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The Kinks — Dead End Street
Album: Face To Face
Avg rating:
6.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1190









Released: 1966
Length: 3:13
Plays (last 30 days): 4
There's a crack up in the ceiling
And the kitchen sink is leaking
Out of work and got no money
A Sunday joint of bread and honey

What are we living for?
Two-roomed apartment on the second floor
No money coming in
The rent collector's knocking, trying to get in

We are strictly second class
We don't understand
(Dead end!) Why we should be in dead end street?
(Dead end!) People are living in dead end street
(Dead end!) I'm gonna die on dead end street

Dead end street (Yeah!)
Dead end street (Yeah!)

On a cold and frosty morning
Wipe my eyes and stop me yawning
And my feet are nearly frozen
Boil the tea and put some toast on

What are we living for?
Two-roomed apartment on the second floor
No chance to emigrate
I'm deep in debt and now it's much too late

We both want to work so hard
We can't get the chance
(Dead end!) People live in dead end street
(Dead end!) People are dying on dead end street
(Dead end!) We're gonna die on dead end street

Dead end street (Yeah!)
Dead end street (Yeah!)

(Dead end!) People live on dead end street
(Dead end!) People are dying on dead end street
(Dead end!) I'm gonna die on dead end street

Dead end street (Yeah!)
Dead end street (Yeah!)
Dead end street (Yeah!)
Head to my feet (Yeah!)
Dead end street (Yeah!)
Dead end street (Yeah!)
Dead end street (Yeah!)
How's it feel? (Yeah!)
How's it feel? (Yeah!)
Dead end street (Yeah!)
Dead end street (Yeah!)
Comments (97)add comment
Brilliant segue from DOT.
Only 2 seconds long?
Brilliant Band.
 SpinyNorma wrote:
The Kinks: a far, far superior outfit from that era to The Beatles. Fact.

Fiction.
 Spuck wrote:

Any new music is created on the back of that which came before. To say old music is no good for whatever reason misses the point. When I was young, I had no idea what people saw in Elvis. Not until I was in my 20s did I "get it". I still don't get Sinatra. Oh, well. I know better than to say that he sucks just because I don't get him.

The older I get, the more I can appreciate history and all the influences that have brought us to today. I don't get a lot of things but I know all it would take is the correct time, place, people, whatever, to understand and appreciate. 

If you want to only hear what fits in your narrow view, you should be listening elsewhere. The greatest thing about Radio Paradise is that you get more than just what you think you want. Bill is here to broaden your mind, whether you think you like it or not. There are all kinds of places to hear only what you like and what you know. Those places are a dime a dozen (to use an old, old phrase). This place is special. Don't ruin it for those of us who appreciate.

Radio Paradise is a very rare gem.



Not just rare, unique.
The Kinks: a far, far superior outfit from that era to The Beatles. Fact.
Any new music is created on the back of that which came before. To say old music is no good for whatever reason misses the point. When I was young, I had no idea what people saw in Elvis. Not until I was in my 20s did I "get it". I still don't get Sinatra. Oh, well. I know better than to say that he sucks just because I don't get him.

The older I get, the more I can appreciate history and all the influences that have brought us to today. I don't get a lot of things but I know all it would take is the correct time, place, people, whatever, to understand and appreciate. 

If you want to only hear what fits in your narrow view, you should be listening elsewhere. The greatest thing about Radio Paradise is that you get more than just what you think you want. Bill is here to broaden your mind, whether you think you like it or not. There are all kinds of places to hear only what you like and what you know. Those places are a dime a dozen (to use an old, old phrase). This place is special. Don't ruin it for those of us who appreciate.

Radio Paradise is a very rare gem.
 Stingray wrote:

Generally I agree, Dad!

But you are so very-very wrong to assume that any f-radio can kill any Kinks!

You folks seem to write such stuff from the elderly-home standpoint, when stating stuff like: "back in the days"  or other bullcrap!
You comment seems to fall right into that ballpark.

