The Bop Shop 12.3.23 -The Kinks-

the kinks “complicated life” & demon alcohol

from: muswell hillbillies & Live performance

Well I woke this morning with a pain in my neck,
A pain in my heart and a pain in my chest,
I went to the doctor and the good doctor said,
You gotta slow down your life or you’re gonna be dead,
Cut out the struggle and strife,
It only complicates your life.
Well I cut down women, I cut out booze,
I stopped ironing my shirts, cleaning my shoes,
I stopped going to work, stopped reading the news,
I sit and twiddle my thumbs cos I got nothing to do,
Minimal exercise,
To help uncomplicate my life,
Gotta stand and face it life is so complicated,
Ladi dah di dahdah, ladi dah di dah dah,
You gotta get away from the complicated life, son,
Life is overrated, life is complicated,
Must alleviate this complicated life.
Cut out the struggle and strife,
It’s such a complicated life.
Like old Mother Hubbard
I got nothin’ in the cupboard,
Got no dinner and I got no supper,
Holes in my shoes, I got holes in my socks,
I can’t go to work cos I can’t get a job,
The bills are rising sky high,
It’s such a complicated life,
Gotta stand and face it,
Life is so complicated.
Ladi dah di dahdah, ladi dah di dah dah
Gotta get away from the complicated life, son,
Life is overrated, life is complicated,
Must alleviate this complicated life.
Gotta get away from the complicated life, son,
Gotta get away from the complicated life
— Ray Davies

Muswell Hillbillies was released on RCA in 1971. Ray Davies wrote all the tracks, a witty but scathing take on life. More folk, country, cabaret than any of their other albums. Two tracks have an amazing brass band.!

-Linda Freedman-