The Kinks - Come Dancing

#TheKinks60 #TheKinks #TheJourney
The Kinks are launching a 60th Anniversary Celebration of their illustrious musical career, confirming their vital importance to popular music. Subscribe to the channel and join us in celebrating!
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Lyrics:
They put a parking lot on a piece of land
Where the supermarket used to stand
Before that, they put up a bowling alley
On the site that used to be the local palais
That's where the big bands used to come and play
My sister went there on a Saturday
Come dancing
All her boyfriends used to come and call
Why not come dancing?
It's only natural
Another Saturday, another date
She would be ready, but she'd always make him wait
In the hallway, in anticipation
He didn't know the night would end up in frustration
He'd end up blowing all his wages for the week
All for a cuddle and a peck on the cheek
Come dancing
That's how they did it when I was just a kid
And when they said "come dancing"
My sister always did
My sister should have come in a midnight
And my mom would always sit up and wait
It always ended up in a big row
When my sister used to get home late
Out of my window I could see them in the moonlight
Two silhouettes saying good night by the garden gate
What are you doing out there? Come on, you're gonna be out there all night?
The day they knocked down the palais
My sister stood and cried
The day they knocked down the palais
Part of my childhood died, just died
Now I'm grown up and playing in a band
And there's a car park where the palais used to stand
My sister's married and she lives on an estate
Her daughters go out, now it's her turn to wait
She knows they get away with things she never could
But if I asked her I wonder if she would
Come dancing
Come on sister, have yourself a ball
Don't be afraid to come dancing
It's only natural
Come dancing
Just like the palais on a Saturday
And all your friends would come dancing
While the big bands used to play

[@NorthernWisconsinandStuff]

This is the best obituary ever written. He actually brings not just his sister back to life whenever this song is played, but also anyone's loved ones who truly enjoyed life.

[@megalamegala3952]

6

[@megalamegala3952]

M

[@LahainaStrong444]

Sweet

[@stephanlarsen8169]

Yes brother well expressed. Amazing band Amazing song 🎵. Jah herb Jah Jerry Jah love Jah Ray Davies Tucson Arizona Sonoran desert 🏜🦒🍄🌵

[@jasondill7505]

Amen

[@jasonrodgers9063]

Ray Davies is a TREASURE!

[@haraldarnesen8076]

This song is a tribute to Ray Davies's older sister Rene who died of a heart attack at a dance hall at the age of 31. It's a great song from the Kinks with a fun, bouncy tone that reminds me of pop music one would hear at a dance hall or on a radio station anywhere in western Europe during the 1970s and 1980s, somewhat akin to polka.

[@chanceDdog2009]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@rockeroller]

Sounds sad

[@terr777]

OMG, I had to look this up, and on his 13th birthday, when she had just given him his first guitar!

[@tashb208]

It always gives me shivers when he imagines her grown up with daughters of her own.

[@frog9304]

Not at all

[@0311Mushroom]

I am not ashamed to admit almost 40 years later, this song still makes me cry. Bless you Rene, for inspiring it. And your brother Ray for sharing you with the world.

[@sargentwaag1483]

Yup only thing is only a few of us know about her.

[@gunslingergirl2579]

@@sargentwaag1483 About who? What's the deal?

[@bfettrulez6734]

@@gunslingergirl2579 Ray Davies sister was a victim of domestic abuse. This song is about his sister & how she loved to dance.

[@mattyk19751]

Me too bro

[@0311Mushroom]

@@gunslingergirl2579 when Ray Davies turned 13 in 1957, his older sister gave him a guitar for his birthday. That night she went out dancing and died of a heart attack.

[@tombstoneharrystudios584]

Ray is one of the most gifted songwriters…the way he can tell a whole life story in 3 1/2 minutes, full of English imagery and dry wit

[@Battismore-Blue]

Very English and bloody brilliant

[@LynnAGR]

love this song. i play it all the time..

