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)
Wonderboy
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wonder boy, life's just begun
Turn your sorrow into wonder
Dream alone, don't sigh, don't groan
Life is only what you wonder
Day is as light as your brightest dreams
Time is as fast as the slowest thing
Life is only
Wonder boy, wonder boy
Everybody is looking for the sun
People strain their eyes to see
But I see you and you see me
And ain't that wonder?
Wonder boy, some mother's son
Life is full of work and [unverified]
Easy go, life is not real
Life is only what you conjure
Wonder boy, and the world is joy
Every single day it's the real McCoy
Wonder boy
Everybody is looking for the sun
People strain their eyes to see
But I see you and you see me
And ain't that wonder?
Wonder boy, some mother's son
Turn your sorrow into wonder
Dream alone, go have your fun
Life is only, life is only, life is only
The Kinks’ Wonderboy is a song about finding wonder and joy in life. The song is an ode to a “wonder boy” who has just begun his life journey. The message of the song is that life is full of wonder and that one should not waste it on sorrows and groans. The lyrics speak of looking for the sun but finding joy in the company of others, finding light in dreams, and slowing down enough to appreciate the world around us.
The song also acknowledges that life is full of work and challenges that can be difficult to navigate. However, the key to enjoying life is to turn one’s sorrow into wonder, to dream alone and to actively conjure the life one wants to live. In the end, the song celebrates the wonder of life and the joy that comes from experiencing it fully.
Overall, The Kinks’ Wonderboy is a simple yet powerful song that encourages listeners to appreciate the beauty of life and to find wonder in everyday experiences. It is a reminder that life is full of opportunities and that we should make the most of them.
Line by Line Meaning
La, la, la
Repetitive background vocals
Wonder boy, life's just begun
Addressing a person who is young and full of potential
Turn your sorrow into wonder
Encouraging the person to transform their sadness into curiosity
Dream alone, don't sigh, don't groan
Advising the person to pursue their dreams without complaining
Life is only what you wonder
Suggesting that life is shaped by one's thoughts and imagination
Day is as light as your brightest dreams
Implying that positivity can create a bright atmosphere
Night is as dark as you feel it ought to be
Implying that negativity can create a dark atmosphere
Time is as fast as the slowest thing
Suggesting that time feels slow when one is bored and fast when one is busy
Life is only
Reinforcing the idea that life is shaped by one's thoughts and imagination
Wonder boy, wonder boy
Repetitive address of the person with potential
Everybody is looking for the sun
Implying that everyone seeks happiness
People strain their eyes to see
Metaphorical expression of people's efforts to find happiness
But I see you and you see me
Implying that mutual connection between people is one form of happiness
And ain't that wonder?
Rhetorical question suggesting that mutual connection between people is indeed wonderful
Wonder boy, some mother's son
Reiteration of the person's potential
Life is full of work and [unverified]
Acknowledgement that life includes difficulties and pain
Easy go, life is not real
Suggesting that one should not take life too seriously
Life is only what you conjure
Reinforcing the idea that life is shaped by one's thoughts and imagination
Wonder boy, and the world is joy
Suggesting that the person's positive attitude can create a joyful world
Every single day it's the real McCoy
Implying that each day is unique and valuable
Wonder boy
Repetitive address of the person with potential
Turn your sorrow into wonder
Reiteration of the advice to transform sadness into curiosity
Dream alone, go have your fun
Reiteration of the advice to pursue dreams without complaining
Life is only, life is only, life is only
Reinforcing the idea that life is shaped by one's thoughts and imagination
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vlopes3000
La, la, la
Wonder boy, life's just begun
Turn your sorrow into wonder
Dream alone, don't sigh, don't groan
Life is only what you wonder
Day is as light as your brightest dreams
Night is as dark as you feel it ought to be
Time is as fast as the slowest thing
Life is only
Wonder boy, wonder boy
Everybody is looking for the sun
People strain their eyes to see
But I see you and you see me
And ain't that wonder?
Wonder boy, some mother's son
Life is full of work and [unverified]
Easy go, life is not real
Life is only what you conjure
Wonder boy, and the world is joy
Every single day it's the real McCoy
Wonder boy
Everybody is looking for the sun
People strain their eyes to see
But I see you and you see me
And ain't that wonder?
Wonder boy, some mother's son
Turn your sorrow into wonder
Dream alone, go have your fun
Life is only, life is only, life is only
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
La, la, la
Wonder boy, life's just begun
Turn your sorrow into wonder
Dream alone, don't sigh, don't groan
Life is only what you wonder
Day is as light as your brightest dreams
Night is as dark as you feel it ought to be
Time is as fast as the slowest thing
Life is only
Everybody is looking for the sun
People strain their eyes to see
But I see you and you see me
And ain't that wonder?
Wonder boy, some mother's son
Life is full of work and plunder[?].
Easy go, life is not real
Life is only what you conjure
Wonder boy, and the world is joy
Every single day it's the real McCoy
Wonder boy, some mother's son
Turn your sorrow into wonder
Dream alone, go have your fun
Life is only, life is only, life is only
@reereerobin
I just love the voice of Ray Davies ! 💝💝💝
@terrypussypower
How can one person write so many blinding tunes? It’s astonishing. The man’s a stone cold genius!
@vlopes3000
La, la, la
Wonder boy, life's just begun
Turn your sorrow into wonder
Dream alone, don't sigh, don't groan
Life is only what you wonder
Day is as light as your brightest dreams
Night is as dark as you feel it ought to be
Time is as fast as the slowest thing
Life is only
Wonder boy, wonder boy
Everybody is looking for the sun
People strain their eyes to see
But I see you and you see me
And ain't that wonder?
Wonder boy, some mother's son
Life is full of work and [unverified]
Easy go, life is not real
Life is only what you conjure
Wonder boy, and the world is joy
Every single day it's the real McCoy
Wonder boy
Everybody is looking for the sun
People strain their eyes to see
But I see you and you see me
And ain't that wonder?
Wonder boy, some mother's son
Turn your sorrow into wonder
Dream alone, go have your fun
Life is only, life is only, life is only
@iadorenewyork1
The word is PLUNDER.
@lucadicriscio8182
The unverified word is "plunder'
@terrypussypower
“Plunder”, “blunder”, “thunder”…depending on my mood!!
@HamptonFarly
this song is in my head always and i start singing it without knowing im doing it. Its that good its a mental thing.
@loungejay8555
This song reminds me of sitting my dads car on my own as a teenager listening to this on a Kinks Greatest Hits compilation on cassette. This song stuck out for me.
@carspiv
I have been listening to Nowhere Man for 55 years and Wonderboy for 43 years and never did I connect the two sonically or lyrically. John Lennon was writing about himself, essentially bemoaning writer’s block. Wonderboy is happier, uplifting, wistful, and sweet.
I always took the phrase “Everybody’s looking for the sun/People strain their eyes to see/But I see you and you see me/And ain’t that wonder?” To be a gentle dig at hippie culture looking “deep” and trying to find meaning; Ray Davies seems to be saying, “It’s right in front of you, around you everywhere. In each other.”
@charlee9414
I've heard that this is John Lennon's favourite Kinks song which makes this even more interesting!