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)
village green
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties
Preserving the old ways from being abused
Protecting the new ways, for me and for you
What more can we do?
We are the Draught Beer Preservation Society
God save Mrs. Mopp and good old Mother Riley
We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium
God save the George Cross, and all those who were awarded them
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
We are the Sherlock Holmes English-speaking Vernacular
God save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula
We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity
God save little shops, china cups, and virginity
We are the Skyscraper Condemnation Affiliates
God save Tudor houses, antique tables, and billiards
Preserving the old ways from being abused
Protecting the new ways, for me and for you
What more can we do?
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
God save the Village Green!
The Kinks's song "Village Green" tells the story of a man who reminiscences about his hometown, which he left to pursue fame and fortune in the city. The singer expresses his longing for the simple life and the joys of the village green. He fondly remembers the church and the clock tower, the fresh air, and the Sunday school. He also recalls the sweet love he had with a girl called Daisy, whom he had to leave behind to follow his dreams.
The song paints a picture of a quaint village that is now a rare antique, a tourist attraction for American visitors. The singer is saddened by the changes that have occurred in his old village, including Daisy's marriage to the grocer boy and his ownership of the grocery. However, the ultimate message of the song is one of hope and nostalgia. The singer intends to return to the village green and reunite with Daisy, reliving happy memories and rekindling old friendships.
The lyrics of "Village Green" embody universal themes of longing, regret, and the desire for a simpler life. Ray Davies, the lead singer of The Kinks, was known for his storytelling and poetic lyrics that capture the essence of British culture. The song is a beautiful testament to the beauty of the countryside, the sense of community and belonging that comes with rural living, and the human desire to reconnect with our roots.
Line by Line Meaning
Out in the country,
Away from the polluted and noisy city, in the rural area
Far from all the soot and noise of the city,
Distant from urban pollution and noise
There's a village green.
There is a grassy public park in the village
It's been a long time
I haven't visited the area for a while
Since I last set eyes on the church with the steeple
I haven't seen the church with a pointed top for a while
Down by the village green.
The church is on the grassy park in the village
Twas there I met a girl called daisy
I met a lady named Daisy at that location
And kissed her by the old oak tree.
We shared a romantic moment beneath a large tree
Although I loved my daisy, I saw fame,
However much I liked Daisy, I valued popularity more
And so I left the village green.
I decided to depart from the small town
I miss the village green,
I long for the grassy public park in the village
And all the simple people.
I miss the straightforward and welcoming townspeople
The church, the clock, the steeple.
I miss the religious building, the timepiece, and its towering top
I miss the morning dew, fresh air and Sunday school.
I miss the dampness on the vegetation, crisp atmosphere, and religious instruction
And now all the houses
Presently, all the homes
Are rare antiquities.
Are precious and old antiques
American tourists flock to see the village green.
Many tourists from America visit the small town to see the park
They snap their photographs and say "gawd darn it,
They take pictures and exclaim "oh goodness"
Isn't it a pretty scene?"
It's such a beautiful view, isn't it?
And daisy's married tom the grocer boy,
Daisy tied the knot with Tom, who works at the grocery store
And now he owns a grocery.
Tom now possesses and manages his own store
And I will return there,
I intend to go back to that place
And I'll and daisy,
Daisy and I
And we'll sip tea, laugh,
And we'll casually drink tea while having fun
And talk about the village green.
And discuss the park and the memories we made there
We will laugh and talk about the village green.
We'll gladly reminisce about the grassy park in the village
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TSH
Out in the country,
Far from all the soot and noise of the city,
There's a village green.
It's been a long time
Since I last set eyes on the church with the steeple
Down by the village green.
Twas there I met a girl called daisy
And kissed her by the old oak tree.
Although I loved my daisy, I saw fame,
And so I left the village green.
I miss the village green,
And all the simple people.
I miss the village green,
The church, the clock, the steeple.
I miss the morning dew, fresh air and Sunday school.
And now all the houses
Are rare antiquities.
American tourists flock to see the village green.
They snap their photographs and say "gawd darn it,
Isn't it a pretty scene?"
And daisy's married tom the grocer boy,
And now he owns a grocery.
I miss the village green,
And all the simple people.
I miss the village green,
The church, the clock, the steeple.
I miss the morning dew, fresh air and Sunday school.
And I will return there,
And I'll and daisy,
And we'll sip tea, laugh,
And talk about the village green.
We will laugh and talk about the village green.
비정한세상
Village Green
The Kinks
Produced by Ray Davies
Album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
Out in the country
Far from all the soot and noise of the city
There's a village green
Oh, it's been a long time
Since I last set eyes on the church with the steeple
Down by the village green
'Twas there I met a girl called Daisy
And kissed her by the old oak tree
Although I loved my Daisy, I sought fame
And so I left the village green
I miss the village green And all the simple people
I miss the village green, The church, the clock, the steeple
I miss the morning dew, fresh air and Sunday school
And now all the houses Are rare antiquities
American tourists flock to see the village green
They snap their photographs and say "Gawd darn it
Isn't it a pretty scene?"
And Daisy's married Tom the grocer boy
And now he owns a grocery
And I will return there And I'll see Daisy
And we'll sip tea, laugh
And talk about the village green
We will laugh
Gary Rouyea
If you like what you hear
you can either keep with
YOUTUBE or some other outlet...
or maybe...get the CD...if
that's what you prefer...
I...personally...have the CD...
and yes it has short spurts of THE KINKS in HOT FUZZ...but...they are effective...
they're still effective...and
If you've not seen HOT FUZZ...
you may want to check into that...
as well...
and hopefully you enjoy
both...
Great album.
Great movie.
Natalia Carolina Pérez Motta
Out in the country
Far from all the soot and noise of the city
There's a village green
It's been a long time
Since I last set eyes on the church with the steeple
Down by the village green
'Twas there I met a girl called Daisy
And kissed her by the old oak tree
Although I loved my Daisy, I sought fame
And so I left the village green
I miss the village green
And all the simple people
I miss the village green
The church, the clock, the steeple
I miss the morning dew, fresh air and Sunday school
And now all the houses
Are rare antiquities
American tourists flock to see the village green
They snap their photographs and say "Gawd darn it
Isn't it a pretty scene"
And Daisy's married Tom the grocer boy
And now he owns a grocery
I miss the village green
And all the simple people
I miss the village green
The church, the clock, the steeple
I miss the morning dew, fresh air and Sunday school
And I will return there
And I'll see Daisy
And we'll sip tea, laugh
And talk about the village green
We will laugh and talk about the village green ,
Nikola Tortevski
This song perfectly fits with the village's rustic aesthetic.
DAK
Any luck catching them killers then?
Iman Fitri Ismail
@DAK Well, it's just the one killer actually.
NekrosGrizzly
I knew I'd find this comment
ihathtelekinesis
Unlike George Merchant's house.
Tambaloslos
?
Daniel Van Nice
The Kinks are simply the purest English rock band ever. Ray Davies has documented modern English society like no other.
Jeffrey Kaufmann
I agree.
Life’s Too Short
Together with the smiths
Jacques Hughes
If you want somebody to understand the heart of England and the essence of being English, and being working class in the 60's/70s, or looking at English society - then they could learn this by listening to half a dozen well-chosen kinks songs; this being one of them. The lyrics are modern English poetry and should be taught in schools - Autumn Almanac, Dead End Street, Village Green, Shangri-La etc etc. Reality, political, mocking and loving at the same time. Among the best and most poetic lyricists of all time.