Ray Davies, Legend Preservation Society

[Kensterberg]

Down in the Tube Station at Midnight

The distant echo - of faraway voices boarding faraway trains
To take them home to the ones that they love and who love them forever
The glazed, dirty steps - repeat my own and reflect my thoughts
Cold and uninviting, partially naked
Except for toffee wrapers and this morning's paper
Mr. Jones got run down
Headlines of death and sorrow - they tell of tomorrow
Madmen on the rampage
And I'm down in the tube station at midnight

I fumble for change - and pull out the Queen
Smiling, beguiling
I put in the money and pull out a plum
Behind me
Whispers in the shadows - gruff blazing voices
Hating, waiting
"Hey boy" they shout - "have you got any money?"
And I said - "I've a little money and a take away curry,
I'm on my way home to my wife.
She'll be lining up the cutlery,
You know she's expecting me
Polishing the glasses and pulling out the cork"
And I'm down in the tube station at midnight

I first felt a fist, and then a kick
I could now smell their breath
They smelt of pubs and Wormwood Scrubs
And too many right wing meetings
My life swam around me
It took a look and drowned me in its own existence
The smell of brown leather
It blended in with the weather
It filled my eyes, ears, nose and mouth
It blocked all my senses
Couldn't see, hear, speak any longer
And I'm down in the tube station at midnight
I said I was down in the tube station at midnight

The last thing that I saw
As I lay there on the floor
Was "Jesus Saves" painted by an atheist nutter
And a British Rail poster read "Have an Awayday - a cheap holiday -
Do it today!"
I glanced back on my life
And thought about my wife
'Cause they took the keys - and she'll think it's me
And I'm down in the tube station at midnight
The wine will be flat and the curry's gone cold
I'm down in the tube station at midnight
Don't want to go down in a tube station at midnight.

I didn't double check the punctuation -- this site apparently left it as a very run-on poem, but you get the just of it, I think.

[Fuzznuts]

I gotta go with Tube Station on this one.

[Paul]

Tube Station indeed has good lyrics, and it paints a very detailed story, but...it doesn't match Ray Davies social observations. Tube Station is kinda like a continuation of what Ray has already done. Okay, so Ray never wrote about being jacked on the train, but in "Shangri-La" he writes about things most of us (well those who've lived in the suburbs and asked "is this really as good as it gets") can relate to. Ray IMO tells it more like it is.

-------
here are some more brilliant lyrics IMO:
"Brainwashed"

You look like a real human being
But you don't have a mind of your own
Yeah, you can talk, you can breathe
You can work, you can stitch, you can sew
But you're brainwashed
Yes you are, yes you are
Get down on your knees

You've got a job and a house
And a wife, and your kids and a car
Yeah, you're conditioned to be
What they want you to be
And be happy to be where you are
Yes you are
Get down on your knees
Get down on your knees

The aristocrats and bureaucrats
Are dirty rats
For making you what you are
They're up there and you're down here
You're on the ground and they're up with the stars
All your life they've kicked you around and pushed you around
Till you can't take any more
To them you're just a speck of dirt
But you don't want to get up off the floor
Mister you're just brainwashed

They give you social security
Tax saving benefits that grow at maturity
Yeah, you're contented to be
What they want you to be
And to do what they want you to
Yes you are, yes you are
Get down on your knees

[Paul]

Really though, I'd like to see (if you Jam fans have the time) to see more compare and contrast between Weller and Davies. Both have similarities, but I think Ray is a bit more blue collar focused.

[dolly]

jllm said:

Page 82!!?? This is just wrong. It's only Ray Davies... a poor man's Chaz or Dave, surely?

Just bitter his Modest Mouse board is like 2 pages 'long'.

Chaz n bloody Dave. Whooping. Arse. His.

[Galactus]

Davies is the city in the summer, Weller is the city at night.

[dolly]

Okay, so Ray never wrote about being jacked on the train, but in "Shangri-La" he writes about things most of us (well those who've lived in the suburbs and asked "is this really as good as it gets") can relate to. Ray IMO tells it more like it is.

Yeah, it's not as 'consciously streetwise' as the Jam lyric oop there. And I think that's the beauty of Davies. He's not trying to be 'real' or gritty, or even a social commentator. Yet he manages the latter without it being overstated, if that makes any sense.

I do also like that Jam song, though I think it stands up better on the page than it does as a song. I just don't get the emotion or depth from Weller's vocal that I get from Davies Shangri-La. Listening to Shangri-La can make me cry, even if it does coincide with a bout of PMS and having just witnessed a downs Syndrome day out at the Pizza Hut where they're all tucking merrily into their ice-cream desserts.

