Tag: https://musiccitymike.net/

I’ve known Music City Mike for a while and I met him through hanspostcard. I can always count on Mike commenting when I post someone not on the beaten path… guys like Garland Jefferies, The Records, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, and many others. He has worked with some artists and is very knowledgeable…You can find him at https://musiccitymike.net and his YouTube site is HERE. 

“Waterloo Sunset” – The Kinks

A few years back, I was a guest blogger along with some fellow music writers where we conducted a draft to pick and write about our top ten favorite songs of all time. The Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset” would have made it high on my list had it not been for someone else drafting it ahead of me. Given the chance to pick a Kinks’ song to write about, my choice was easy.

Why? Well, the only way to say it is that this song is perfect. And it’s not just me that feels this way! I have seen countless lists where people include “Waterloo Sunset” as one of their favorite songs. And I have also seen quite a few who boldly claim it to be the best song ever written. I have no trouble seeing their point. It’s the “Over the Rainbow” of the Rock era.

Now what makes a song perfect? First off, it grabs you the first time you hear it, you follow every word, and the melody gets implanted into your brain. There also is a simplicity to it that allows you to easily sing along. Better yet, if you are a player, said simplicity makes it easy to learn and while it allows for alternative musical arrangements, it would be sacrilege to mess with its basic structure (i.e., no jamming or extended guitar solos). Importantly, there is a poignancy to its lyrical content – not life changing, but more than just a carefree love song. All these things are packed together tightly in a nice box to make it perfect.

Some other examples of modern perfect songs in my opinion are Elton John’s “Your Song,” James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” Gram Parson’s “Brass Buttons,” The Replacements “Achin’ to Be,” and Squeeze’s “Up the Junction.”

What happens to me with “Waterloo Sunset” is that I hear either the original version or one of its countless covers, and I start and can’t stop listening to it over and over again. My latest incident occurred  with Robyn Hitchcock’s cover of the song for his forthcoming 1967 LP release of songs he loved from that year. I recently got to see Robyn perform the song live in front of a small crowd and the song filled the room with smiles and collective singing of the “sha-la-la’s.” And what do you think I started listening to as soon as I got to my car?

My favorite hearing of the song though was in 1989 while I was riding on Will Birch’s “Rock Tour of London” bus. The song played over the PA as we crossed the Waterloo Bridge over the river. Even without there being a sunset over the Thames, I became overjoyed hearing the song in this setting.

“Waterloo Sunset” cinematically captures an endearing sentimentality. The song’s narrator recalls this beautiful sunset that makes him say  “I don’t need no friends.” He also sings of two lovers, Terry and Julie, who are also so taken in that “They don’t need no friends.” Whether these are excuses for just being loners or just an analogy to how happy they feel doesn’t really matter. He and they “are in paradise.”

And while it’s not totally clear, I think that the narrator’s preference of nature over the hustle-bustle of nearby Waterloo Station comes from two perspectives – his view of the gorgeous sunset as well as seeing the two young lovers enjoy its splendor as well.

Musically, the song has an instantly recognizable and infectious opening riff. Dave Davies’ sharp staccato guitar intro leads into a precise plucking of notes that foreshadow the upcoming tune of the song’s lyrical refrain, a truly memorable melody. Lyrically, the writing is compact with nary a wasted word.

Ray Davies performed “Waterloo Sunset” at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics which was a crowning achievement for the song.  Plain and simple, Sir Raymond Douglas Davies penned and produced a masterpiece that people will be listening to hundreds of years from now.

Maybe someday I will return to London and take the time to witness my own Waterloo sunset.

…