[@bobmorrison5636]

Davies wrote this nostalgic song about his older sisters, who loved to dance. The song describes how guys would take them out dancing, only to be frustrated at the end of the night when all they would get for their efforts (and money) was a kiss on the cheek. Davies had six older sisters (and one younger brother: his Kinks bandmate Dave). For years, Ray said that the specific sister this song is about was Gwen, who was the sixth sister and seven years older than him (this fits the timeline, as a young Ray would have seen Gwen going out dancing and then sending off her dates). He later claimed that the sister in the song was Rene, who was 18 years older. According to Davies, Rene married a Canadian soldier and moved with him to Canada. He says is was an abusive and unhappy marriage, and Rene would often return to the childhood home in Muswell Hill for visits. One of these visits took place in 1957 when Ray turned 13. For his birthday, Rene bought him his first guitar: a Spanish guitar he wanted. That night, she went dancing at the Lyceum Ballroom in London. Rene had rheumatic fever when she was young, and her heart was weak. That night, she suffered a heart attack and died at the ballroom. Twenty-five years later, Ray wrote this song to memorialize her and remember her love of dancing.

[@zoeymckeown3194]

wow that's so interesting Bob. So sad about Rene. I shall continue to think of her as "married and living on an estate" when I play the video though. Such a great song. 🧡

[@franzherflek4116]

Wow that's fantastic knowledge and insight.....thanks mate

[@valkyriakay]

a plot twist that made me cry

[@kennykobett4490]

Wow. I have loved this song all my life and never really thought about the meaning. Thank you internet....sometimes you actually are not horrible.

[@sheilarough236]

He wrote her a happy ending, one she didn’t get in real life

[@The_Klystron7]

Listening in 2024 still. Great memories of MTV days.

[@Look-at-the-ghost]

A true fan is always here…. Just saying

[@Leonbillyben]

Nice tribute to his late sister. ❤

[@hellono2561]

Absolutely killer song!

[@lizmarch4000]

"part of my childhood died". We all understand that. Whatever it is. Something's knocked down and bulldozed. Something tangible that represents something that's intangible. That sibling connection too, brothers and sisters' memories are shared and destroyed together. I've always been moved by this song and a tribute from a brother to a sister.

[@wendyjoswanson1876]

No doubt!

[@jski7355]

The best of the song is catchy to start with .A beat that made them distinguishable from other of the great British groups . But the lyrics are awesome too .!! Any of old dudes out there listening can certainly relate to those bygone days where they tore down some sentimental place , and put up a Bowling Alley , or whatever trendy facility they constructed amid the ruins of places we all fondly recalled .I remember my youth .Waiting to be of age to be able to get into a club or any establishment .When I became of age to be permitted into that club , the trendy place was replaced with another that catered to the newest and trendiest clubs .Eventually that fizzled out ....and the day they " knocked down the P. ' Part of me died from disappointment too .I'm certain many of you folks have seen the same scenario .But few remember the " heyday , fashion ,music " at the time ..The lyrics of Come Dancing will always be relative to future generations because their clubs / meeting places will undergo changes from the times they remember what it was like .Fashions , Music etc all change . and every generation will look at once was ,is no longer . and recall the days it was THE PLACE to be .. ,😢🥲😥

[@hollypatricia9949]

I wish I could have had that connection with sister I love this song it's awesome that love and tribute with this song 💗

[@alanrprice]

They knowledge down the Joiner's Arms in Finchley Central. I obviously didn't drink in there as a child but it was a local landmark that's now gone forever.

[@steverenom.299]

There's now a Dunkin' Donuts on the empty lot where we used to play tackle football. "part of my childhood died".

[@obiwan2112]

This song is horribly underrated. It's got a flirty girl, a horny dude, a nosy little brother, a cantankerous mother, sense of nostalgia, and a great big band sound.

[@AFloridaSon]

And it's it's about the person that bought Ray Davies his very first guitar. Sadly she died before he learned to play.

[@frankbarnwell____]

He had to love her. Good brother

[@markrae1317]

What utter rubbish! It's not underrated in the slightest!

[@tommurphy4307]

sounds like the early 50's- which was big in the 70's

[@eggsmann594]

it's not underrated stupid

[@markleaning107]

This song is a master piece. timeless classic

[@jski7355]

AGREED .But kids nowadays would have no clue ,whatsoever ,of what it would be to like " Come Dancing " Nor understand the lyrics !! Or a mid night curfew !! This song is truly a masterpiece . Just like my generation knew little about or cared about the ' Big Bands ' the generation prior . But.. it still brings you back to those wonderful memories . This song ( and Video ) makes cry and laugh at the same time .But , it always brings a smile to me ...and always will .

[@Laceykat66]

@@jski7355 True, but times do change.

