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Ray Davies is the Best Songwriter: "Days"
A couple of winter's back, I was lucky enough to spend a pleasant day walking around Sarasota, FLA doing nothing but soaking up the warmth and listening to random tunes on my Ipod. I was standing on the John Ringling bridge staring at the water when "Days" by The Kinks suddenly came on. Now, by this point in my life I had probably listened to this song over a hundred times but at that moment I was struck by its power and blurted out to a couple of seagulls standing on the rail near me, "That might be the most beautiful song ever written. If something happens to me, tell somebody to play that at my wake. And all of Dream Police, with the bonus live tracks. "
But seriously, you can play this when I go.
(a little Ricki C. interjection here: Since there are precious few Kinks Kovers floating around in rock & roll land - and even fewer successful ones - I wanted to throw in this version of "Days" by Flo & Eddie. Flo & Eddie were Mark Volman & Howard Kaylan, first of The Turtles in the 1960's, later the front-men of the early 70's version of Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention. I can't really say Flo & Eddie ever made a great album - they were singles guys - but this Bob Ezrin-produced track is "super-pop" of the highest order, as is their cover of The Small Faces "Afterglow." Check 'em out.)
"Days"
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
I'm thinking of the days,
I won't forget a single day, believe me.
I bless the light,
I bless the light that lights on you believe me.
And though you're gone,
You're with me every single day, believe me.
Days I'll remember all my life,
Days when you can't see wrong from right.
You took my life,
But then I knew that very soon you'd leave me,
But it's all right,
Now I'm not frightened of this world, believe me.
I wish today could be tomorrow,
The night is dark,
It just brings sorrow anyway.
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
I'm thinking of the days,
I won't forget a single day, believe me.
Days I'll remember all my life,
Days when you can't see wrong from right.
You took my life,
But then I knew that very soon you'd leave me,
But it's all right,
Now I'm not frightened of this world, believe me.
Days.
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
I'm thinking of the days,
I won't forget a single day, believe me.
- Ray Davies, 1968