"Death of a Clown" (Dave Davies & Ray Davies) [-:--] |
| Dave Davies (guitar, lead vocals) with Ray Davies (guitar, backing vocals), John Dalton (bass), & Mick Avory (drums) and with Rasa Davies (backing vocals) & Nicky Hopkins (piano). |
| Recorded at Pye Studios, London, June 1967 |
| UK release as Pye 7N 17356, 8 July 1967; charts 19 July 1967: RR #3. |
| US release as Reprise 0614, 2 August 1967. |
| Produced by Ray Davies with Alan MacKenzie, balance engineer. |
| Notes & Quotes |
| Text |
| My makeup is dry and it cracks round my chin. I'm drowning my sorrows in whiskey and gin. The lion-tamer's whip doesn't crack anymore. The lions they won't fight and the tigers won't roar. |
a |
| La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la So let's all drink to the death of a clown Won't someone help me to break up this crown? Let's all drink to the death of a clown La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Let's all drink to the death of a clown |
b |
| The old fortune teller lies dead on the floor. Nobody needs fortunes told anymore. The trainer of insects is crouched on his knees and frantically looking for runaway fleas. |
c |
| La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la... |
d |
| Section | Meas | Description | Text | |
| A' | Introduction | 9 | Nicky Hopkins plays main melody by plucking piano strings over guitar | |
| A | Verse | 9+9 | Dave Davies solo over band | a |
| B | Chorus | 5+5 9+5+5 |
Begins with Rasa Davies singing "La la la la" with heavy reverb Repetition of the main verse melody concluding with the hook |
b |
| A | Verse | 9+9 | Dave Davies as above with Rasa Davies singing sustained backing vocals | c |
| B | Chorus | 5+5 9+5+7 |
As above | |
| A" | Coda |
| The Kinks | Outline | Old Pros |
| 22-dec-17 | ||