Big Sky This song had a big impact on my teenage mind - it's the track from this album that I kept playing at the risk of driving my mother crazy. At the one level, it's a simple concept: an indifferent power looking down on the daily struggles of ordinary folk. But I prefer to look at it from the perspective of one of those folk. It doesn't really matter whether the Big Sky is God, big corporations or the government - if you're struggling you are likely to feel at times that you're not being helped by someone or something that could and should make a difference to your quality of life. But that's ok because one day you'll be free.... It's such a beautiful and powerful concept driven by beautiful and powerful music. My older mind is still blown.
I suppose it could be said this is a similar lyrical theme to the previous track - acceptance of your place in the world. "One day we'll be free, we won't care" - knowledge that there are things going on beyond your control and your own little world and learning not to worry about them - similar to "I live in a museum, so I'm OK". Life will still go on in your own personal village green.
Also similar to Johnny Thunder, I would say: “And all the people of the town They can't get through to Johnny They will never, ever break him down” sometimes there is nothing you can do. what is, it is.
"Big Sky": Ray's vocal inflections, especially during the verses, really make this song -- especially the upward tilt in the second verse on the word "cry". He's playing the role of the cheeky narrator here, almost minimizing the troubles of the poor humans under the Big Sky, while throwing in a bit of a teasing tone -- "we're not gonna take this too seriously, now...". Just brilliant, considering the subject matter at hand in the song.
There's a Kinks song coming up that reminds me a lot of early Kate Bush. Let's just say it's from an album which seems inappropriate for it Great! I was getting sick of seeing those Led Zep & Black Sabbath specials in my local Barnes & Noble. I can't wait to pick up a copy. Back to VGPS and "Big Sky". It was one of the songs that really impressed me when I first heard. Songs w/spoken passages are still kinda rare. As for the lyrics, I do sorta lean on the God side, although the Big Business/Big Government interpretation works for me. I think that Ray again put a little twist when he says that he looks up to the Big Sky. I think that all the songs in VGPS, there's always something that makes the songs less straightforward then we first hear them.
Big Sky A few months ago I was obsessed with this song. And I know Ray's story about how he came up with this song and it COULD be about obscenely rich and powerful people, the Corporation (in Ray-speak). But I think it's more about god, small g. The prime (un?)mover. As someone said a deist kind of view. As an atheist, I see it more as if there is a god, s/he ain't doing much for human misery and is indifferent. But this verse makes it not as clear: When I feel that the world is too much for me I think of the Big Sky, and nothing matters much to me. I know Ray is into Orwell and it reminds me of the end of 1984 where the main character comes around to Big Brother and embraces him. The dehumanization of man is complete. Just a thought. However you interpret it, I love the mood of the song and the gentle "oooh"'s in the background...Rasa again?
Big Sky Just a bloody knockout this track isn't it? Reading the comments I have no need to listen to it again or even think too much, it's all here.. I suppose I'd assumed it was a track that simply gave God "a severe ticking off" (©Neil Tennant). But I see it's also about any form of 'higher' power, that it seems impossible to change, thus the sense of powerlessness we may feel as we navigate the big world. I'm sure there's some sort of inbuilt or evolved human nature, that in our most trying times literally compels us look to the skies and say "help!" Or perhaps question "why me?" All would make sense except by the end Ray is writing that Big Sky "feels bad inside". Then again, the lyrics see the very remoteness of Big Sky as a comfort in itself. Giving us a perspective that we may attain, once we stop expecting divine intervention to make our lives easier, and once we look beyond ourselves. I think of the astronauts who, on seeing the Earth from space, talk of how it changed them irrevocably, allowing them to see our petty human concerns as just that. "Don't let it get you down" indeed (and isn't that little middle eight just a peerlessly beautiful piece of songwriting?) (Just one interpretation btw. I like them all.) Eccentric as a 'pop' song perhaps, but oh, Ray's narration, the music, those vocals and arrangements.. gush, gush.. extraordinary stuff this.