 You old people seem to "see and hear" the Kinks as some kind of a museum piece. And that it seems to be "soooo lovely" to get
a final glimpse into their "poetry-album" ("Poesie Album", is a German word for the little booklet underage girls passed around in the 1950's, hoping for some "intellegent statement" written into it by their girlfriends - those kids they can hardly remember only 20 years later!

I am writing this to let you know that I find comments of that kind very hard to swallow. 

I bet you already enjoy grand-kids! I bet!!! 
 

What's with all the ageism? RP plays classic and brand new music from
classic artists and brand new artists. That's why most of us like it,
whether we are 60+ or 20-.

You're about as mature as those who pass around Poesie Albums!  I bet!!

One of the best by one of the best
{#Devil_pimp}zesty ! ray one of the great story tellers of his day or any day
Yeah Kinks!{#Bananajam}{#Dancingbanana_2}{#Boohoo}{#Guitarist}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananasplit}{#Dancingbanana}{#Dance}
 Stingray wrote:

Generally I agree, Dad!

But you are so very-very wrong to assume that any f-radio can kill any Kinks!

You folks seem to write such stuff from the elderly-home standpoint, when stating stuff like: "back in the days"  or other bullcrap!
You comment seems to fall right into that ballpark.

 You old people seem to "see and hear" the Kinks as some kind of a museum piece. And that it seems to be "soooo lovely" to get
a final glimpse into their "poetry-album" ("Poesie Album", is a German word for the little booklet underage girls passed around in the 1950's, hoping for some "intellegent statement" written into it by their girlfriends - those kids they can hardly remember only 20 years later!

I am writing this to let you know that I find comments of that kind very hard to swallow. 

I bet you already enjoy grand-kids! I bet!!! 

 
Time to change the nappies?
 skindy wrote:

{#Clap} I love it when cool RPeeps dig up trivia like this and share it in the song comments. Adds to my enjoyment of the song!

 
Seconded.
 Skydog wrote:

so goes this story,...
.
....The story of when the Kinks recorded Dead End Street that during the recording session Ray got the idea that the song needed a horn and went down the street to a pub and found a band playing in there with a guy playing trombone, brought him back to the studio and the song was finished...

 
{#Clap} I love it when cool RPeeps dig up trivia like this and share it in the song comments. Adds to my enjoyment of the song!
 haresfur wrote:

I never really noticed the trombone before.  Anyone know who was playing it?
 
so goes this story,...
.
....The story of when the Kinks recorded Dead End Street that during the recording session Ray got the idea that the song needed a horn and went down the street to a pub and found a band playing in there with a guy playing trombone, brought him back to the studio and the song was finished...
the album cover is quite colorful even for 1966
 
 Stingray wrote:


I bet you already enjoy grand-kids! I bet!!! 

 
This statement has been submitted to the "Department of Redundancy Department" for disciplinary action.

The Kinks are timeless!

 Stingray wrote:
The ideas of certain people are just outrageous!
 
Yes.

Shall one laugh or cry?  

We've just been laughing at you.  Haven't you noticed?
 Papernapkin wrote:
Mediocre at best. Loved by old people.
Stingray wrote:

How to take anybody serious, who identifies himself with the name "Papernapkin"?
I just read some 50 comments on this fine-fine song and can report that I am both: 
Partly shocked - partly disgusted!

The masses, it seems, are unable to paint anything but a very mediocre picture of reality!

Sad! 

 
Dons Fire-proof overalls . . .

Just for a moment there, thought you were going to say "(i)...can report that i am both:
Mediocre at best & loved by old people"

ho! ho! ho!

Old people were young when the Kinks were having hits.
For anyone born after 1982 or so ('Come Dancing'), the Kinks are gonna seem old.
Its simple chronology really.
Q.E.D.
 Papernapkin wrote:
Mediocre at best. Loved by old people.

