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)
You Really Got Me
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You got me so I don't know what I'm doin' now
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know what I'm doin' now
Oh yeah, you really got me nowYou got me so I can't sleep at night
You really got me
You really got me
You really got me
See, don't ever set me free
I always wanna be by your side
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know what I'm doin' now
Oh yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
You really got me
You really got me
You really got me
Oh no
See, don't ever set me free
I always wanna be by your side
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know what I'm doin' now
Oh yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
You really got me
You really got me
You really got me
The Kinks’ hit song “You Really Got Me” is a classic rock tune about the overwhelming power of love. The song is about a man who has been taken over by the feelings of love he is experiencing for a woman. He is so consumed by these feelings that he can no longer think clearly or function as he used to. The repetition of the line “you really got me” throughout the song emphasizes the fact that the woman has taken control of his life and he is completely under her spell. The chorus reflects the singer’s feelings by repeatedly telling the woman that she has truly “got him.”
The verses of the song reveal the depth of the singer’s obsession with the woman. He tells her that he cannot sleep at night because he is so consumed by thoughts of her. The line “don’t ever set me free” reflects his desire to be with her at all times, and shows that his love for the woman has become an addiction he cannot live without. The lyrics of the song are simple and direct, but it is the raw emotion in Ray Davies’ delivery that makes the song so powerful.
Overall, “You Really Got Me” is a testament to the power of love and the hold that it can have on a person’s life. The song’s lyrics are a testament to the intensity of love and the way it can completely change a person’s life.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, you really got me goin'
The girl has an irresistible power over the singer, causing him to be completely consumed with her.
You got me so I don't know what I'm doin' now
The girl's influence has made the singer become so absorbed in her that he has become disoriented and lost touch with reality.
Yeah, you really got me now
The girl's power over the singer has only gotten stronger over time, making him even more dependent on her.
You got me so I can't sleep at night
The girl's hold is so strong that the singer cannot even rest peacefully without her presence.
See, don't ever set me free
The singer is pleading with the girl to never let him go because he is afraid of losing the intense connection he feels with her.
I always wanna be by your side
The singer's desire to be with the girl is constant and unwavering, as he feels incomplete without her.
Oh no
This exclamation could signify the singer's realization that he is completely bound to the girl, whether it is a positive or negative realization is up to interpretation.
You really got me
The girl's grip on the singer cannot be understated, as she has completely taken over his life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Written by: Ray Davies
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidsiena5446
The best live version of their first classic.
@jasonpeters9716
Agreed
@maak657
''You Really Got Me'' Still holds water today..One of the best British Invasion bands ever
@stephaniemarx9162
The origin of both hard rock and the precursor to Punk Rock. Written in the little house in Muswell Hill and first played through Dave's "Little Green Amp" with the speaker cone intentenaly cut to make it sound raw.
@monkeytennis7477
Let's give it up for Peter Quaife on the bass guitar yeaaaahhhh🎉🎉🎉
@jamesglenn4266
The drums in this video are superb.
@bryanpalmer9660
My favorite film clip of this classic song
@zoltanszabo2256
Gyerekkoromtól az egyik legnagyobb kedvencem!! Üdvözlet Magyarországról🤗🇹🇯
@jasonpeters9716
Best ver of this song live can find
@samtomarchio9703
still listening great music