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Life After Breakfast - Ray Davies

It's been a while since we checked in with our sporadic Sunday morning Ray Davies series, so let's jump back in with "Is There Life After Breakfast?" from Ray's first solo record, Other People's Lives.

In my opinion, one of the factors that sets the great songwriters apart is being able to write songs that can make you laugh out loud. Writing ballads is easy.  In fact, it is so easy that in the history of rock and roll, only three bands have never written a decent "sad song." The first two are The Hives and AC/DC, who have avoided ballads by design. The third band is the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, who have somehow managed to avoid writing good songs in any tempo, mood or genre. Other than that, chances are that even the bar band around the corner can break out a decent tear- jerker written by their bass player sometime after his second divorce.

But to be funny, that is the next level. Or "The Chuck Berry Level" as those in the business call it. Reasonable people can disagree on whether Ray Davies is truly the best songwriter ever (he is) but I would suggest he is truly the funniest songwriter ever. Unless Weird Al counts.

I might be biased towards the song Life After Breakfast because I own a coffee shop and it has been my observation that as humans near the age of 70, meals become the primary source of pleasure. In fact, we become so excited for meal time, we just can't wait and start rushing everything. Breakfast is at 6:30 am, lunch at 11:15 am and dinner at 4:30 pm. After that I suppose it's just FOX News until bed with a bowl of ice cream around 8 pm. In the words of Mick 'n' Keith: what a drag it is getting old.

Song and lyrics below.

Lift yourself out of the doldrums
Make yourself a cuppa tea
Drag your emotions out of the gutter
Don't wallow in self pity

When you wake up, all of a fluster
Thinking life has passed you by
Give yourself a kick up the backside
Jump out of bed and punch the sky

Is there life after breakfast
Full of possibilities
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast
So don't live in agony
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast

Cheer up son, put on the kettle
There's no point in being glum
Make your mind up, try to forget her
Boil the tea and I'll be mum

Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast
So don't live in agony
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast

After breakfast
Life after breakfast
After breakfast

Just because all of the plumbing
Isn't all it used to be
Turn the tap, see, a little bit's coming
That must make you feel relieved

Don't turn into a total embarrassment
To your friends and family
Get out of bed, the whole day's ahead
So take the pills and drink your tea

Is there life after breakfast
Full of possibilities
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast
So don't be so depressive
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast

Read more: Ray Davies - Is There Life After Breakfast? Lyrics | MetroLyrics