I'm intrigued by the ambivalent mood Ray conjures with Mr. Churchill Says. Hard to put your finger on it. I've tried for the past few minutes with no success, I suppose that is why the song continues to fascinate me. I always wonder how the performance of it went over at the Fillmore West in '69.
The ship was the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis. The story your father told you is suspiciously similar to Robert Shaw’s (reasonably faithful) monologue from Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster, Jaws.
I for one am really enjoying your ling intros. While the music on this album is certainly good enough to be enjoyed without context, that context and the understanding that comes with t can greatly enhance the experience. It's especially helpful for us on this side of the pond who have never known an existential threat on a national level on our own shores. The UK perspective definitely adds color to our picture. We Americans, superpower though we may be, have never known the kind of sacrifice the citizenry of the UK endured or the sheer terror and mortal stress of daily bombardment and wholesale destruction. Were a song like this to be written in the US today, the assumption would be that the lyrics were purely sarcastic and intended to demean national leadership. Only those who actually faced that reality would know otherwise. Musically, this is probably my least favorite song so far, but that's merely a testament to the consistent greatness of what came before because this song is no slouch on any level, musically or lyrically.
"Mr. Churchill Says" is an encapsulation of WWII England, as Headmaster Avid Winstanley has again masterfully stated. For those Avids who are unaware of the other people mentioned in this song, Mr. or Lord Beaverbrook was a prominent newspaper mogul who was Minister of Production under the Churchill government. Mr. or again Lord Montebatten, was a member of the Royal Family who was in the Royal Navy I believe and became the last Viceroy of India. He was assassinated by an IRA bomb in 1979. Mr. or General Montgomery was famous first in the North African front battling Rommel & then in the Western Front in Europe. Finally, Vera Lynn was a English singer who was the "Force's Sweetheart" during the War. Her most famous song was "We'll Meet Again", which was later used in the movie Dr. Strange love & was covered by the Byrds on their first album. She passed away a year or so ago. I'm not sure why Ray used Mr. on several of the personages in the song, perhaps out of an elgaterian motive or just because "Mr." scans better. As I said before, the song is a neat encapsulation of WWII England using the familiar words & phrases that were associated w/the era. Even though Ray was probably too young to remember WWII, the other members of his large family did & probably told him tales about going through life in those harrowing days.
There were also scrap drives here in the States that took plenty of gates & railings, as well as old cars and pots & pans for the aluminum (by the way, I love how you Brits pronounce "aluminum").
Mr Churchill Says - wow, a good example of how music at this time was getting a lot more 'rock' than 'pop'. Unfortunately, I generally prefer pop! I can totally hear The Who doing a good cover of this. As for the song, I appreciate it but don't love it - although the air-raid sirens are a great addition.
"Mr Churchill Says" It's probably one of my least favourite tracks on the album, but it's still a great track. If you hadn't yet twigged that The Kinks were into the era of album rock now, then this one would surely do it. It builds very nicely while progressing through its sections, and then stretches out into another instrumental jam which gives the band the chance to show off how much their musicianship has developed. Dave's guitar solos are excellent, and Mick also shines here - once again he is double-tracking his drumming to good effect. The music and the lyrics combine to keep you very much ensconced in the atmosphere and the history of Arthur's world - it is that sustained world which makes this such a fantastic album, and the lyrics and music are so visually evocative that you wonder why a TV show would ever have been needed!
Mr. Churchill Says. Terrific song. Fantastic aural storytelling with the siren, and the march time “rap section” with handclaps. All of my British friends know their WWII (and WWI) history. It seems to run in the blood, though of course it’s also because it was so discussed around them when they were young. Just to add, unless I’m mistaken, Mr. Mountbatten is also known to watchers of “The Crown” as Uncle Dickie, Prince Phillip’s uncle and mentor. His assassination was a significant plot point in the last series.
You're right, Lord Montbatten was Prince Phillip's Uncle. Avid Teddy B, it was your band who did "Yes Sir, No Sir" in Up the Academy? Did you have any releases?
Do Aussies pronounce it the same way as Brits? I found out about it while watching Top Gear segments on YouTube.
@DISKOJOE It was not. Thanks for asking. We used the Kinks’ version in the film. My band did have several releases, and had two songs on that soundtrack album (which ABCKO refused to license “Yes Sir, No Sir” to Capitol for), but let’s not muddy (misty?) the waters here. We’re all discussing a much better band!
That’s definitely interesting. Well, I believe my old man but I don’t have any reason to believe the old man he talked to. The old guy could’ve stolen it from Jaws! Not sure of the year my dad heard the story, but it would’ve been around 1975, I’d imagine.
I just did some research and there were 900 men who were adrift. Shark attacks on these men are well documented—dozens were killed by sharks. So maybe the man was telling the truth and was a survivor?