 
How to take anybody serious, who identifies himself with the name "Papernapkin"?
I just read some 50 comments on this fine-fine song and can report that I am both: 
Partly shocked - partly disgusted!

The masses, it seems, are unable to paint anything but a very mediocre picture of reality!

Sad! 
 rotten wrote:
What a great song, Great to hear some classic Kinks, not just the same few songs that radio has killed.

 
Generally I agree, Dad!

But you are so very-very wrong to assume that any f-radio can kill any Kinks!

You folks seem to write such stuff from the elderly-home standpoint, when stating stuff like: "back in the days"  or other bullcrap!
You comment seems to fall right into that ballpark.

 You old people seem to "see and hear" the Kinks as some kind of a museum piece. And that it seems to be "soooo lovely" to get
a final glimpse into their "poetry-album" ("Poesie Album", is a German word for the little booklet underage girls passed around in the 1950's, hoping for some "intellegent statement" written into it by their girlfriends - those kids they can hardly remember only 20 years later!

I am writing this to let you know that I find comments of that kind very hard to swallow. 

I bet you already enjoy grand-kids! I bet!!! 
 oldfart48 wrote:
to all you folks who can't figure out why the KINKS get so much air....they invented punk....and they beat the hell out of crap/rap

 
The ideas of certain people are just outrageous!

Shall one laugh or cry? 
WONDERFUL! JUST WONDERFUL!

Touching genius! 
 Papernapkin wrote:
Mediocre at best. Loved by old people.
 
. . . but enough about your sex life.
to all you folks who can't figure out why the KINKS get so much air....they invented punk....and they beat the hell out of crap/rap
 Papernapkin wrote:
Mediocre at best. Loved by old people.

 

Yup, love me some KinkS!!
 Papernapkin wrote:
Mediocre at best. Loved by old people.
 
Are you any relation to Nardwuar, The Human Serviette?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nardwuar_the_Human_Serviette 
 haresfur wrote:
"No chance to emigrate"

Thanks Ray for teaching me what life to avoid.
 
Wasn't the 60s the era of the '£10 poms', when you could emigrate to Oz for a tenner? My uncle in Ireland did that in the late 60s, I know, and he's still down under with the Strines (though still has a thick Dublin accent).
"No chance to emigrate"

Thanks Ray for teaching me what life to avoid.
What a great song, Great to hear some classic Kinks, not just the same few songs that radio has killed.
 tonton7 wrote:
Great! The Kinks did a lot of good stuff in that time. With lyrics full of irony and intelligence.
 
True, and that's overlooked because most people just know a few overplayed Kinksongs. It still amazes me that the audio quality of their recordings from this era is so poor. 
Loved the Kinks in 8th grade. Now 30 years on I appreciate them. If you understand the world back then the lyrics reach so much further.
Thought radio was afraid end street! Till discovering RP!

Love music love RP
The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Are you living on Dead End Street?
 haresfur wrote:

Well, um... I loved it when I was young, too.  {#Mrgreen}

 

{#High-five}
 Papernapkin wrote:
Mediocre at best. Loved by old people.
 
Well, um... I loved it when I was young, too.  {#Mrgreen}

I like the angry edge on this one as a nice contrast to the resignation of, say, Shangrila.

I never really noticed the trombone before.  Anyone know who was playing it?

#6 Denmark Terrace in Fortis Green.

 skindy wrote:
 Papernapkin wrote:
Mediocre at best. Loved by old people.

Eh? I'm younger than you, and I LOVE the Kinks, and this song. How much of the Kinks' catalog have you actually heard, crabby?

 
I like it!!  Crabby is a good term for the disposable-one.

I think this might be the kinks in the mid-early 60s
 kurtster wrote:
The social commentary of The Kinks lyrics is the bonus to their excellent flavor of tuneage.  Just as profound as Dylan's lyrics without being too serious.

 
Well pegged.  Dylan had a bit of the secular priest in him.

 Papernapkin wrote:
Mediocre at best. Loved by old people.