[dolly]

ded said:

Davies is the city in the summer, Weller is the city at night.

A good summation.

Yes Paul, 83 pages is pretty cool. What a quietly productive board this is. Not one of the forum stars, but busily racking up some quality stuff. A little bit like the Kinks themselves in that way.

[Paul]

dollybeadz said:

Okay, so Ray never wrote about being jacked on the train, but in "Shangri-La" he writes about things most of us (well those who've lived in the suburbs and asked "is this really as good as it gets") can relate to. Ray IMO tells it more like it is.

Yeah, it's not as 'consciously streetwise' as the Jam lyric oop there. And I think that's the beauty of Davies. He's not trying to be 'real' or gritty, or even a social commentator. Yet he manages the latter without it being overstated, if that makes any sense.

I do also like that Jam song, though I think it stands up better on the page than it does as a song. I just don't get the emotion or depth from Weller's vocal that I get from Davies Shangri-La. Listening to Shangri-La can make me cry, even if it does coincide with a bout of PMS and having just witnessed a downs Syndrome day out at the Pizza Hut where they're all tucking merrily into their ice-cream desserts.

eah, it's not as 'consciously streetwise' as the Jam lyric oop there. And I think that's the beauty of Davies. He's not trying to be 'real' or gritty, or even a social commentator. Yet he manages the latter without it being overstated, if that makes any sense.

That makes perfect sense -- I reckon you and I are really the only ones here who get Mr. Davies.

[Paul]

ded said:

Davies is the city in the summer, Weller is the city at night.

That is a pretty good summation ded

but, just b/c it's summer time doesn't mean every thing is pleasant -- Just ask Mr. Pleasant....

[Kensterberg]

Davies is more British countryside to my ears. And much more "upper crust" than Weller, whose Woking bark carries a lot more feeling and depth IMO than Davies snide and often thin vocals. In some ways, Damon Alburn with his weakness for sing-songy melodies and obvious upper class references reminds me more of Davies than Weller does. (Weller has stronger melodic sense than either of the other two, BTW).

Also, while the Jam can be accused of working within a relatively limited sonic pallet, the same cannot be said of Weller's total career. From the jazz/pop of the Style Council to his own trad-rock solo efforts, with a smattering of convincing enough white-boy funk thrown in for good measure, Weller has hardly stayed in his own neat box.

Davies was certainly the first guy (or one of the first guys) to come up with this type of peculiarly British rock and roll, but IMHO Paul Weller really perfected it, and in the process took the crown from Ray.

[dolly]

That makes perfect sense -- I reckon you and I are really the only ones here who get Mr. Davies.

*sigh* Alas, you could be right. Still, the disagreements are awfully good fun.

[dolly]

Weller has stronger melodic sense than either of the other two, BTW

Damn, I was hoping to hide behind Paul on this one, but he's gone eerily silent!

I wish I was more familiar with Style Council and solo Weller (aside from a brief infatuation with Stanley Road) to be able to wholeheartedly refute this. Certainly based on Jam evidence, I would. All I can do is point to the gorgeousnous of some of Ray's melodies and say... 'ARE YOU CERTIFIABLY INSANE HOLZ? ? ? ?! ??'

Waterloo Sunset, Autumn Almanac, Picture Book, Dead End Street, Where have all the good times gone.... to name but a few.

[Paul]

kenholzman said:

Davies is more British countryside to my ears. And much more "upper crust" than Weller, whose Woking bark carries a lot more feeling and depth IMO than Davies snide and often thin vocals. In some ways, Damon Alburn with his weakness for sing-songy melodies and obvious upper class references reminds me more of Davies than Weller does. (Weller has stronger melodic sense than either of the other two, BTW).

Also, while the Jam can be accused of working within a relatively limited sonic pallet, the same cannot be said of Weller's total career. From the jazz/pop of the Style Council to his own trad-rock solo efforts, with a smattering of convincing enough white-boy funk thrown in for good measure, Weller has hardly stayed in his own neat box.

Davies was certainly the first guy (or one of the first guys) to come up with this type of peculiarly British rock and roll, but IMHO Paul Weller really perfected it, and in the process took the crown from Ray.

Ray Davies does have a lot of snide in his vocal delivery, but I don't know about "thin vocals"....Ray wrote a lot about the gritty working class as well...Muswell Hillbillies is loaded with it, and Face To Face has songs like "House In The Country" and "Dead End Street" that are pretty blue collar/envious of white collar.

[dolly]

Davies is more British countryside to my ears. And much more "upper crust" than Weller, whose Woking bark carries a lot more feeling and depth IMO than Davies snide and often thin vocals.

Just before I retire up the wooden hill....

You Americans and your class inferiority complexes