two, we are one
So you've been where I've just come
From the land that brings losers on
So we will share this road we walk
And mind our mouths and beware our talk
'Til peace we find, tell you what I'll do
All the things I own I will share with you
And, if I feel tomorrow like I feel today
We'll take what we want and give the rest away
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two, we are one
Holy man and holy priest
This love of life makes me weak at my knees
And when we get there, make your play
'Cause soon I fear you're gonna carry us away
And a promised lie you made us believe
For many men there is so much grief
And my mind is proud but it aches with rage
And, if I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two, we are one
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two, we are one
The Kinks’ song “Strangers” from their 1970 album “Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One” portrays the feeling of alienation and the longing for unity in a world where everyone is a stranger. The lyrics are poignant and are reflective of the search for connection and meaning in life.
The song begins with a melancholic tone expressing the singer's despair and hopelessness while looking for the purpose of his existence. Despite having nothing to lose, he still wants to follow someone, to find a purpose, and to escape feeling like a stranger. The chorus emphasizes that despite being strangers, we are still united in our search for meaning and connection, as we are all on the same road.
The second verse introduces the theme of sharing and working together. It speaks to the importance of being kind and considerate towards others along the journey, ‘minding our mouths’ and sharing with others what we possess. The final verse addresses the reality of life and the inevitable passing, suggesting that we should make the most of our time on earth, take what we need, and give back the rest.
Overall, “Strangers” delivers a message of compassion, hope, and unity. It represents the idea that even though we might feel like strangers in this world, we are all on the same journey searching for the same thing - a sense of purpose and belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
Where are you going, I don't mind
I'm indifferent to your destination
I've killed my world and I've killed my time
I've ruined my life and wasted my time
So where do I go? What will I see?
I don't know where to go or what to expect
I see many people coming after me
I am pursued by many people
So where are you going to, I don't mind
I'm still indifferent to your destination
If I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
I fear the consequences of living too long
So I will follow you wherever you go
I will follow you without any particular desire to reach a destination
If your offered hand is still open to me
If you still want my company
Strangers on this road we are on
We are strangers traveling on this road
We are not two, we are one
We are united in our journey despite being strangers
So you've been where I've just come
You have already experienced what I'm going through
From the land that brings losers on
From a place where people often fail
So we will share this road we walk
We will walk this road together
And mind our mouths and beware our talk
We should be cautious with what we say
'Til peace we find, tell you what I'll do
Until we find peace, I'll make you a promise
All the things I own I will share with you
I'll share everything I have with you
And, if I feel tomorrow like I feel today
If I still feel the same way tomorrow as I do today
We'll take what we want and give the rest away
We'll take what we need and share the rest with others
Holy man and holy priest
Religious leaders
This love of life makes me weak at my knees
I'm overwhelmed by my love of life
And when we get there, make your play
When we reach our destination, do what you want
'Cause soon I fear you're gonna carry us away
I fear you'll cause our downfall
And a promised lie you made us believe
You made us believe in a false promise
For many men there is so much grief
Many people suffer great loss
And my mind is proud but it aches with rage
I'm filled with pride and anger
Strangers on this road we are on
We are still strangers on this journey
We are not two, we are one
But we are still united in our travels
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dave Davies
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@maryreilly5102
Where are you going I don't mind
I've killed my world and I've killed my time
So where do I go what do I see
I see many people coming after me
So where are you going to I don't mind
If I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
So I will follow you wherever you go
If your offered hand is still open to me
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
So you've been where I've just come
From the land that brings losers on
So we will share this road we walk
And mind our mouths and beware our talk
'Till peace we find tell you what I'll do
All the things I own I will share with you
If I feel tomorrow like I feel today
We'll take what we want and give the rest away
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
Holy man and holy priest
This love of life makes me weak at my knees
And when we get there make your play
'Cos soon I feel you're gonna carry us away
In a promised lie you made us believe
For many men there is so much grief
And my mind is proud but it aches with rage
And if I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
@oldsagefields
One of the most simple and profound choruses ever in a song.
@soybeanmendez8058
The Kinks are a very underrated band. Yeah, I love The Beatles, The Doors, The Animals, etc... But The Kinks, man! Their songs tell a story and that's one of the many things that I love about them.
@0biwan77
wrong. the Beatles conquered the entire world in '64-'65. you would have had to be there to see it. such an infatuation was entirely new, and was never repeated. watch the Anthology. it tells the story pretty well.
@shawnwilcox6362
Soybean Mendez I've always felt the same way. Whenever I listen to The Kinks I can kind of form a story and have it play in my head as it goes along!
@joelaporte1270
Ray Davies 2006 song about the internet "Other Peoples Lives" is awesome and hilarious.
@kingeatking
Can't argue that. A class above the rest in my opinion. Songwriting is on an other level. It just blows my mind how their not viewed as highly as the Beatles!?
@dububro
I don't think I'd group The Animals with overrated bands.
@josephinedoolan9353
Absolute brilliance. It has a hymn like quality. Only recently discovered this after searching other Kinks songs. But feel as if I have known it forever. Touches your heart and soul. Pure heaven
@josephlemko3027
"Strangers" is one of the best songs that The Kinks have given the world.
@Didojuice
one of the most underappreciated and beautiful songs ever made