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The Kinks — Sunny Afternoon
Album: Face To Face
Avg rating:
7.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2546









Released: 1966
Length: 3:31
Plays (last 30 days): 0
The taxman's taken all my dough
And left me in my stately home
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
And I can't sail my yacht
He's taken everything I got
All I've got's this sunny afternoon

Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
I've got a big fat mama tryin' ta break me
And I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
In da summertime
In da summertime
In da summertime

My girlfriend's run off with my car
And gone back to her ma and pa
Tellin' tales of drunkenness and cruelty
Now I'm sittin' here
Sippin' at my ice cold beer
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon

Help me, help me, help me sail away
Well, give me two good reasons why I oughta stay
'Cause I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
In da summertime
In da summertime
In da summertime

Ah, save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
I got a big fat mama tryin' to break me
And I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
In da summertime
In da summertime
In da summertime
In da summertime
In da summertime
Comments (190)add comment
 Blasserman wrote:

I'm not surprised people don't know this is the Kinks. They are one of the best bands from the 60's era that the younger generations now don't know. I believe they are one of the most under appreciated talents of all time, IMHO.



it's unmistakably the kinks! and this era was the best. of course, i'm partial to arthur and village green preservation society...
Great song—Kinks were fun. Whatever happened in the biz is background. Wild Thing classic!
Great cover of this song by a relatively unknown singer / band that should have gotten more attention IMHO:

LINK
 cc_rider wrote:
If the Davies had been able to get along, The Kinks might have been as successful as their Liverpudlian mates. They had the talent.
c.



Are you trying to say an artist can be difficult to work with, no argument. But Lennon and McCartney quarreled fiercely as well. Don't think it's a problem with social dynamics. More likely it was a case of superior promotion.  
 MayBaby wrote:

Wow, I always thought this was the Beatles.

If the Davies had been able to get along, The Kinks might have been as successful as their Liverpudlian mates. They had the talent.
c.

Wow, I always thought this was the Beatles.
 the_jake wrote:

For Christmas in the late 60's, I was given one of those mono speaker transistor radios.  Would listen to it under the covers in bed, not unlike today's kids using their smart phone in the same manner today.

Don't remember hearing The Kinks back then on my little transistor radio, but to me - it was the cat's meow. 

My early 70's radio looked like this. Came with the one-ear "headphone." I rigged an antenna outside my bedroom window with a wire ending with an alligator clip. The clip went on the radio's retractable antenna. I found out what "clear channel" meant!
And my local FM station definitely played the Kinks despite being located in the Southern Great Plains. They did at least until they changed formats to Disco/Dance Pop in 1979. I was listening at midnight when a disco song was played. I thought the DJ was joking. Then came another, and another, and...
By then I had found the local university radio station playing bands like The Cars, B52s, and The Clash. I had a better radio by then too.

 westslope wrote:

I had the unique pleasure of listening to the Kinks via a cheap mono speaker in a small AM radio. As a preadolescent in the late 1960s. Not everybody was that lucky.


For Christmas in the late 60's, I was given one of those mono speaker transistor radios.  Would listen to it under the covers in bed, not unlike today's kids using their smart phone in the same manner today.

Don't remember hearing The Kinks back then on my little transistor radio, but to me - it was the cat's meow. 
great tune with great memories....always surprises listening to Radio Paradise
Ray Davis's voice is absurdly evocative. I don't know why, but this sound is full of feelings and memories and I wasn't born for another 5 years.  I guess it was on the radio a lot.

The top earned income tax rate in the UK during the 1960's was on the order of 90%. All they had left afforded them the luxury  to laze around in the sun.  
One of the best songs EVER, perfect!
 capandjudy wrote:
I understand that the Kinks were not allowed to tour America for several years for reasons that I forget but they sure put a lot of great stuff on good old AM radio. Loved them!!!
 
From what I've read over the years, They Kinks were viewed as drunken hooligans, who often fought on stage, and were difficult with promoters who eventually complained to the American Federation of Musicians.  The union can withhold work permits for musicians if they misbehave on stage or refuse to perform without a "valid" reason  Which is apparently what happened.  
I understand that the Kinks were not allowed to tour America for several years for reasons that I forget but they sure put a lot of great stuff on good old AM radio. Loved them!!!
 Grammarcop wrote:
Ooh. Need a beer.
 
