Song of the Day - Kinks, Waterloo Sunset

I have a special place in my heart and head for The Kinks. I think I have something in common with Ray Davies (and it's certainly not talent!) - a premature type of nostalgia for an era that never really happened the way you remember it. This song often appears in lists as the best song ever written - I don't know about that, but it does have a strange quality - it makes me feel both happy and sad at the same time. He is talking about Waterloo train station in London.



Here are the lyrics for those who want to sing along at home:

Dirty old river, must you keep rolling
Flowing into the night
People so busy, makes me feel dizzy
Taxi light shines so bright
But I don't need no friends
As long as I gaze on waterloo sunset
I am in paradise

Every day I look at the world from my window
But chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunsets fine

Terry meets julie, waterloo station
Every friday night
But I am so lazy, dont want to wander
I stay at home at night
But I don't feel afraid
As long as I gaze on waterloo sunset
I am in paradise

Every day I look at the world from my window
But chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunsets fine

Millions of people swarming like flies round waterloo underground
But terry and julie cross over the river
Where they feel safe and sound
And the dont need no friends
As long as they gaze on waterloo sunset
They are in paradise

Waterloo sunset's fine

Ray Davies also once said something that is one of my all-time favorite quotes:

"If I had to do my life over, I would change every single thing I have done."

An interesting piece of trivia that I just found out, courtesy of the internet: In 1983, Davies had a daughter, Natalie Rae, with then-girlfriend Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. Hope you enjoy the song.

-BT