[@marcstevens8576]

This one reminds me of my own Mom. After Dad had had passed & She got back to being herself, she always used to go out dancing in the halls where the Big Bands played. This was greatly written.

[@joerosa8378]

Agreed

[@markleaning107]

@Matt McCarel I'm still on loop 😂

[@PhysicalEntity]

Well on a brighter note, that main riff, in my opinion, inadvertently, randomly just happens to be one of the most "tropical" sounding riffs I've ever heard, for whatever the hell reason

[@niguick]

Steel drum, I should think.

[@SubysFavorites]

I always thought it was a Tejano / Caribbean band until I looked it up.

[@SteveBerberovic]

Every damn time, a lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes. One of the most evocative videos, and one of the finest lyrics from a man no one less than Pete Townshend called a certifiable genius. Just a wonderful bit of nostalgia, and there's joy as well amidst the tears.

[@konstantinov]

Ray could really write em

[@adriangaushausindahaus20]

I can't get through the first verse without that lump in my throat....

[@eargasm1072]

Dylan has also called Ray Davies a "genius"

[@americanAlienBoy]

So much this. I've always loved the song and how it perfectly evoked an era I that never personally experienced, but I never saw the video before today. Fantastic.

[@johnsurrey7426]

I’m the same - Ray has captured the nostalgia of youth like no-one else. I’ve got tears after watching this too, and I’m 67.

[@rorrante]

Love the Kinks. Ray Davies is such an under-rated songwriter and lyricist.

[@ustheserfs]

Not for those who know the subtleties of his writing. He is revered by them.

[@chrish9852]

Ray is one of the Great Ones for sure.

[@fredsanford3958]

not to mention performer showman and singer

[@tom.hoffmann6585]

So right 😃

[@tom.hoffmann6585]

I saw them in Cedar Rapids Iowa back in the day 😀

[@excellinkus]

When I was a kid, my two older sisters used to use me as a dance partner to practice doing the hand jive. They've both passed away, and this song always reminds me of them.

[@joylindadichamounix]

I am sorry about that,

[@neonatalpenguin]

The song was written as a tribute to Ray Davies' big sister, who died in her early 20s.

[@johncross3025]

Hmmmm...my sister died in 2021 and this song does remind me of her. In a good way.

[@lunamoon837]

This song also makes me think of my sister, who passed away in January this year. I spent the summer with her (she's 12 years older) back when MTV was playing this song constantly.

[@MrNcgy]

I'm sorry for that loss...it must feel bittersweet to watch this video.

[@rjramone4051]

the backstory of this song is actually very sad, the part of the sister ray davies is singing about is his own sister. she used to go to these dance offs every night and their mother would wait up for her to come home. one day she bought ray his first guitar on his 13th birthday and on the same night, his sister died by having a fatal heart attack dancing. sad story to inspire such a happy go lucky tune as only ray davies can do.

[@andrewkling9530]

Holy shit! I'll never hear this song the same again.

[@lesliehobby7266]

What!!! Wow!!!🥲

[@ezio_auditore5425]

100% correct. Happy song, very tragic backstory

[@secretunderdogthegamer8316]

Oh wow, I didn't know that! Thanks for sharing!

[@Dani92670]

@@secretunderdogthegamer8316 One month later and I am right behind you. I remember when Mtv played this video 17 times a day - summer of 1983 and I was 12. I can't believe this is the first I've ever heard this tragically surreal story, bloody hell, wow.

[@domesticfr8]

Just about the most underrated band of all time..Greatness!!

[@katherinea.rodgers8366]

So true.

[@6828Lu]

And considering they were so prolific ...

[@kieranlindsay1220]

i so love the kinks

[@timgraysontv]

Good call!

[@michaelmoore7975]

Absolutely. The Kinks weren't the 1st to use; riff-based songs distortion, guitar solo, dual guitars, 3-chord structure, or poetic observational lyrics. But they certainly used them in a DIY formula way that changed 'rock and roll' forever. They influenced untold number of musicians and bands that gave rise to new genres; Punk, Psychedelic, the song "You Really Got Me" nearly all by itself set the standard for Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. Underrated, yes. Greatness, absolutely. Let's add: Brilliance. Genius. Influence beyond measure.

[@brentkelly9864]

had to listen to this song 6 times a day while stocking shelves at walgreens and holy sheet i can no longer stand it....