An ice cold one!  ; )
Ooh. Need a beer.
 jjtwister wrote:
Anyone know the title of the song by Peter Green played last night around 9-10 pm? It had a long really cool guitar instrumental. Would like to but the song
thanks jjtwister 

 
That might be Slabo Day.
 markybx wrote:
I've got a big fat mama trying to break me

 
How big?
 below72 wrote:
The Kinks in full flight
Brilliant 

 
You know, I first read this as:

"The Kinks in full fight".   -hehe-
 
 Sam_Chucklestone wrote:
Summer holiday at eight years old, i'm right back there. The lyrics are great, a wry satire on the tribulations of the rich man. A great band ignored by the mainstream media because they weren't "Our People". The music community know better as recent years have shown. RP is a jewel of the internet. 

 
Yeah. I was 9 {#High-five}
Well I can recall my friend Kurt razzing me for not knowing this in 1983! And once I knew it, I knew it to be immortal! And, Life confirms!
https://www.7inchrecords.com/Discography/TheKinks/SsunnyafternoonNO.jpg
I've got a big fat mama trying to break me
Anyone know the title of the song by Peter Green played last night around 9-10 pm? It had a long really cool guitar instrumental. Would like to but the song
thanks jjtwister 
The Kinks in full flight
Brilliant 
Cause I love to live so pleasantly.
whilst George Harrison's "Taxman" was recorded first, "Sunny Afternoon" was released first
 asilbuch wrote:

Yes, it seems like some of my favorites are not able to keep those vocal talents as they age...sad but true

 
These days I croak like a frog!!!
 rdo wrote:

I'd bet if a big corporation could bottle you and your voice making a comment like this, they could market it as a miracle soporific.  Not only would it be the first all-natural soporific without side-effects, but it might actually get banned because it would be so effective.  The Taliban, ISIS, or Al-qaeda might get its hands on it and put the whole defense apparatus to sleep. 

 
The aforementioned organizations could use a guy like you on their social media team. 
Damn era when people could write songs.
This was the very first 45 rpm single I ever bought, back in '66 or '67.  Not sure why it was this particular song, I was way more into the Beatles and Stones.
This is the lead-off song on Nellie McKay's latest album, "My Weekly Reader," which also includes Quicksilver Girl, Itchycoo Park, Bold Marauder, Mrs. Brown, If I Fell, Red Rubber Ball, and Wooden Ships, among others. Her versions are great!.
Almost 50 years old!
{#Sunny}  {#Sunny}  {#Sunny} {#Sunny} {#Sunny}  {#Sunny}  {#Sunny} {#Sunny}
 rdo wrote:

I'd bet if a big corporation could bottle you and your voice making a comment like this, they could market it as a miracle soporific.  Not only would it be the first all-natural soporific without side-effects, but it might actually get banned because it would be so effective.  The Taliban, ISIS, or Al-qaeda might get its hands on it and put the whole defense apparatus to sleep. 

 
Too true, plus they might find out that sarcasm is a diuretic.
"...and I can't sail my yacht
He's taken everything I've got.
All I've got's this sunny afternoon."

A whole story in a few lines. Well done.
 kcar wrote:

Well...I partly disagree with you on this: advertising does have an effect. Two friends who ran two different mom-and-pop stores told me that as soon as an ad campaign for an alcoholic beverage stopped, sales of the beverage would also decrease. That was especially true of niche stuff like Zima and Smirnoff Ice. People were buying the stuff because they'd just seen it on TV. Once Pavlov's bell stopped ringing on air, so did their interest in the beverage. 

But yes, a great song.  

 
I'd bet if a big corporation could bottle you and your voice making a comment like this, they could market it as a miracle soporific.  Not only would it be the first all-natural soporific without side-effects, but it might actually get banned because it would be so effective.  The Taliban, ISIS, or Al-qaeda might get its hands on it and put the whole defense apparatus to sleep. 
 Proclivities wrote:

The obvious motivating factor in buying cheaper beer is the lower cost - not advertising.  Expensive beers are no more beneficial to one's liver than cheap beers.  Great song.

 
Well...I partly disagree with you on this: advertising does have an effect. Two friends who ran two different mom-and-pop stores told me that as soon as an ad campaign for an alcoholic beverage stopped, sales of the beverage would also decrease. That was especially true of niche stuff like Zima and Smirnoff Ice. People were buying the stuff because they'd just seen it on TV. Once Pavlov's bell stopped ringing on air, so did their interest in the beverage. 

But yes, a great song.  
love the kinks, love lazin on sunny afternoons
 pinem wrote:
 One of their best singles; reminds me of going off to college.

 
{#Notworthy} ........ best pop single ever ........{#Kiss}

                          10
 One of their best singles; reminds me of going off to college.
They look like the backup news team for Ron Burgundy
i'll i got's this sunny kinks sound that i love
KINKSY{#Dancingbanana}{#Bananajumprope}{#Daisy}{#War}{#Dance}LOVE IT.......{#Bananasplit}..
 For me it was 93 KHJ 'Boss Radio'   AM  westslope wrote:
i remember listening to this on CFRA AM radio while growing up in Ottawa.

