The Hard Way Ramona! Indeed! What a great song! I'm enjoying a lot of music over the last many albums, but THIS is the sort of music that just speaks directly to me, musically, I mean. It's got that punk thing going on(or does punk have a Kinks thing going on??). I haven't read everyone's comments yet, but the guitar sound is very similar to the Clash's song "Clash City Rockers". Love Ray's intonation. He makes the lyrics funny or creepy just by changing the way he sings them. My favorite is how he says "killer's touch". LOL And thank goodness for lyrics websites as I would never be able to pick up on half the lyrics as Ray spits them out rapidly at times. Regarding a mention of possible sexual connection with the headmaster maybe getting off on the punishment. It does sound like the headmaster is a sadist and it's not too large a leap to think this could be part of a "kink" of his. Maybe it's not directly sexual, but I think there's a slight wink and a nod in that direction. And Ray would know this when he wrote it (IMO). Anyway, I adore this song and it is one of the highlights. It could be my favorite on this album in fact.
Holding someone up by the hair is unbelievable! That person should have been imprisoned. That's assault - pure and simple. and you said "wow" to my starting school in 1970. is that "wow - you're old"?!
The Jam certainly sounds a lot like the Kinks. But the Clash were perhaps more like the Who? Then again, the Who and the Kinks are like two sides of the same coin, so...
LOL Not at all .... "wow" that there was no cane or paddle or whatever..... This reminds me of grade 1. One of the teachers had a box with dead cockroaches or something in it. If you were bad, she'd tape you know the box with the dead bugs lol .... all us six year olds were terrified of her
Cool story! I wondered about where Ramona came from and I love trivia like this. Thanks! I assumed it was the name of Dave's guitar or something.
Wot! The gall! The nerve! "Dreams of Children", "That's Entertainment", "English Rose", "Tales from the Riverbank" and such? "David Watts"? I say the Kinks. But the earliest stuff (first two records or so) is of course very much like the 'Oo (too). Down to the Rickenbackers and the 'art school' tropes.
Sorry to reply to myself but I had to do the research. Doug Fieger sings the original "vegetate." Maybe Ray hadn't introduced the new lyric to the world yet when the video was shot.
I was discussing today’s song with a classmate from all those years ago. We both recall very clearly that our 5th grade teacher had a ‘board of education’ hanging from the wall. And used it (and we both recalled the two main recipients). He’d take the boys (and it was always boys) outside the classroom to the adjacent bathroom. And we could hear the thwacks from where we sat. 68-69 school year. Then in 8th grade, Civics teacher chasing down Roger, slamming him into a locker. Lost control.
The Hard Way is great - it would have fitted in really well in 1978/79! Which I guess is why it's on the live album.
Luckily it doesn't have to be one or the other...it can be both. I know it's easy to say the Who because the Jam took on the Mod look, but its obvious they enjoyed the Kinks as well.
Below is the situation in each state as of 2019. Basically it's not banned in private schools (there are only two exceptions). In state/public schools it's not banned in 19 states. In some states it's banned for pupils with disablities unless the parents give written consent. This is the case in Oklahoma for example where the law states: A. School district personnel shall be prohibited from using corporal punishment on students identified with the most significant cognitive disabilities according to criteria established by the State Department of Education B. A waiver to the provisions of subsection A of this section shall be granted if the parent or legal guardian of a student provides written consent. C. As used in this section, "corporal punishment" means the deliberate infliction of physical pain by hitting, paddling, spanking, slapping or any other physical force used as a means of discipline. State Ban status (public) Ban status (private) Alabama Not banned Not banned Alaska Banned since 1989 Not banned Arizona Not banned, but no reported use Not banned Arkansas Not banned Not banned California Banned since 1986 Not banned Colorado Not banned, but no reported use Not banned Connecticut Banned since 1989 Not banned Delaware Banned since 2003 Not banned District of Columbia Banned since 1977 Not banned Florida Not banned Not banned Georgia Not banned Not banned Hawaii Banned since 1973 Not banned Idaho Not banned Not banned Illinois Banned since 1993 Not banned Indiana Not banned Not banned Iowa Banned since 1989 Banned since 1989 Kansas Not banned Not banned Kentucky Not banned Not banned Louisiana Banned since 1 August 2017 for those with disabilities Not banned Maine Banned since 1975 Not banned Maryland Banned since 1993 Not banned Massachusetts Banned since 1971 Not banned Michigan Banned since 1989 Not banned Minnesota Banned since 1989 Not banned Mississippi Banned since 1 July 2019 (only for students with disabilities or special education plans)[31] Not banned Missouri Not banned Not banned Montana Banned since 1991 Not banned Nebraska Banned since 1988 Not banned Nevada Banned since 1993 Not banned New Hampshire Banned since 1983 Not banned New Jersey Banned since 1867 Banned since 1867 New Mexico Banned since 2011 Not banned New York Banned since 1985 Not banned North Carolina Banned since 2 October 2018 (in every district but not state-wide). Not banned North Dakota Banned since 1989 Not banned Ohio Banned since 2009 Not banned Oklahoma Banned since 1 November 2017 for students with disabilities unless a parent gives written consent Not banned Oregon Banned since 1989 Not banned Pennsylvania Banned since 2005 Not banned Rhode Island Banned since 1977 Not banned South Carolina Not banned Not banned South Dakota Banned since 1990 Not banned Tennessee Banned for those with disabilities unless a parent gives written consent Not banned Texas Not banned Not banned Utah Banned since 1992 Not banned Vermont Banned since 1985 Not banned Virginia Banned since 1989 Not banned Washington Banned since 1993 Not banned West Virginia Banned since 1994 Not banned Wisconsin Banned since 1988 Not banned Wyoming Not banned, but no reported use Not banned
Very nice analysis and interesting take on the track. Here are my best guesses as to the lyrics with the "helpless kind"/question marks. 1. "You can be such a helpless kind[?]" My best guess: "You can't leave such a helpless guy" or "You can reach such a helpless guy" or "You can be such a helpless guy" or your lyric 2. "Please don't be such a helpless kind" MBG: "Please don't leave such a helpless guy" 3. "Two lonely people, the helpless kind[?]" This is what I hear 4. "Everything I do it turns to ruin[?]" This is what I hear 5. "Baby there's nothing that I'll end[?]" MBG: "Baby there's nothing that I won't lend" 6. "You can be such a helpless kind[?]" MBG: "You can't leave such a helpless guy"
I grew up in the American South in the 60s and early 70s and, being a schoolboy in disgrace myself, was routinely paddled with a thick, heavy wooden paddle that looked like it belonged in a boat. So I quite identified with these songs, heh!
I'm gobsmacked by the stories I'm hearing about the abuse by educators. Thought that was done and gone by the 70s. Horrific.
I honestly don't know what anyone else thinks about it all..... and I will acknowledge that whether parental or authority figure, discipline can get out of hand very quickly.... The thing is though, boys need discipline, we are an unruly and generally aggressive bunch. I don't think that disciplined, discipline does much more than embarrass us in front of our peers. I can't speak for anyone else, but we managed to physically hurt ourselves more than most teachers would ever dream of. I think some of the psychological belittling by teachers was much more damaging than any whack .... But perhaps that's just me.
Dave posted on social media today. A pic of him with Ray https://twitter.com/davedavieskinks/status/1493741351460032518 In case you can't read the tweet it says: I worked with Ray today. He made me a cuppa tea. We had a good time. We were looking through early 70s footage from a Kinks tour. Release the footage!!