[@magneto7930]

One of the few types of songs that can make you both happy and sad at the same time. Sad when you know the true inspiration behind it, yet happy because of how Ray turned the whole thing around joyously!

[@axelrioszubiate1329]

Exactly

[@udave4449]

Can i have a show of hands if you're still listening to this in 2020

[@mtsilvagt]

I do ,I do !!!

[@robhuber236]

The 80s were so cheesy, but that's when I grew up in... Love it. Always ;-)

[@edwardmeade1765]

I just was. I know all of the words and can sing it fairly well.

[@themistocles4683]

Heck yeah! 👍

[@mtsilvagt]

@@edwardmeade1765 @then let's see a vid Eddy !

[@robstanley5083]

I always think of my grandma Ramirez when I hear this song. She loved to dance when she was young.

[@carmenbrown3437]

Didn't we all?

[@konstantinov]

God this guy could write 'em. He could really write 'em.

[@SpinMeRoundStore]

It's 2021 and i want to hug anyone who still loves this song...

[@mcd_v25]

🤗

[@TheNightOwlsBand]

🤗

[@jessicah4462]

🤗

[@suzannemarshall3523]

I listen & dance to this song daily. Mostly for the reason I would love to dance with my sister & say hello, & mostly what a song..

[@paulporter1361]

Every time that a listen to this song it takes me straight back to the summer that the kinks released this album and this song was all over Mtv. My High School years was 81-84 and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I’m an old so who is very nostalgic and I can’t get over how much class and nostalgia that the song has.

[@terryoneil7128]

Absolutely love everything about the Kinks and Ray Davies!

[@DavidRagan3134]

This song sounds so pleasant, but Ray wrote it as a tribute to his sister. One of my favorite Kinks songs. That rocking guitar line in the middle from Dave always gets me.

[@KMK7355]

Only Kinks could manage that so seamlessly.

[@ge2623]

It's "Louie Louie" EVERYBODY uses it.

[@flyingdutchman4794]

The kid jamming out playing air guitar on a badminton racquet in his room - that's just smashing

[@almason253]

I have this on a VHS, taped back when this song was still on the charts. I'd set up Dad's VCR to record the Friday night videos. Good times.

[@chuckdieselkicksdisks2380]

Chris P Bacon that would be cool to see!

[@Sbrrr]

Friday night videos...my parents used to have tons of videos they taped from Friday night videos..not alotta ppl remember it..think MTV were the first ones...all the best videos from before 84 anyway

[@chuckdieselkicksdisks2380]

Shane Biancardi cool...

[@SillyGoose2024]

nerd!

[@chuckdieselkicksdisks2380]

Silly Goose more of a big goofy dork here!

[@petergant1379]

Remember when songs not only brought back memories, but, ALSO told a story, and, evoked feelings, THIS is a prime example!

[@ge2623]

I saw The Kinks live twice. What I miss? Everybody sat there and shut the fuck up and enjoyed.

[@majortom9177]

I saw the Kinks, the Clash and the Ramones opened for them...awesome power rock experience.

[@dontreadtoomuchintomycomment]

You're a piece of rock n roll history.

[@theillmadeknight4266]

That sounds like basically the greatest thing ever. Lucky man.

[@jamesogrady6612]

lady lothario I thought it funny every time a band came to Buffalo, NY they would say Hello Buffalo. Buffalo in 70s & early 80s had 10 years of concerts 4 every summer at Bills Stadium. 1 bummer Led Zeppelin cancelled when the drummer OD on Alcohol. 1 good thing they got Lynyrd Skynyrd & Allman Brothers to play. This is a true story that 1977 Blizzard people were afraid of Buffalo like people were afraid of the movie JAWS. I don't blame them we got 19 feet of snow that winter. Even now we average 10-12 feet from Lake Erie. No one knows why Buffalo gets most snow than other Citys near 5 Great Lakes. Its March 10th & were still getting snow. I have or had a lot of friends that leave Buffalo because of the weather & NY TAXES. Buffalo has a lot of IRISH & Polish folks here. JAMES PATRICK O'GRADY don't get more IRISH than that. ERIN GO BRAGH means IRELAND FOREVER

[@poppaluv]

cool, but i saw ray get shot on frenchman street!

[@jackflash5659]

Ground control to Major Tom, lucky you!

[@greggriffin8020]

I always loved this song when I was a kid and I still do but now I realize how sad it is. Such an underrated gem from the 80s from a great band.