 




The subtle back up vocals are a real asset to this pleasant tune.
this tune is as old as I. egad
 oilydwarf wrote:
Saw Ray Davis perform last week.  Came away slightly disappointed, musically he was as great as ever, vocally he seemed challenged.  Can't really knock anyone who wrote so many timeless songs
 
Yes, it seems like some of my favorites are not able to keep those vocal talents as they age...sad but true
I used to have a pair of those plaid pants, third from left.
Saw Ray Davis perform last week.  Came away slightly disappointed, musically he was as great as ever, vocally he seemed challenged.  Can't really knock anyone who wrote so many timeless songs
 kcar wrote:

For me, it depends on the season and the kind of beer. A good cold hefeweizen hits the spot on a beastly hot day. A slightly warmed malty porter or stout works on a winter evening. I like warm IPAs—don't like all that bitterness when it first comes out of the bottle. 

You're right about the mass-market beers, although my dear departed grandmother preferred that cheap lagerish swill (the cheaper the better) when eating pizza.  Amazing what people will subject their tastebuds and liver to, just because it's heavily advertised. 
 
The obvious motivating factor in buying cheaper beer is the lower cost - not advertising.  Expensive beers are no more beneficial to one's liver than cheap beers.  Great song.
 Byronape wrote:

I'm one of those "beer snobs" in a way and Hannio's right.  Of course, I'm an Americanized beer snob, so I'm used to cold beer too.  Of course, I do let the beer sit and breathe a little before consumption.  That lets some of the CO2 escape and gives the beer time to warm a little, or at least for the cold edge to dull. 

The cold dulls the taste of the beer, that is why most people drink it room temp.  I'm not so hardcore that I prefer warm beer, but I wouldn't turn one down because it was warm.  Unless it is one of those dull beers (Bud brands, Miller, PBR, and most of what is stocked at your average gas station), I won't drink one of those cold. 

It's ironic that people say warm beer tastes nasty but will drink that swill.

 
I play sports as an excuse to drink beer. Usually don't taste the first one. 

Saw the kinks a long while ago at the LA Amphitheatre. Ray keep holding a hienken bottle with his teeth and tip it up and draining it. It was a great show
Big Fan Mamma trying to Break Me
Help Me Help Me
In the summertime when the skeeters are dive bombing and the cold beer is warm and fat black flies whilst the sound of chain saws and other machinery of mass destruction obscure a lovely shade drenched afternoon............ahhhhh!
 Byronape wrote:

I'm one of those "beer snobs" in a way and Hannio's right.  Of course, I'm an Americanized beer snob, so I'm used to cold beer too.  Of course, I do let the beer sit and breathe a little before consumption.  That lets some of the CO2 escape and gives the beer time to warm a little, or at least for the cold edge to dull. 

The cold dulls the taste of the beer, that is why most people drink it room temp.  I'm not so hardcore that I prefer warm beer, but I wouldn't turn one down because it was warm.  Unless it is one of those dull beers (Bud brands, Miller, PBR, and most of what is stocked at your average gas station), I won't drink one of those cold. 

It's ironic that people say warm beer tastes nasty but will drink that swill.

 
For me, it depends on the season and the kind of beer. A good cold hefeweizen hits the spot on a beastly hot day. A slightly warmed malty porter or stout works on a winter evening. I like warm IPAs—don't like all that bitterness when it first comes out of the bottle. 

You're right about the mass-market beers, although my dear departed grandmother preferred that cheap lagerish swill (the cheaper the better) when eating pizza.  Amazing what people will subject their tastebuds and liver to, just because it's heavily advertised. 
 Rooney wrote:

Always was and will be one of my favorite Kinks songs.  A BIG, FAT 10...    {#Dancingbanana_2}

 
It's a fave, alright. Not a 10, mind you, but a fave nonetheless.
 gemtag wrote:
This is the shit!!!

Gotta love 'drunkin-ness and cruelty' the way Ray slurs it out.
 
I think it's that one line that moves it from a 9 to a 10 for me.


 westslope wrote:
i remember listening to this on CFRA AM radio while growing up in Ottawa.
 
KHJ AM L.A. and "Humble Harv"!
Very nice!
i remember listening to this on CFRA AM radio while growing up in Ottawa.
Love the little ragtime piano bit in there. Great! 
Everyone sing along!{#Yell}
Great!
This is the shit!!!

