The Road
The Kinks Lyrics

Sitting alone on my hotel
The singer is alone in his hotel room.

Looking in the mirror wondering, "Well,
He is staring at himself in the mirror and contemplating something.

After all this time you never thought you'd still be out on the road?"
He is surprised that he is still traveling and performing after all these years.

Like a gypsy I was born to roam
The singer feels like he was born to travel and move around like a gypsy.

Like a wanderer with no fixed abode
He is like a wanderer who has no permanent home.

I think about the friends I've left behind on the road
He thinks about the friends he has lost touch with while traveling.

Well, the road's been rocky along the way
The singer has faced many challenges and difficulties on his journey.

It's been a long, hard haul on the motorway
Traveling on the motorway has been exhausting and challenging.

But if it gets too smooth it's time to call it a day
If things become too easy, it may be time to stop and reassess the situation.

(On the road)
The singer is emphasizing that he is a traveler, constantly on the move.

The bed and breakfasts and the greasy spoons
He has stayed in many basic and less than ideal accommodations while traveling.

(The road)
He is once again emphasizing the fact that he is traveling and performing.

The loser bars and the noisy rooms
He has performed in many unglamorous and rowdy venues.

(The road)
He reminds listeners that he is constantly on the move and experiencing new things.

The casualties who did too many lines
He has witnessed the negative effects of drug abuse on fellow performers.

(The road)
The artist is continually emphasizing the fact that he is traveling and performing.

Wasted talent on women and wine
He has seen many performers waste their skills on frivolous pursuits like drinking and partying.

I think of all the friends I've left behind
The singer is reflecting on the people he has lost touch with while traveling.

Whenever it's time to get back out on the road
He thinks of his friends whenever he has to hit the road again and leave them behind.

Started playing blues in a coffee bar
The singer began his musical career playing blues music in a coffee bar.

I took a trip down Charing Cross Road
He recalls taking a trip down Charing Cross Road, a famous street in London.

With my imitation Gretsch guitar
He had a Gretsch guitar that was a copy of the original.

And my head full of songs and my eyes full of stars
The singer was full of enthusiasm and hope for the future.

I saw a band called the Rolling Stones
He saw the famous band The Rolling Stones perform.

I thought, "That's it, I'll get a band,
He was inspired by The Rolling Stones to start a band himself.

I'm leaving home, I'm out on the road"
He decided to leave his home and begin traveling and performing.

The motorways all over this land
The singer has traveled extensively over the roads and highways of this country.

(The road)
Once again, he is emphasizing that he is traveling and performing.

Far away places like Wigan and Birmingham
He has performed in many far-off places like Wigan and Birmingham.

Didn't have no name, didn't have any fans
He started out performing in small venues and had no known reputation or following.

(The road)
The singer is once again emphasizing that he is traveling and performing.

Didn't have no money so we slept in the van
The singer and his bandmates were so poor that they had to sleep in their van.

All those early gigs we ever played
He recalls the many shows he played in the beginning of his career.

Sometimes we were lucky if we even got paid
They were not always paid for their performances.

Pete played on the bass guitar
One of his bandmates, Pete, played the bass guitar.

Liked to get around, mixing with all the stars
Pete enjoyed socializing with famous people.

But Mrs. Avory's child was all fingers and thumbs
One of the drummer's mothers was nervous about her son playing drums.

But solid as a rock, setting time on the drums
Despite her concerns, the drummer was actually very proficient and kept good time.

While Dave the Rave hit the rock 'n' roll riffs
Another bandmate named Dave played great rock 'n' roll guitar riffs.

Yours truly strummed away with a slightly limp wrist
The singer admits that he played guitar somewhat effeminately.

Everyday is when I can't get used to it
The constant traveling and performing is sometimes difficult for the singer to adjust to.

Everyday is when I can't get away
He is always on the road and is unable to escape it.

Another day, another freeway to face
Every day brings new highways and freeways to navigate.

Observed all the various phases from
He has seen various phases and trends in the music industry over time.

Flower power, heavy metal and acid rock
Some of the musical phases he has observed include flower power, heavy metal, and acid rock.

And still all the critics keep saying
Despite the ever-changing music industry, critics still have similar opinions.

"Are they still around? When they gonna stop?"
The critics wonder if the singer and his band are still relevant and when they will retire.

It's just the dedicated followers of fashion who like putting down
The people who criticize the singer and his band are just following trends and are not genuine fans.

All the well respected men who came dancing and are still on the road
Despite the criticism, there are many well-respected musicians who are still performing and traveling.

Sometimes I get suicidal
The demands of his career sometimes lead to him feeling depressed and hopeless.

Now everyone is a rival
As he becomes more successful, he sees more people as competition.

Different cars, different bars and hotels
As he travels, he sees many different cars, bars, and hotels.

Corporations, big business and egos
He is critical of the corporate and ego-driven aspects of the music industry.

When it all gets too bad I think back
When things become overwhelming, the singer thinks back to a simpler time.

When we were all each other had
In the beginning of his career, he and his bandmates relied solely on one another.

And there's gas in my tank and I've still got a way to go
He still has fuel in his tank and plans to continue traveling further.

Another hotel, it's time to check out soon
The singer is planning to leave the hotel soon.

As I look around the room
He is scanning his environment and taking in his surroundings.

I think of all the friends I've left behind
Once again, he is thinking of the people he has lost touch with while traveling.

On the road
The singer is emphasizing that he is constantly traveling and performing.