Get your mind outta the gutter—ok?  I’m Kinky because of my never-ending love for The Kinks.  I have also had a 52 -year crush on Ray Davies, the King of Kink!

He was my first-ever crush.  The first time I saw a photo of him all I could think of was “You Really Got Me”!

That crooked smile drove my pubescent hormonal pre-teen emotional state crazy with desire!

All through my school years I’ve loved The Kinks. Through my young adulthood, I loved The Kinks.  My three children were raised, not on songs like “Puff the Magic Dragon” or Rafi, but they were raised on songs like “Lola”, “Waterloo Sunset”, “Apeman”, and “Well Respected Man”. I remain a Kinks fan.  My children all remain Kinks fans.

That beautiful head of hair…

OMG! Now wonder I love this wig. It’s like the hair Ray Davies used to have. I’ll rename my wig to Raymonda!

I got to see them in concert many times—through their very unruly behavior on stage and naughty antics until Ray Davies went on tour solo a few years ago.

This morning as I got into my car to enter the battlefield known as 422, and to curse out the idiot drivers — because we all know that I am the best driver in the world, I perused through my CD collection and decided to revisit The Kink’s “Muswell Hillbilllies” CD. In vinyl, I played this on my turntable in my room countless times.  I was 16 years old when the album was released.

I had the original album. I need to head to Amazon to order this deluxe edition with bonus tracks!

As a 16-year-old, I thought the songs were cool. I never gave the lyrics to the songs much thought—even though I had them memorized.  It was the tunes, the beats, Ray Davies singing and my love for the band that was more important.

In the meantime, I’ll take this…

And so, as I was caught between the damned trucks and moving at a snail’s pace on the horrific road to work, I had the chance to really, really, listen to the lyrics of the songs.

I’m a product of this era. I still think young men look better with long hair!  Dave Davies looks extra fetching in this pic with his Hipster Jesus look! I still love Ray more!

I was blown away at how the songs mirrored my own life as well as modern life. Really. They did!  I’ll explain

20^th Century Man: …”The wonderful world of technology,
Napalm hydrogen bombs biological warfare…”

Those lyrics—what do they remind you of, huh?  I’m not going to get political, but. Look what’s going on in the world. OK?

Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues: …”Well the milkman’s a spy, and the grocer keeps on following me, And the woman next door’s an undercover for the K.G.B.”

Miss Microwave herself.  She’s the epitome of this song!

Kelly Ann Conway and the microwave?  Need I say any more?  I know what she’s got!

Holiday: …”Oh holiday, oh what a lovely day today, I think I’ll get down on my little knees and pray, thank you Lord. Thank heaven for this holiday, holiday. I’m leaving insecurity behind me.
The environmental pressures got me down. I don’t need no sedatives to pull me round” …
The Pool in Theoule is MY sedative!

Holiday is basically about me when I’m on summer vacation on the Cote d’Azur.  I do thank God, I pinch myself for being so lucky and I don’t need no happy pills!!

Skin and Bone: “Don’t eat no mashed potatoes. Don’t eat no buttered scones.”

Rest assured, I’m up a good 5 pounds since this pic last month. I need to get back on track! Glad I listened to this song today!

Stay away from carbohydrates. Gonna look like skin and bones”.

I do. But I don’t look like skin and bone!  But Ray Davies has a great and fun outlook on what happens to young ladies if they try to lose too much weight!

Alcohol: …” Oh demon alcohol, Sad memories I can’t recall” …

I can recall. I was married to an alcoholic. But, the thing about this song is that it’s so good that any bitterness I could have flies out the window as a merrily sing along with Ray!

Complicated Life: …”Well I woke this morning with a pain in my neck, A pain in my heart and a pain in my chest” …

Time for Breakfast!!!!

A hypochondriac’s anthem.  Seriously.  I wake up like this every morning.  I do believe Sir Raymond Davies knows me well!

Here Come The People in Gray: …”I got a letter this morning with serious news that’s gone and ruined my day. The borough surveyor’s used compulsory purchase to acquire my domain,
They’re gonna pull up the floors, they’re gonna knock down the walls, they’re gonna dig up the drains.”

I can’t help it. This song reminds me of the evil developers that ruined the island of Manhattan for the middle class and we all had to leave. The construction men in their gray uniforms demolished buildings to make monstrous buildings like Trump Tower—another reason I hate that man.

On the other hand, I get a bit bittersweet when I listen to the tone of Davies’ voice when he sings this song. His voice reminds me so much of Marc Bolan of T-Rex. Marc was another one of my all-time Rock favorites. I miss his music.

Marc Bolan–another rock musician I loved.  I’m telling you, that slight vibrato of Davies in this song really reminds me of Marc Bolan.  I need to listen to “Ride A White Swan” again. And again.

Have a Cuppa Tea: …” If you feel a bit under the weather, if you feel a little bit peeved, Take granny’s stand-by potion” …

Margaret Crowley Wynne–the greatest grandma on earth and the greatest brewer of the best cuppa tea ever!

I listen to this song and am brought back to the kettle that was constantly on my grandmother’s stove. We drank tea in the morning, afternoon and evening.  I love tea. I miss my grandmother’s tea.  Tea is comforting.

Holloway Jail: “They took my baby, to Holloway jail, they took my baby, down Holloway jail,”

So, I can’t really relate to this song on an actual level—but there were times when I did feel imprisoned! I still love the song!

Oklahoma USA: …”All life we work but work is bore, If life’s for livin’ what’s livin’ for,”

This is relatable in the now. Work hours have gotten longer. Corporations want staff to be at the ready on their cell phones during the weekend.  People are afraid to take vacations—so what’s living for?

Corny photo–perhaps. But when you listen to this song, you will be moved.

But there is a very sad sweetness to this song. It’s about a woman who lives in a decaying home and dreams of the life of the film “Oklahoma” with Shirley Jones and Gordon McRae.

Uncle Son:” Liberals dream of equal rights, Conservatives live in a world gone by, Socialists preach of a promised land, but old uncle son, was an ordinary man.

Keep crying Ben Franklin. You and every founding father of our country are rolling over in their graves at how horrific the political parties in America have become!

How prolific are these lyrics?  How incredibly ironic that these lyrics were written in 1971 and are relative to today?

You know what?  We all have a bit of Uncle Son in us!  And he’s a great guy!

Muswell Hillbilly: …” They’ll try and make me study elocution. Because they say my accent isn’t right.

My favorite line from this song about people trying to change you.  And yes, I’ve spent a lifetime with people commenting on my—um, rather unique “New Yawk” accent.

I wawk dis fas so I tawk dis fas!

And these are just some of the reasons that I love this little collection of songs so much. I love the lyrics that Davies writes. He has this gift of bringing words together that are touching and funny at the same time—and even for the most depressing of situations, he still brings the brightness in.

I love that.  And I love Sir Raymond!  (Shhhh..Don’t tell Bonaparte!)

Sir Raymond Davis still has that most adorable crooked smile!  Be still my heart! NO–don’t be still my heart. Keep beating!

Do you still listen to the music you grew up on? Does it bring a new meaning to you now in your life?

Go. And listen to music.  And enjoy it. And sing along. And find new meaning!  And get Kinky!

Because I love the pulsing beat and the slight vibrato that reminds me of Marc Bolan I have to play “Here Come The People In Grey”—enjoy!