Gotta love 'drunkin-ness and cruelty' the way Ray slurs it out.
Ohhhh, my lazy days of Summer are just about over (Friday begins Autumn) {#Frown}

 Hannio wrote:
A beer snob will tell you that ice cold is no way to drink a beer.  But not me.  My favorite beer?  Cold beer.

 
I'm one of those "beer snobs" in a way and Hannio's right.  Of course, I'm an Americanized beer snob, so I'm used to cold beer too.  Of course, I do let the beer sit and breathe a little before consumption.  That lets some of the CO2 escape and gives the beer time to warm a little, or at least for the cold edge to dull. 

The cold dulls the taste of the beer, that is why most people drink it room temp.  I'm not so hardcore that I prefer warm beer, but I wouldn't turn one down because it was warm.  Unless it is one of those dull beers (Bud brands, Miller, PBR, and most of what is stocked at your average gas station), I won't drink one of those cold. 

It's ironic that people say warm beer tastes nasty but will drink that swill.

Hush now, this never gets too old to hear....{#Naughty}


Aw, c'mon—-some songs never get old. could hear it a billion times.
this is just another song for old farts that we've all heard waaaaaay too much. shelve it!
Describes my day completely!
It is just that here.  Except I'm working inside and not drinking any beer.  Curse you, wage slavery!
LOVE.
why do i not have a ton of early Kinks in my music library at home? it is pitiful.
 Hannio wrote:
A beer snob will tell you that ice cold is no way to drink a beer.  But not me.  My favorite beer?  Cold beer.

 
Isn't Guinness supposed to be drunk warm, or room temp?  Me, I like it cold!



"See My Friends" is an album, released week in November 2010 in Europe and in early 2011 in the US, by Ray Davies, 66 years old, and various other artists. The album was recorded in Oslo, New York, New Jersey, Chicago and London.

Track listing:
  • "Better Things" - Ray Davies and Bruce Springsteen
  • "Celluloid Heroes" - Ray Davies, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora
  • "Days/This Time Tomorrow" - Ray Davies and Mumford & Sons
  • "A Long Way From Home" - Ray Davies, Lucinda Williams and The 88
  • "You Really Got Me" - Ray Davies and Metallica
  • "Lola" - Ray Davies and Paloma Faith
  • "Waterloo Sunset" - Ray Davies and Jackson Browne
  • "Till the End of the Day" - Ray Davies, Alex Chilton and The 88
  • "Dead End Street" - Ray Davies and Amy MacDonald
  • "See My Friends" - Ray Davies and Spoon
  • "This Is Where I Belong" - Ray Davies and Black Francis
  • "David Watts" - Ray Davies and The 88
  • "Tired of Waiting for You" - Ray Davies and Gary Lightbody
  • "All Day And All Of The Night/Destroyer" - Ray Davies and Billy Corgan

    Bonus tracks:
  • Victoria - Ray Davies and Mando Diao
  • Moments - Ray Davies and Arno Hintjens


  • Soon i will see the summertime!!

    Always was and will be one of my favorite Kinks songs.  A BIG, FAT 10...    {#Dancingbanana_2}


    A beer snob will tell you that ice cold is no way to drink a beer.  But not me.  My favorite beer?  Cold beer.

    I wish I was blazin on a sunny afternoon!
    Nice!
    Nothing but a 10 will suffice!
    One of my fave summer songs! 

    "My girlfriend's run off with my car, 
    Gone back to her ma and pa, 
    Telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty. 
    Now I'm sitting here, 
    Sipping at my ice cold beer, 
    Lazing on a sunny afternoon. 
    In the summertime 
    In the summertime 
    In the summertime . . ."


    English and smelly. Perfect 60s pop.
    Every time I here this (which is a rare occurrence) I'm immediately back in 1969 sailing the family's 14 foot sloop in Balboa Bay. Can't help but love it.


     Dillinquent wrote:
    Perfect tune for a pleasent afternoon here in sunny Hertford
    {#Sunny}
     
    What next master?

    Kinks.jpg The Kinks image by nicolassauvage
    Perfect tune for a pleasent afternoon here in sunny Hertford
    {#Sunny}
    {#Bananajam}or rainy cold night!

     
    IrieTom wrote:
    This rainy march afternoon just got nicer!
     


