Album: Face To Face (1966)

Charted: 5

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• There's a crack up in the ceiling
  And the kitchen sink is leaking
  Out of work and got no money
  A Sunday joint of bread and honey
  
  What are we living for?
  Two-roomed apartment on the second floor
  No money coming in
  The rent collector's knocking, trying to get in
  
  We are strictly second class, we don't understand
  (Dead end!)
  Why we should be on dead end street
  (Dead end!)
  People are living on dead end street
  (Dead end!)
  I'm gonna die on dead end street
  
  Dead end street (yeah)
  Dead end street (yeah)
  
  On a cold and frosty morning
  Wipe my eyes and stop me yawning
  And my feet are nearly frozen
  Boil the tea and put some toast on
  
  What are we living for?
  Two-roomed apartment on the second floor
  No chance to emigrate
  I'm deep in debt and now it's much too late
  
  We both want to work so hard
  We can't get the chance
  (Dead end!)
  People live on dead end street
  (Dead end!)
  People are dying on dead end street
  (Dead end!)
  Gonna die on dead end street
  
  Dead end street (yeah)
  Dead end street (yeah)
  
  (Dead end!)
  People live on dead end street
  (Dead end!)
  People are dying on dead end street
  (Dead end!)
  Gonna die on dead end street
  
  Dead end street (yeah)
  Dead end street (yeah)
  Dead end street (yeah)
  Head to my feet (yeah)
  Dead end street (yeah)
  Dead end street (yeah)
  Dead end street (yeah)
  How's it feel? (yeah)
  How's it feel? (yeah)
  Dead end street (yeah)
  Dead end street (yeah) Writer/s: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
  Publisher: Abkco Music Inc.
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 6

• Cee Gee Dee from Dallas, Texas, Usai was a Kinks fanatic for most of my teen years into early adulthood. I saw a documentary on them recently which almost revitalized that part of my life. Suffice it to say there is a real Kinks Kult out there and Ray Davies is the Main Man of that Krowd. The Kinks could not tour in America during that era, not because of Congress or LBJ's disdain for them, but because they got in trouble with a powerful musicians union here in the USA. That lasted almost to 1970. I do remember hearing this tune on the radio in 1966. I love the way Dead End is shouted and the early jazz-style solo at the end of the song. Plus, yes, Ray was not always in sync with his native Swinging London lyrically or psychologically.
  
  Ray Davies never will forget his British working class roots. In 2021 is that something forward looking or backward looking? I cannot answer that question for today's younger folks on an international level. The part about his daddy and ownership of property in 1960s UK was worth the price of the article. Thanks.
• Mk from Viennadead end street has nothing to do with one way street
• Gerard from Toulouse, FranceTo me, there has always been a striking resemblance between, on the one hand, the rhythm and the instrumental part at the end, and on the other hand the music and the ballet scenes at the beginning of the film West Side Story - just like if Davies had thought or wanted to say that the poverty he'd seen around him in working-class England was far less glamourous or colourful than poverty on the screen - even the lyrics seem to be an antithesis of "when you're a jet...". What I mean is if you were a young and naive teenager and you got carried away by the film shots and the energy in the singers' voices and the dance scenes, not to forget the beauty of Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno, well then poverty WAS beautiful, wasn't it? Maybe Davis thought "wait a minute, I can show you a different picture." Does anyone know if The Kinks have ever made any comment on this song?
• John from Anaheim, CaLou Rawls also had a song titled "Dead End Street" at this time (early 1967), and its title also referred to hopelessness. Unlike the Kinks, however, the Rawls song was an uplifting song of a black man rising above his poor beginnings.
• A. Ward from Arnold, MdI also consider this song to be Davie's finest along w/"A Well Respected Man". Both tunes are so evocative of the era and England's social classes. I have always thought that The Kinks were the thinking man's band and you never knew what to expect next or what sound they would have. From the first "heavy metal garage" tunes to the first Punk song ("I'm Not Like Everybody Else")to the stunning Waterloo Sunset-Wow!
• Reg from Kemptville, OnIf my memory serves me correctly, I believe this song was included on an album entitled "London a Go-Go". We aquired it in 1967 but there was a clause on the jacket stating that they could only list the song titles, not the artists. "We're sure you'll recognize them.." or something like that. I've never known who recorded Dead End Street until now.

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