I'm a tiny bit behind, so here's me catching up. Haven't read everyone's comments though, so forgive any repetition. Shangri-la I think at least one person called this song 'epic' and that's the word I would use as well. It's so grand music-wise. The music belies the lyrics maybe? We're talking about your every day people with every day small dreams...or brainwashing ("conditioned that way"). The lyrics are a lot to take in and I'm sure others are doing a fab job in breaking them down. I'm all about the music. When you hit the "put on your slippers" part, that music bit sends shivers through me. I feel like we've reached the pinnacle of the album here. It doesn't mean it's my favorite song, but it's quite the crescendo. I was lucky enough to see Ray in Boston in 2011 and he had a NYC chorus with him and they did this song and it took Shangri-la to a new level. Simply gorgeous. *sigh* Mr Churchill Says As Mark says, no drop in quality on this one. The changes in speed in the song well done. Someone said the jam sounds like the Doors and that is spot on. If it wasn't for Australia's long jam you would think this would be the longest Kinks jam ever. LOL. But I like it. and Ray's voice and enunciation is something else. He has such a special gift for making each word count and keeping your attention. Bravo for another fine song.
Mr. Churchill Says This song doesn't do much for me until the uptempo section. But overall not one of the better songs on the album.
Mr Churchill Says To me this is another highlight of this album. It's a song in two distinct sections. In the first, slow jazzy segment Ray's lyrics are based on messages from Churchill and other wartime leaders aimed at boosting public morale in Britain's darkest hour. The air raid siren signals the start of the second, fast segment where Ray switches to the voice of the ordinary person during the Blitz: it's all about what they - "we" - had to do to win the war. Unlike all the other songs we've discussed on the album I don't think there's any ambiguity or cynicism in these lyrics - he's describing what his parents' generation experienced: a life-and-death battle for survival with surrender not an option. Finally, I think Mick's drumming in the outro jam in the final minute of the song deserves special praise: he sounds like he's having a ball.
Mr Churchill Says I am traveling so don’t have much time to write today. I have been occasionally checking and in and loving all the comments today about this incredible song. When I first got into this album, this was initially my favorite song. At this point, I probably have about 10 favorite songs on the album (at least). But this one grabbed on to me first. I loved the historical lyrics. The air raid into that guitar riff and then that extended instrumental section. The collective chant/breakdown section that sounds like an entire neighborhood shouting those lines out. The slow jazzy intro builds well into the fast frenzied war section. It’s one of this songs that is completely unique to the Kinks, and I can’t imagine another band putting a song like this together. I love the instrumental breaks on this album because it’s really among the first time that the band really opens up and explores the space in a song. This one sounds more Kinkian than the one in Australia. I almost hear shades of “Holiday in Wakiki” in this instrumental break. Perhaps because of the chord pattern or guitar sound? I dunno, maybe I am way off about that. Whatever it is, I love it. This song is just yet another reason why I absolutely love this album. Such a unique listen, and I just never get tired of it.
I’m not a prog guy in any way, shape of form but this track delves a bit in that direction, I think. At just the one point.
Mr Churchill Says I have really appreciated people's input and thoughts on wartime in the UK, as well as life in both the UK and Australia. I am embarrassed to realize how little detail I knew about the English wartime experience, like the London blitz, for instance. I've been to London and there are markers and such, and I've seen the photos of St. Paul's Cathedral's dome rising above the smoke, etc. But most of the bombing sites appeared to have been rebuilt by the time of my first trip in 1982. My (American) father was in a B-17 bomber crew stationed at a base in Framlingham, 100 miles NE of London. Most of his stories about the war were of his mission experiences and his pride in his fellow crewmembers. But once he mentioned with (atypical) emotion that there were English kids that didn't get to sleep in a bed for several years (because they were underground sleeping in the tube stations). Yesterday I looked up a map of bomb sites in London, and I was horrified. The whole city was obscured by red dots. I get emotional just thinking about it. I've read stories of homes being bombed, including one down the street from the Davies home IIRC, but I had no idea how widespread the bombing was. So I have more appreciation for the war-related songs in Arthur, including "Mr. Churchill Says." I'm never sure how many of Ray's lines are intended to be sarcastic, including in this one. But it is a well-written song, and I particularly like the surprise of the air raid section. The song shuffles along easily, just as people might be in their daily routine, until the air raid siren sounds and they have to scramble. Musically, the track is in my second tier for the high standard in Arthur but it's still quite good. Perhaps I will catch up on the other songs later. I will say, as with the previous 3 albums, Arthur has come up in my estimation a lot. MCS: 4/5