    This rainy march afternoon just got nicer!
     fredriley wrote:
    That's just the imagery we need right now, as we freeze in a Northerly Arctic blast (brrr!). An ice-cold beer on a summer afternoon is but a distant memory... :(
     
    I know what you mean, we have10 degrees minus last nights, and over day not much more!!

     fredriley wrote:
    That's just the imagery we need right now, as we freeze in a Northerly Arctic blast (brrr!). An ice-cold beer on a summer afternoon is but a distant memory... :(
     
    Same here, but after several years in tropical weather I just love the cold...
    Try to remember this the next summer when you'll have your first cold beer on a very hot summer afternoon!
    That's just the imagery we need right now, as we freeze in a Northerly Arctic blast (brrr!). An ice-cold beer on a summer afternoon is but a distant memory... :(
    my favourite band. A cute photo of them as well. Glad Ray is still doing his thing although nothing will top what they did in that wonderful sixties era with arthur, something else and the other great albums.
    That was one of my best holidays.Driving to the south of France and hearing the Kinks. Casette player of course! Great time!

    This song transport me - back to the neighborhood kids, hanging out near the pond/waterfall.  Green grass & trees, warm breeze, cicadas and laughter.  Potent stuff!
     jhorton wrote:
    Okay, this one surely doesn't stand the test of time.
     
    Ohhh yes it does!!!

    Okay, this one surely doesn't stand the test of time.
    Well the summertime does in fact roll.  Quick, somebody upload some "Nothing's Shocking"

    I love this every single time I hear it, and Ray just keeps cranking out great music. His solo "Working Man's Café" was my favorite album from 2008.  Great tunes with incredibly clever and pointed play of words, cut after cut. The show was great, too!
    Was I listening to this when I was 11 or 12?  Holds up well!  
     bachbeet wrote:
    Just an excellent song.  I loved it then and still do.  In fact, it was one of my favorite songs and still is.
     

    Couldn't say it better, myself.

    Thank you, Bill.  This ray of sunshine penetrated all the way down into the accounting hell in which I dwell this time each month. 


    Just an excellent song.  I loved it then and still do.  In fact, it was one of my favorite songs and still is.
    Love love love this song
    It's been a fave for almost....(what?!)....50 years?

    (Well, still six years to go, but that's still a mind-blower. It helps me relate to my 92 year old parents who still think the world of Gene Krupa and Benny Goodman.)
    I had this on a 45 back in '67.  It must have been one of the first ones in my collection.
    Very appropriate for our times, too.  Think of all the poor (ex) stock brokers sitting on their patios up in Connecticut wondering where it all went...


    It took me a whole lotta years to "get" The Kinks.  Now I get it and I love them.  You can never overplay their stuff in my opinion.  I love Ray's wry, glib wit and wisdom and Dave's ground breaking guitar progressions.
    this is a great oldie

     RedGuitar wrote:
    This takes me back to when I first heard it on the radio.  Seems like an eternity ago!
     
    That's because it was, bub. I was there, too. Good times! {#Wave}
     jagdriver wrote:

    (...but everyone knew her as Nancy...)
     
    {#Lol}{#Lol}{#Lol}
    Who IS this??

    My oh my, what an AWESOME song.

    Living under a rock with me?  Anyone?
     WonderLizard wrote:


    Or the soundtrack to fumbling with Mary Lou Zablotnik's bra strap...
     
    (...but everyone knew her as Nancy...)
    This takes me back to when I first heard it on the radio.  Seems like an eternity ago!
     MM13 wrote:
    Listening to this, I happily gazed out of my office window and saw a woman in a summer dress being embraced by her boy friend (or at least someone of the male persuasion). Does this little story have a point? No, the scene just perfectly matched the mood of the song (and mine..).
     
    Me, I remember the smell of the fake leather case of my first transister radio, hidden under my pillow so my parents would not catch me listening to music late at night. My bedroom window is open and I can smell newly cut grass. Happiness.
    Listening to this, I happily gazed out of my office window and saw a woman in a summer dress being embraced by her boy friend (or at least someone of the male persuasion). Does this little story have a point? No, the scene just perfectly matched the mood of the song (and mine..).
    Yes—Love Waterloo Sunset. Would love to get the definitive word from RPers about the indifferent sound quality of many early Kinks' recordings...as in, WHY for God's sake?

    Oh! And now a crunchy version of Waterloo! Ah, it's Bowie. Wunnerful.

    Has the new site design come along recently, or have I been living in a cave?


    Pharlap wrote:

    godlike songwriting. Ray was a genius during this period. ("Waterloo Sunset", fer instance)




    Misterfixit wrote:
    Ah yes, "tales of drunkenness and cruelty ...." Well, I did the drunkenness bit but never cruel ... women are too wonderful to be cruel to them!
    Might I take a hit from your pipe my man?
    godlike songwriting. Ray was a genius during this period. ("Waterloo Sunset", fer instance)
    Kinks. Yay. Great song for a beautiful day (even it it's still morning here...)