Nice post mate.... there's no freewill if we are constantly directed .... sometimes we've just gotta work it out
"Big Sky" is my second favorite song on Village Green, right after the title track. Came to it first on The Kinks Khronicles, a beloved comp. for me. cheers,
Big Sky A stupendous song. All the times I listened to this track over the years, nearly 50 now, I never once thought it was about God. So when I became aware of that a few years ago I was a bit surprised to say the least. We all interpret lyrics differently but to me the big sky, stretching like a canopy over the village green, doesn't care because, in comparison, our world is truly insignificant. It doesn't really matter what happens down here in the village green and the writer/singer knows this. All our problems and difficulties pale into insignificance while we are here so best not to let it get you down. To me the 'one day we'll be free' line refers to our death when we will cease to care about our little problems here on earth, but until that day comes, best try not to let it all become too much. Almost as if he is reminding himself of this fact. One of the Kinks finest.
Big Sky A necessary aside before going into the song: For some of us on this side of the pond, "Big Sky" has a very strong association that has nothing to do with England, the Village Green, God, corporations, or government. "Big Sky" is the nickname of our great state of Montana. Now it's not a problem for most Americans, because, despite being a huge state area wise (larger than the entirety of the UK), few people live there (scarcely a million--imagine that.... an area larger than the UK with barely a million people... less than half that when Village Green was released!). What's more, despite being huge, not only do not many live there, not many have even visited as Montana is considered "remote," at least by standards of the lower 48 contiguous states. But for those of us who have lived in this broad, diverse land of wide open prairies and snowcapped rocky mountain peaks, it's really hard to hear "Big Sky" without immediately thinking of Montana. Now the song: Musically, I absolutely love this. I will echo previous praise of the drumming. Positively stellar. Now here's where I grab something that hits my ear, right or wrong. I've always thought The Kinks were often held back in those early days by the sonics of those albums. Here's where that limitation ends for me. The sound on this song is wonderful. What really stands out is the distinct sounds of the two different guitars. We're not just talking one acoustic and one electric here, but rather two very distinct sounds that reinforce the different parts being played and makes their counterpoint and the way they weave in and out of each other not only intriguing to the ear, but also essential to the mood of the song. And every last riff is catchy and momentous, and they all link together nicely. What's more, it all blends perfectly with the spoken verses. Pretty amazing really. As for the lyrics, some philosophical discussion is necessary, and I think I can do so without running afoul of the Gorts. I'll preface by noting that we've discussed how most of the songs up to this point are brilliant in that can be taken literally or metaphorically. Now we have a song which is clearly metaphorical.... but what exactly is that metaphor? There are multiple possibilities, none an obvious choice and all possible. God? Government? Corporations? Something else entirely? As for God, most theology tells us God loves all his children, so it makes sense that "Big Sky feels sad when he sees the children scream and cry." However, lines like "But Big Sky is too big to sympathize" don't sound like an all loving God. What's more, God is also, according to most theology, not only omniscient, but also omnipotent. There is nothing he can't do; there is no limit to his capacity to manage the universe and everything in it. So "Big Sky's too occupied, Though he would like to try" doesn't sound altogether God-like. Overall, it still sounds like it could be God, but a God with some limitations. Certainly the imagery of looking down from the heavens, and people looking up, raising their hands, etc, points towards God. As for "someday we'll be free," I then move from God to Religion which as really something else altogether. Maybe some day God and humanity can commune directly without organized religion playing middleman. As previously noted, people who believe in God aren't looking to be free of God, but many would like to be free of organized religion. Maybe Ray is even foreshadowing Lennon here. It wouldn't be the only time the Kinks beat the Fabs to the punch on a significant musical or lyrical point. Of course, being free from government control and/or corporate influence are significant themes for many, those sentiments growing especially during this time frame. So while much of this album runs counter to the musical culture of the day, we seem to have a potential alignment here. The beauty of this is that this alignment is found without falling out of line with the theme of the album. Corporate development is one of the key threats to the Village Green. Avery tasty little irony here which further elevates both the song and the album for me. We also need to note that, despite both the title of the song and how lines and verses begin with that title/subject, the song also puts some emphasis on the people as well as the ambiguous "Big Sky." I'm particularly struck by the line "Big Sky looked down on all the people who think they got problems." Is Ray saying the people only think they have problems or is he saying that Big Sky in his ambivalence dismisses their problems? Or is Big Sky just concerned with so much bigger things that these "problems" are inconsequential in the big picture? There's a whole lot to unpack here. In the end, it seems to me that people to wail and gnash teeth more than necessary, or even logical or appropriate. That ends when we free ourselves from external controls, real or perceived. Big Sky knows this.