[@jamesbarry7407]

Still loving in 2023

[@governorscott]

Not a typical 80’s song and yet one of my favorites. I always love the horn section near the end.

[@byronleemarley9610]

governorscott Funny you should say that. I always thought of this song as The Kinks' nod to the 80's. Anyway, always loved the song and the band. The Kinks have always been wildly underrated and underappreciated!

[@Rokinray]

The greatness of 80s music as that there was so much variety there was no "typical 80s song." So many forks in the road to listen to that decade and it was great until 1990.

[@ricomajestic]

The 80s were really the last decade when every musician wanted to sound different from each other. So much variety in music during that era!

[@fldude46]

amen to that

[@lawrencebenjamin5413]

I agree

[@MrsBlaileen1]

The end of innocence…that’s what he’s describing. Very sad…but beautiful as well. A fitting tribute to his sister, who died when Ray was just 13.

[@jwm6314]

Kinks. Underrated.

[@clvrswine]

Wrong.

[@stanstenson8168]

I was in the super market yesterday. This came on. I swear half the people in there were singing. Truly a great song.

[@frankney8284]

It's part of the music station played at Lowe's Home Improvement.

[@indiglo1971]

Did they knock down the supermarket shortly afterwards?

[@stanstenson8168]

@@indiglo1971 They did not. They were just there for the dancing.

[@imjelo]

If I was there, I would too. *Loudly* Maybe get someone to dance with me.

[@steveb1746]

My FAVORITE Kinks song

[@photoshoott2022]

OMG, I recall the first time I heard this song and then saw this video on MTV, when they actually used to show music videos. What an amazing feeling it was for me, as a young kid, loved it so much and kept dancing to it every time. Still brings back those incredible memories of the 80s and that amazing feeling that I experienced as a teen. Love this song just as much now, if not more, as I have then.

[@ChadBest-ug8uo]

Wait, MTV played music videos? What are those? Anyway, thanks for sharing that memory!

[@photoshoott2022]

@@ChadBest-ug8uo 😀😀😀

[@unlimitedrabbit]

Amazing time to be a teen. No regrets. I'll go to my grave knowing I lived during one of the best decades.

[@photoshoott2022]

@@unlimitedrabbit Amen to that. Same, no regrets and loved that it was our youth during that time. The best era. Thank you.

[@unlimitedrabbit]

@@photoshoott2022 Thank *you.* Always a treat to reflect on a better time.

[@1214jet]

Leave it up to the Brits when it comes to beautiful nostalgic music.❤

[@GTRJohn13]

Thank You!

[@nikkirockznikkirockz8551]

True, buT they got inspired from America!!! 😉

[@corsacrazy9978]

My sister loves to dance, and every time this song plays, I think of her. Love you, Sandy.

[@mikemoore336]

It's 1 of them songs that picks u up

[@donpedro1875]

The time when videos could tell a story. I love The Kinks. Best band ever listen....Come dancing!!

[@staceyjesso2210]

I am still listening and watching the video in 2022.

[@sisselhansen3915]

😍🥳😊COME DANCING!!!

[@StefanKoury]

It's only natural

[@fredmila]

This song makes me think of my life in Muswell Hill

[@70Slinger]

It shouldn't be who listens to this in 2019, who is listening from 1983?

[@posyo2265]

Then, and now.

[@greatwhitebuffalo3274]

and still going

[@derryk1]

I am I was a senior in High School in 83 it was the late fall close to Xmas when this was big here in the States and here I am still in 2019 close to Xmas time and loving as much as the first time around.

[@pam1574]

I was 29 in 1983. I’ve always loved this song!! Merry 🎄 Christmas!!

[@cliffordkinnear9705]

Me

[@hrnyonehere125]

This is/ was my sister, Rose🌹 and our song. Tomorrow is the anniversary of her passing. 5/5/1958- 2/13/2020 "When they said coming dancing 💃 my sister always did". ❤

[@pythonprogrammer7354]

Condolences,mate.

[@chivasporvida1997]

So sorry brother

[@clarecampbell4481]

🫂❤️❤️

[@hrnyonehere125]

Thank you​@@pythonprogrammer7354

[@hrnyonehere125]

​@@chivasporvida1997Thank you

[@bernardrudd9058]

Ray Davies is a genius, what fun this simple tune is, I play it in my band and the punters love it. I met Ray years ago (in thr 60s) when I was on the same bill.