Eh? I'm younger than you, and I LOVE the Kinks, and this song. How much of the Kinks' catalog have you actually heard, crabby?

Mediocre at best. Loved by old people.
 Dgradeworkunit wrote:
I can relate to this song...  I'm sorry to say.
 

That's the beauty of the Kinks...they were writing songs about real life and it's joys and heartbreaks when most of their peers were writing silly love songs.


I can relate to this song...  I'm sorry to say.
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Definitely one of my faves from them Kinky guys.
 
Agree!!

 squidish wrote:
I kissed Ray once! It was fab!
 
    We didn't kiss but emty some bottles we did !{#Drunk}
While the vast majority of their peers continued to write about l-o-v-e...the Kinks knocked out this ode to growing up third class in a second rate society!  Brilliant then and now!  10

 westslope wrote:

Anything from the Kinks.
 
Yes Sir !

Is there a modern band now covering this? Or is my brain misfiring?
Definitely one of my faves from them Kinky guys.
The social commentary of The Kinks lyrics is the bonus to their excellent flavor of tuneage.  Just as profound as Dylan's lyrics without being too serious.

I like the trombone near the end
 toterola wrote:
Hey, don't apoligize, bub. The Kinks are one of the greatest bands ever. Facts is facts. {#Wave}
 
Indeed...few bands are as blatantly subversive under the cloak of the perky little innocent pop tune.  They set the standard.


 westslope wrote:

Love it!

 

For the young 'uns who find this a tad lame. My apologies.


 

Hey, don't apoligize, bub. The Kinks are one of the greatest bands ever. Facts is facts. {#Wave}

Love it!

 

For the young 'uns who find this a tad lame. My apologies.


THIS is the type of Kinks music that I love.  Good stuff.
Oh, how I love The Kinks.
Great Song from a great band!!