I tip my hat mate.... beautiful post. I was somewhat hobbled this morning, for various reasons, and you clearly pointed out things I was unable to share. Cheers
I remember reading (it may have been a Rolling Stone interview with Ray Davies in the 60s) that the song was influenced by the 1952 Western film The Big Sky with Burt Lancaster so that is very much in line with @Fischman's post about Montana being known as the Big Sky State. I look at the song now as a manifestation of an indifferent universe.
I am going to save my write up on The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society as an album until after we have reviewed all of the songs. As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, despite being a big Kinks fan since hearing You Really Got Me probably 45 years ago, this is an album that I have never really listened to. For that reason, I would prefer to spend the next few days assimilating the album as a whole as well as dissecting each song individually before I attempt to give my overall thoughts on the album. The Village Green Preservation Society: The more I look at the tracklist on the Kinks Kronicles, the more I realize I obviously didn’t pay much attention to that compilation album back in the day when I had it. I’m guessing I must’ve listen to Lola and Sunny Afternoon a lot and ignored the rest. As a self admitted rocker, and also as a rather immature 14 or 15 year old kid, I’m sure I was looking for the rip snorting guitar solos that I knew from You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night. Obviously, they are not really to be found during this era of Kinkiness. That said, with the (admittedly limited) wisdom of adulthood I have now accumulated, I realize that not every single song has to “kick ass”. Case in point, The Village Green Preservation Society. How did I skip over this song? Is it even possible that Ray and the guys could have crafted a catchier, funnier, more ridiculously singable song than this? I am a lyrics guy, and it’s clear that Ray is saying a lot with the lyrics, but in this case, as a non-Brit, most of the specific references are lost on me, so I’m just going to sing along and enjoy this song for now. Having listened to the entire album several times in preparation (as well as the accompanying singles and b-sides) I realize there are more great songs in store coming up, but for now, what a great way to kick off the album! (The only way song VGPS could be better would be if Dave had unleashed at least one or two of his distorted guitar solos! (Just kidding it’s perfect as is)). —————————————————- Although I have been a frequent reader of SHTV for several years now, as many of you know I don’t post often (I just lurk ). I am sure somewhere in the past though, I have mentioned my girlfriend. For a bit of context, I am in my mid-50s and she is 30. Her generation often does not focus on albums, and puts much more of an emphasis on the particular song rather than the artist that created it or which album it came from. She loves everything from Metallica and Maiden (i took her to her first Maiden show, she loved it!) to pop artists like Sia, reggae old and new, and classics like the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. She is also a tremendous fan of the Kinks. She hasn’t spent much time listening to the various albums by the kinks and may not even be aware chronologically as to when the various songs she likes by them were released during their career. She just knows what she likes. Because we approach music so differently, we decided it might be fun for her to also post her thoughts on each song too, so her thoughts will appear below mine each day. Courtney’s Thoughts on VGPS (the song): I know this one quite well, mainly because of the movie Hot Fuzz I believe. Which was EXTREMELY fitting to this song. I’m now wondering if the entire premise of the movie was based on this song… to explain, the film is set in and centered around a perfectly preserved classic village in the countryside of England. And the town is preserved by a volunteer counsel made up of adorable villagers. It reminds me of the song because that counsel as it turned out was able to keep such a lovely village because they killed anyone who threatened its sanctity. But I do love it for the sound and the lyrics. Particularly how he juxtaposes his tone in contrast to his lyrics. I always had the impression that it seemed to be one of the most staple sounds of the 60s and set the tone in general. The dark part of me completely understands why this song is so tongue in cheek. As I was an emotional and sarcastic 24 year old too. What’s ironic is now as I age, I listen and laugh at his cynicism and hope he now understands why conservation and some propriety are actually still important. It is also my interpretation that he does have some very genuine feelings towards preserving the simple life. In my opinion he has rose colored glasses about the past and he knows it though. He longs for a perfect memory that never existed and he is perfectly aware.
I don't have a lot to add to what everyone else has already said. I suppose it's worth mentioning that a year earlier, this tune, with it's similar spoken verses/sung chorus format was performed for the first time on British television by Georgia Brown. While the chances of Ray actually having seen and heard it are probably slim, it certainly wouldn't have been the first time Leiber & Stoller had influenced him and most other British rockers: Leslie Uggams / Is That All There Is?