[@normanacree1635]

To me, the saddest part is at the end, when HE asks her to come dancing with him (but if I asked her, I wonder if she would)...............but she can't. I wonder how many tears he shed and how many times he smiled writing this wonderful song.

[@maryannkempfer9994]

Oh yea love the Kinks still love listening to them wore out two cassette tapes back in the 80s

[@terencehennegan1439]

What a fantastic, imaginative, romantic, nostalgic emotional song. Pure genius.

[@juliebriggs3516]

I know the backstory to this beautifully written song and the video is also a gem. I want to shout out to how this bridged 50's 80's and big band Era which puts the listener into a tangible time warp. God I love this song for that!!!! My heart melts when listening to this ♥️

[@Mansell81]

Greatest song ever

[@mr.deedsgoestotown6155]

Beautiful reminiscence. To tell a story in a couple of minutes in a song better than many movies do in 2 hours plus is a great gift.

[@k1m6a11]

That was a pretty great thing you said.

[@sheilarough236]

And for a few minutes, while he sings the song, his sister gets to be alive and have the happy life she didn’t get

[@mauricearpin7946]

The kinks are such an underrated band. Rock on, timeless!!!!!

[@DarrellS54]

The Kinks are not underrated. The term underrated is overrated.

[@tammystoa3946]

I totally agree with you

[@tammystoa3946]

Well I don't know about that they can't be overrated unless you just dislike them and don't like hearing that music

[@tammystoa3946]

I agree with you 110%

[@tammystoa3946]

Yes Rock on

[@tomservo5347]

My 6 year old self was quite taken aback when my German mom brought this home on a 45 back in the 80's-along with Peter Schilling's LP. Even my 60's purist GI Dad liked this one and quite a few 80's songs. (Remember, just a mere 20 years after the British Invasion.)

[@Matthew-e3u7r]

I just read the story about this song. It made me tear up. What a thoughtful and dignified gift for the memory of your sister.

[@garybradley1]

Yeah, once you know the story, the song takes on a whole new light.

[@jkmerriwether9919]

I see so many people praising this song to the skies...and I Love it. This tune was derided as a real bit of Top 40 fluff when it was first released, sort of The Kinks on the way down...I remember that. I'm glad to see that it's finally being heard as the masterpiece that it is.

[@randy5655]

It has outlived it's critics.

[@aaronm.3581]

@@randy5655 I'm a very young critic of this horrible excuse for music.

[@randy5655]

@@aaronm.3581 And I hope you dislike it for many, many years.

[@aaronm.3581]

@@randy5655 Nobody will be listening to this putrid song by the time I'm dead. And just in case, I've passed the hate of this trash down to my daughter.

[@christystewart4567]

@@aaronm.3581 young explains a lot. That isn’t a criticism against you personally. Just that you might need a bit of aging to understand this piece. And that can be true of lots of music let alone art. And, of course, it’s still up to personal taste. What I’ve found sad over the years is people denigrating others’ tastes to try to make themselves feel superior.

[@tcoop1801]

From a time of many wonderful songs, this may be the sweetest. A Masterpiece, instant memories

[@SteveMorris-zb1ug]

if you like this you might like my brothers music. His name is Stu Morris

[@ChadBest-ug8uo]

This song makes me sad. It reminds me of a roller-skating rink in our town. It was the centerpiece of the community for so long. Memories of parties, first crushes, great music. Over time the popularity waned, and it was torn down. I don't think some people realize the value of a building can have.

[@Falconlibrary]

I returned to my home town after 20 years away and the roller rink was gone. Everything I remembered was gone. It's not my home anymore, it's some strange place.

[@pamelal6891]

Your example of the roller rink hits home for me too. So many buildings meant so much to so many and were amazing now replaced by parking lots and generic replacements. It's is a theme in other songs too and I feel like society, urban planners, politicians, zoners, etc need to listen to these songs in their education and orienttion. I am always disappointed when I see the NYU dorm that replaced the Palladium on 14th St. in NYC. I went only one time to see Elvis Costello and it was magnificent and then they wrecked it. Against the spirit of NYC but a lot of things are like that now - it's a thing here.