God Save The Kinks
Man, it's been years! Anything from the Kinks.
Great! The Kinks did a lot of good stuff in that time. With lyrics full of irony and intelligence.
Dead end song.
Bill's takin us on a trip down memory lane today
I kissed Ray once! It was fab!
Old_Pink wrote:
Why are the Kinks (a mediocre band at best) in heavy rotation? The KINKS?! Another example of Bill just deciding he likes something so we're gonna like it too.
And whom would you select as arbitrator of worthy music? Yourself? I'm sure you would have thousands of listeners...like Bill has right now listening to the Kinks.
Old_Pink wrote:
Another example of Bill just deciding he likes something so we're gonna like it too.
To quote the brilliant Mike Tyson, if you don't like it, change your station.
Kinks are OK - but this song sucks!
ok
djinnthespazz wrote:
So. When are you going to invite us over to your station? Do you do this at your friend's houses, too? Oh, wait. Quite likely you do. Nevermind.
I had the thrill of meeting Bill, in London no less. Had a lovely stroll thru Green Park past the Palace to St. James's Park. One beautiful part of the world. Speaking of which, after 13 years in England the Kinks, to me, are still the signature UK group. This just makes me feel like a furtive skulk thru the East End. Love it!
Old_Pink wrote:
Another example of Bill just deciding he likes something so we're gonna like it too.
So. When are you going to invite us over to your station? Do you do this at your friend's houses, too? Oh, wait. Quite likely you do. Nevermind.
Face to Face I love the Kinks!
Old_Pink wrote:
Why are the Kinks (a mediocre band at best) in heavy rotation? The KINKS?! Another example of Bill just deciding he likes something so we're gonna like it too.
i'll acknowledge their place in rock history, but i still have to say they do nuthin for me listening today - and i've been around awhile.
Cool chestnut, this one.
HHMM...Ray Davies in Sandiego soon...Got my tickets!!!
Not to mention being a major influence on another band you may have heard of...The Who. I love The Kinks!
Gregorama wrote:
It takes a lot of balls to call the Kinks "a mediocre band." Maybe you skipped class in Rock School that day. If it weren't for artists like the Kinks, we might still be listening to Pat Boone, Neil Sedaka and the Four Seasons, which was where American Pop music was basically stuck in the early '60s. They were one of the cutting edge British Invasion bands and penned many of the best rock songs of all time.
loungelizard48 wrote:
Now, THIS takes me back...LOL. Anybody else having trouble with the Emoticon? errrr...never mind...I figured it out...must have been that last puff...
mmmm... must be nice up there in Canada.
I want to like it... but I dont.
Fun, but now I remember that I do not miss trombones in modern popular music.
It's always hard to figure out what's good as opposed to what you like. For me the Kinks wrote some of the most visceral, perceptive, infectious pop music of the mid 60's, & this song is one of their best. It's also an amazing slice of social history, conjuring up all the feelings of weariness and frustration in post-war Britain, feelings that are hard to remember (or even imagine) now. They turned those feelings into a beautifully crafted pop song that you couldn't go a day without hearing in the street at the time. The intro still gives me the shivers.
Gorgeous harmonic progressions in this musically rather sophisticated song!
The only problem I have with early Kinks is the absolutely horrendous sound. Everything else about this is brilliant.
Now, THIS takes me back...LOL. Anybody else having trouble with the Emoticon? errrr...never mind...I figured it out...must have been that last puff...
The Kinks are not only one of the best British Invasion bands, they are the most underrated.Ray Davies is, IMHO, the best and most prolific songwriter. It is obvious that he has a sharp eye for human emotion, struggling and suffering, and he can translate them into amazing songs. May Davies and The Kinks live on!
Old_Pink wrote:
Why are the Kinks (a mediocre band at best) in heavy rotation? The KINKS?! Another example of Bill just deciding he likes something so we're gonna like it too.
For my tastes, by about 1975 Ray Davies had pretty much shot his musical wad. However, a close listen to the Kinks catalog prior to that will be rewarded by many amazing tunes. Do yourself a favor.
More Kinks! Any band that's reached this level of mediocrity has my vote.
Old_Pink wrote:
Why are the Kinks (a mediocre band at best) in heavy rotation? The KINKS?! Another example of Bill just deciding he likes something so we're gonna like it too.
It takes a lot of balls to call the Kinks "a mediocre band." Maybe you skipped class in Rock School that day. If it weren't for artists like the Kinks, we might still be listening to Pat Boone, Neil Sedaka and the Four Seasons, which was where American Pop music was basically stuck in the early '60s. They were one of the cutting edge British Invasion bands and penned many of the best rock songs of all time. What have you done for music lately?
Why are the Kinks (a mediocre band at best) in heavy rotation? The KINKS?! Another example of Bill just deciding he likes something so we're gonna like it too.
Sounds a little dated today, but matching the era. Before anyone slams me, I still gave it 8!
I like this old kinks! I don't think I've ever heard it before. My problem? Why have I heard 3 or 4 old kinks songs a day (different ones I believe) since I started listening to RP? Kinda ruins the whole 'eclectic' thing.
Great to hear something besides their "hits"...I can so relate to this right now, hey, maybe I'll write a song about it lolololol!
I last saw these guys back in 1988 in one of the worst acoustic halls I've ever had the misery of visiting (thanks, Poughkeepsie)...yet they still put on a phenomenal show, 2 encores, and left everything on stage. Nice cut here. Not their best by far, but at least it's not "Lola" or "You Really Got Me."
Well, that was FUN!!
MY GOD!!! Finally, some real Kinks. Awesome stuff.
First single I ever bought. Led to the rapid discovery of the previous work of the Kinks. But Dead End Street stands out as the first great social commentary type song by Ray Davies. A far cry from the "your really got me" type of stuff from a lyrical point of view. Sentiments deeply rooted in the sober realities of the English working classes. And great music at the moment when rock begins to move in more complex directions. Ray's love for music hall shows. Pure pleasure even 40 years on. (well, almost 40....)
hey, big thanks to the uploader of this one. :)