Waterloo Sunset - Kinks (Ray Davies)

WATERLOO SUNSET - Ray Davies

134063266

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 sunset's fine

Terry meets Julie, Waterloo Station
Every Friday night
But I am so lazy, don't want to wander

Hits_Of_The_60_s_Vol_3_Waterloo_Sunset_Various_Artists__5982483

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 sunset's 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 don't need no friends
As long as they gaze on Waterloo sunset
They are in paradise

Waterloo sunset's fine
.................................
Hear the Kinks perform it on You Tube below

Damon Albarn and Ray Davies perform Waterloo Sunset

The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset

..............................

Waterloo Sunset uses simple, colloquical language to creat its very visual and atmospheric effect. The first line Dirty old River reminds me of the folk song -

Dirty Old Town
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I Kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring's a girl from the streets at night
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I Heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I Smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I'm going to make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
Kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Ray Davies described the song as a 'simple love song' and while Terry meets Julie every friday night at Waterloo Station every friday night, its more about alienation, fear, laziness of the main protagonist who is a type. Maybe he's another potential resident of Heartbreak Hotel (see post for that song). What do we learn about the character -

• All the people milling around make him feel dizzy
• He tells himself that he doesn't need friends.
• As long as he has his view of Waterloo Sunset he is 'in paradise'
• He looks at the world from his window
• Chilly chilly evening time but is the chill inside of him too?
• He's feels he's lazy, doesn't want to wander, stays at home at night.
• but he states he's not afraid (is he lying - is it really fear - or is it laziness as in the Hey Jude line 'the movement you need is on your shoulder'?
• But then we learn that Terry and Julie need to feel 'safe and sound' and that they too 'don't need no friends' - so is wider statement being made here about modern culture and alienation, a statement first touch on in Heartbreak Hotel and persuded by Paul Simon in songs like Sounds of Silence, Homeward Bound etc?

Compare  the last verse  -

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 don't need no friends
As long as they gaze on Waterloo sunset
They are in paradise

to TS Eliot's Wastland -

Unreal City
	Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,
	A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,
	I had not thought death had undone so many.
	Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled,
	And each man fixed his eyes before his feet,

Comments

[mick]

I'm sure you know this already ... but 'Terry' is apparently Terence Stamp and 'Julie' is Julie Christie, each one at the time of the song's production pretty much the face of young/ beautiful/  swinging London etc. This has to be one of those songs which it would be pointless to do a video for. O.K. I'm probably exaggerating, but the lyrics and the music evoke a sense of place - and character - that is so spectacularly cinematic that it would be almost crass to re-present it visually. I think it might have been Bruce Springsteen who said that in some cases, making videos to accompany some songs is a bit like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa.

[HOBO - Coventry Music Magazine]

Not sure if I'd heard about Terry and Julie or not - have a vague memory but thanks for pointing it out and also being the first to comment on this blog Mick.

Absolutely - the lyric is sufficiently videophonic in it's self. Included the vid more so the song is there to remind or for anyone who may not of heard it.

I've never got bored with this song - it always sounds fresh to me somehow. Part of it's magic.

[rband]

Actually, from what I've heard Davies actually flat out denied that Terry and Julie were based on those two people.  I'm paraphrasing here, but he said something to the effect of "I would never write about stars.  Only real people." Also, in a previous interview, I think I am correct in saying but I can't quote a direct source for either of these two claims, he had said it was about his sister and her boyfriend.  Anyways, just thought I'd chime in.   The comparison was a good read though.

[Julie]

[das ist gut]

Ray and Dave Davies, I cannot describe how beautiful you are both are and how accomplished musicians. Ray you a definte a poet Laureate and Dave with your Irish Tenor voice mixed with a great musician.

[Julie]

[das ist gut] Ray, Dave I beg you reunite. I lost my grant as a piaonist at 17. I was too arrogant with temptetuos behavior. But you both are great artists. Reunite, reunite let the world enjoy you art.

[Julie]

[das ist gut] Ray's voice in Waterloo Sunset sighs. He has the artistic ability to display variations of his voice according to his mood and the different songs he writes. His English intonation is soften when he sings. Truly a brilliant artist

[Merlin - Poetry of Rock Lyrics]

Haven't done much on this site for a long as busy on other projects - will get back to it at some stage hopefully but interesting comments.

No the song doesn't need a video as Mick says - its cinematic already and yes agree with Julie on Ray's voice etc. I would probably think Ray writes about ordinary people rather than stars but it's a beautiful evocative song and lyric whatever the meaning or where ever the idea came from and still has an impact on me when ever I hear it. Definitely Poet Laureate of English rock as Julie says.