[@RickSeraf]

The palais in the video is the old Ilford Palais, 246 High Street, Ilford. It was demolished in 2007 and replaced by a generic apartment building. At 0:52 the building is at 90 High Street, London at the corner of Hillfield Avenue. The building is still there and recognizable, though it is now "Ellie's Hair Studio" not "Keevans". The house scenes in the video were done in a studio.

[@othinsdottir]

This song just makes me cry for my “ pally” It was called the Continental it was torn down to make way for a hotel.

[@tonithenightowl1836]

For me in the mid 60's the Kinks were like nothing we'd heard here in America. I could say the same for the Moody Blues and early Bee Gees. I loved the British Invasion. Come Dancing is one of my all time favorite songs and video. It's brilliant.

[@greggriffin8020]

We desperately need a third British invasion. American radio needs help.

[@tonithenightowl1836]

@@greggriffin8020 It better happen fast I'm 70 yrs old. lol

[@ChristopherPlatt]

@@greggriffin8020 Based on what I've found tuning around on my Internet radio British radio today isn't much better.

[@racourdav]

Goodness gracious did I love this song and video! The ending always made me laugh with Ray standing in the balcony and glares at the girl dancing next to him, then when he tears down the Kinks poster lol! Ray was sooooooo handsome!!!!

[@alabhaois]

The Kinks are fantastic!!! 💕🎸😎

[@guarddog318]

You really have to be past a certain age to appreciate this song. Myself, at 60, it's like an obituary for most everything I've ever known.

[@johnp5351]

yeah at 60 I feel the same but Ray wrote this about his sister who literally died in the arms of a GI dancing in the local Palais , He had 6 sisters and of course his brother Dave . She went out dancing , had an arrest and was never revived she was 31 , he was 13 and devastated , The sister that "lives on an estate" is an other and poetic licence

[@bikerbob2005]

They paved paradise and put in a parking lot

[@TBullets85]

🛑

[@pennypay1]

I was in my early teens when this song came out. I liked it, but I can't say I appreciated it as I do now. When you're 13, time seems to stretch out endlessly and you can't imagine middle aged reminiscing. Now I look at my cousin's daughter, who is about that age, and I find myself reminiscing about when she was little and wondering how that time passed so quickly. Before long she'll be going on dates (and stressing her own parents out, I'm sure). And so many places and traditions from my own childhood are gone, and they'll never come back.

[@johnmchugh8049]

My father loved this song

[@fredfosdick4093]

This song always makes me think about my Dad. he was born in '32 and was into swing and jazz. He loved this song. Thanks Ray

[@uncleminty8144]

Love this music, kinks are king..

[@sp44113]

2022. I just adopted a kitten who has a kink in his tail. That's why I'm here! 🤣

[@vincentbriegel7038]

😊

[@kristinaadams407]

11 years old and in 6th grade when this came out- stayed up until midnight waiting for Friday Night Videos… classic. ❤️

[@lauriekennington6709]

Love this song great band this music brings good memories 😁

[@mariasparano9860]

80s music...best decade ever...my teenage years!

[@FF-so3su]

Ray looks great as the spivvy bloke❤️😊👍

[@suzannemarshall3523]

Song is not sad. He wrote about memories & his sister enjoying her dates, dancing & greeting her family when she got home ,maybe a little late, but still a lady. Thank you Kinks my favorite song

[@tracyleesmith5340]

really love this song

[@Frankmt215]

“She let’s them getaway with things she never could, But if I asked her I wonder if she would…COME DANCING!” I love how this song goes full circle from the sister’s experience in her youth to her becoming a mother and now having her turn to wait! Circle of modern life!

[@mditt7]

known about the Kinks for years but really only just starting to properly appreciate their genius. I love their unashamed Britishness. One of the great bands to come out of the UK

[@jimrebr]

I I have loved this song so much, for so long. Ray Davies singing about how his older sister had a fatal heat attack & died on the dance floor of her favorite place to be, just tugs my heart strings, I have loved the Kinks over 50 years ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@Mike-fj2ln]

I can't keep my eyes dry during this song...what a tribute! By then way, for you Americans, when he says (figuratively) that his sister lives on an estate, 'estate' is British for a high rise slum...quite a bit different than you may think.

[@Mike-fj2ln]

Still can't. His sister that he refers to in this song is noted as below in the Daily Mail: "Ray also lost his oldest sister Irene, or 'Rene', on his 13th birthday. She died of a heart attack just hours after giving him a life-changing birthday present - his first electric guitar."