She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina. stereo mix (3:05), recorded May-Jun 1969 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London She's bought a hat like Princess Marina's To wear at all her social affairs She wears it when she's cleaning the windows She wears it when she's scrubbing the stairs But you will never see her at Ascot She can't afford the time or the fare But she's bought a hat like Princess Marina's So she don't care He's bought a hat like Anthony Eden's Because it makes him feel like a Lord But he can't afford a Rolls or a Bentley He has to buy a secondhand Ford He tries to feed his wife and his family And buy them clothes and shoes they can wear But he's bought a hat like Anthony Eden's So he don t care Buddy can you spare me a dime My wife is getting hungry And the kids are crying This poverty is hurting my pride Buddy can you spare me, buddy can you spare me a dime She's bought a hat like Princess Marina's And her neighbors think it suits her a treat But she hasn't any food in the larder Nor has anybody else in the street But to look at her you'd think she was wealthy 'Cos she smiles just like a real millionaire 'Cos she's bought a hat like Princess Marina's So she don't care, she don't care, she don't care, she don't care Written by: Ray Davies Published by: Hill & Range Songs BMI So first I guess my initial thought is, who is Princess Marina? Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark (1906 - 1968) Born in Athens Greece. The Greek royal family was forced into exile when Marina was 11, following the overthrow of the Greek monarchy. They moved to Paris, to stay with her extended family. Eventually they moved to England, where she met Prince George, of Denmark. They married and settled in England, living in close proximity to Buckingham Place in 1934. Prince Phillip, later to be the Duke of Edinburgh, is one of her first cousins. Princes Marina became the Duchess of Kent. Anthony Eden, raises a somewhat similar question, although it is a name I know from deep in the recesses of my memory Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) A British conservative politician who served three periods as Foreign Secretary, and was Prime Minister between 1955-1957. He became Foreign Secretary in 1938, and then resigned due to Chamberlain's appeasement policy towards Mussolini's Italy. He returned to the Foreign Secretary position for most of the course of the second world war, under Churchill, and again in the 1950's. He succeeded Churchill as Prime Minister, and a month later was elected in the general election. He was generally considered quite highly, but his reputation took a hit during the Suez Crisis. The US didn't support military action and this made life hard for him. Two months after ordering the end of the Suez operation, he resigned citing bad health, and because he was believed to have mislead the House Of Commons regarding Suez. Anthony Eden with Winston Churchill So we have two very interesting characters that Ray brings into the picture here, and they are both somewhat upper class characters, and that speaks very strongly to where this song is going. This track is, from my perspective, a closer look at the consumerist nature raised in Brainwashed, and being post world war two, when consumerism started to rise in the ranks, admittedly slower in England than the US, due to the cost the war had placed on England, but it rose nonetheless. We have two characters who essentially live above their means by, in this instance, buying hats to appear more than they are. It is that want to appear successful to those around us, no matter how damaging it is to us ... short or long term. This becomes glaringly obvious in the bridge (of sorts) when we burst into the buddy can you spare me a dime section, and it seems like it would be difficult to justify wearing those stupid hats, when as described in the next section of the song, that they have no food to eat. This lyric is filled with great social observation, and harsh realities, that may come across as a little cold, but the reality is that those two hats, which I doubt were cheap, seriously compromised their families well being. Again Ray shows a wonderful ability to observe and then tell a story, and I think this is a very poignant lyric and idea, and still remains a valid topic in current times ... where everybody wants everything new... New cars on credit, new lounge suites on credit... and compromises to get them, and also pay for them. Here we have Ray and the band performing their most obvious music hall track on the album, and the styling of the music really does work to accent the lyrics and theme here. It is almost scathing in its directness, and the music hall styling gives it a somewhat sarcastic twist. This track has some drumming that is beyond what I thought Mick Avory could play, particularly in the double time section. There are some pretty remarkable pieces of work here from Avory, and it was only just the other day, that it really stood out to me how good this playing is. We open up with a piano, and Ray's vocal. The chord structure here is beautiful, and along the path of the song we get some nice little sound effects thrown in that are really effective. Scrubbing the stairs has a wash board, He can't afford a Rolls or a Bentley has an old style car horn, and it all works really well. After the second verse we break into a sort of rock and roll section that is introduced by a double stroke on the drums. We have the whole scenario of Buddy Can You Spare Me A Dime, and Dave throws in some nice lead work here as well. Then as we move into the big rave up section, we get a really nice fill on the drums from Mick, and Dave? with an expressive bit of vocalisation, that he continues through this section. This whole section is just great. It is exuberant and engaging. I guess to some degree it seems slightly different to the rest of the album, but it isn't out of character for the Kinks at all. I like the way it works, particularly in the sense that this has been a very serious album, with some very serious topics, and although this is a serious topic, the band uses their more, kind of, comedic style to deliver this in a way that speaks to a bit of sarcasm. So far on this album the band have used so many different styles of music, but managed to make them fit together beautifully in the form of an album. It gives us variety, and musicality, and for me this is yet another strength of this album. I guess when I first heard this song, it didn't grab me so much, and it isn't really a favourite, but it ends up being an important part of the narrative, helping tie together some loose ends, and I have grown to love the track for what it is.