I completely agree. This does feel like the Big Bang on the record in lyrics and importance! From here on the next ten songs are all among my favorite Kinks tunes. "Big Sky" holds a special place because it kicks off what I believe to be a flawless set of tunes to finish off the record. I was looking at a weakest link for this album from a couple years ago. I chose "Big Sky" as my favorite with "Village Green" as the runner up. I actually don’t think "Big Sky" made it very far, which surprised me. I would probably stand by my top choices, but really any of the next 10 songs (especially the next five) could on any given day be a favorite. I listened to the entire album on a walk yesterday and it's truly amazing how happy this album makes me. I wanted to come home and discuss every song right away! I felt like I had so many thoughts that hopefully I can remember when we get to all the songs. I always imagined the "Big Sky" was just the universe itself looking down on the minuscule Village Green. For many people the universe might allude to a god I suppose, but can’t it also just be the sky itself looking down? "It’s too big to sympathize". It's even "Too high to see people like you and me". We are pretty much irrelevant in the eyes of the universe. The sky is filled with billions of other stars and we are really a tiny speck in the vast scope of space. Many have already pointed out how great the music is and I agree with any praise this song receives. Mick is again playing some fantastic drums! Some of the guitars are going for a sitar sound. It’s a masterpiece in every way. I think it deserves to be mentioned along with their greatest songs. The music is also so positive and cheerful. Whatever happens in this life "Don't let it get you down."
Isn't that frustrating lol I have had so many vivid thoughts while listening, and then get on here in the morning and
Big Sky A great song. It would be a contender for a list of my 10 favorite Kinks album tracks. The "One day we'll be free..." part of the song is just fantastic and the music fits perfectly with the lyrics. (5/5)
I am not at all religious and have never considered being buried or having a funeral. However, a memorial service might be in order just so Big Sky can be played.
Big Sky can’t really add to all the great things shared already. This is a stand-out track for me, and I love that guitar sound that sounds like a harpsichord. What, was Nicky busy? The back-to-back bridges (“one day we’ll be free” and “when I feel…”) are such a great way of changing the mood of the song in unexpected ways, yet continuing with the lyrical theme and just hammering it home. I’m sure there are others, but the only other clear example of this kind of two bridges in a row that are lyrically perfect is “Add Some Music to Your Day” by The Beach Boys (“music when you’re alone…” and “when day is over…” lines). back to Big Sky, it’s such an unorthodox song with its spoken verses and guitar sounds. Just incredible music to listen to.
It's a little hard for me to hear this album with fresh ears, so I'm leaning once again on a 36-year old memory. When I was a teen, discovering the 60's Kinks in the early 80's, I passed over VGPS in favor of "Face to Face" and "Something Else", because I only recognized two song titles (title song and "Picture Book')-- even though it was one of THE 5-star Kinks album in the red 1st edition Rolling Stone Record Guide. (A book I later decided was infuriating, though they were right about this one.... and some others that I otherwise might have missed, for which I remain grateful.) My girlfriend bought it shortly thereafter, and when I first heard it, I was blown away by the _sound_ of it, and especially this song. It struck me as a much denser, fuller, more locked-in band sound than on all but the non-hit Dave songs of "Something Else." It rocked out, while sounding magic as all heck. I was an instant convert. I hear a lot of Hendrix in this track. The (unflanged) single version of "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" comes to mind, though when I actually listen to it, they aren't so much alike. I don't think there's a harpsichord here, though the acoustic guitar sounds like one. Perhaps "Hey Joe" is a closer match. (Was that mentioned yet? Apologies if so.) Is the Big Sky God? Well, if nothing else, it's a big sky, THE big sky above us, and in this world it has a consciousness and an ability to experience, much as the train did in the prior tracks. And perhaps this Big Sky has problems of its own ("Big Sky's too occupied.") In Ray's imagination, the Big Sky is a comfort, because it reminds Ray that all the dramas of his life that seem so important are really trivial. The Big Sky give him some much needed perspective. Big Sky simultaneously feels sad that people lack such perspective on their problems, and yet can't take the problems seriously. A lack of sympathy for the drama, yet empathy for their lack of enlightenment. Perhaps in the same way that we want to hold a baby when it's screaming in disappointment, yet wish the baby understood that this really wasn't such a big deal. Out of both empathy... and a wish that it would shut up. It's a wonderful, funny, profound, comforting song. **** Is it possible that Big Sky doubles as a description of the detached observational stance that Ray operates out of when writing some of his best character studies?