[@prissilou]

A perfect look back to the way life used to be. Loved the Kinks. Love looking back to those days described in the song. Can remember hanging out in the back of the school bus singing "When I saw her Standing There" with my schoolmates. A great time to be alive.

[@ms-fl7jj]

Wish I were young again!

[@fitzgivesfits1]

This song came out right before my parents separated. This might be the last song that I can remember that has no negative connotations for me. Songs that came out after the split made me miss my mom when I lived with my dad and vice versa. When I hear this song, I can remember my family as a whole.

[@thomasboushier2972]

FINNELL: Okay!...After 1983, the problem was that Madonna started "re-inventing" herself constantly...Did you have a sister?... During the 1980s, the huge American cultural problem was that fathers would say they didn't know what to do, but their 7 year old daughters were teaching their 4 year old daughters how to sing Madonna's "Like A Virgin"..... But wait!...My father divorced my mom when I was 14....She was so sophisticated and musically talented that he simply adopted her taste in music, but he was wealthy... I developed a taste for classical music from both my parents, despite the divorce, Finnell... So, thanks...Be careful, and stay calm...

[@russellslaney7098]

Love it especially the riff

[@slupa]

Such incredible storytelling by an underrated genius. The music is so much a part of the story, the guitar solo is such a powerful transition to the modern era. Just wow.

[@maxthepupp]

Ray Davies is the quintessential English songwriter. What makes him one of the best ever - and I mean EVER- is the remarkable ability to speak to and for everyone regardless if they're British. Genius. and God Save The Kinks!

[@richardwatson6799]

That watch!!!! Been searching for a watch like that since I was a teenager and first saw this video

[@infiniteuniverse9528]

Just a great catchy song with a vivid story that made you care about the characters. What an amazing come back hit for the legendary Kinks who had been out of the charts for years.

[@tacey505]

the story behind this is such a tear jerker, I cry as I type this

[@jski7355]

This is a terrific tribute to Ray' s sister .An awesome song that makes the Kinks a great contribution to rock Come Dancing has terrific lyrics and makes people happy Thanks ,big time to the band and an awesome video . Met a " gir' " l named Lolla .

[@matthammond1737]

An absolute all time classic from a genius songwriter.

[@mathewfines8727]

One of my all-time favorite videos and songs! I always loved The Kinks! They were definitely different, and followed no trends.. they tried to make their own.

[@tomservo5347]

Definitely. The pioneers of fuzzy distortion leading to hard rock. They did their own thing and stayed valid for decades.

[@christinedarrock8486]

My late husband thought this was a "naughty" song. I could never make him see that this was a song of bygone innocence.

[@manfredbeuth2921]

One of the best songs I ever heard... Beautiful!!!!! The Kinks are amazing.......!!!!!! Now... I will go dancing.........!!!!! Amazing siong!!!!!!! 😊

[@TAMMCCFC]

Show of hands in 2023,Classics never die.

[@maudemathildeh335]

🙋

[@gordonthomson7501]

This is still a joy to listen to. Listening to it Albania 🇦🇱 at this. Moment. Moved here from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 5 years ago

[@kenkong4545]

Back when MTV showed videos and didn’t suck! Always thought the girl to his right on the balcony was cute and had rhythm!

[@garysnett9075]

@Ray Sagastiano 1983.!.love.the.80s.

[@gudnooz]

I believe this was the first video MTV aired.

[@debbiebankscell]

Our town didn't have MTV yet. We watched this on Friday Night Videos.

[@waynemcdonald4448]

@@gudnooz close to it but the real 1st song was Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles

[@marty3888]

You can get some of that now on MC music choice. They play music videos and you can pick 80s, 90s and other types. Go to webplayer.musicchoice.com. The selection is limited. No Journey,, Michael Jackson and I haven't seen this one. Lots of Pat Benetar, Huey Louis, Def leppard, Rod Stewart and others. It does take me back, though.

[@stratocasterguy]

I remember seeing this video all the time on MTV when I was a young teenager in the early 80s. I heard it on the radio the other day and I just had to stop what I was doing and come find it here. Great song.

[@carmenbrown3437]

I love The Kinks. I love Dave Davies. He is one of a kind.

[@neilchesnut8516]

Thank you Kinks.

[@antoniotejeda365]

The big band playing and Ray Davies dancing with that suit is priceless!