Everybody knows that I am a fan of Ray Davies as a songwriter and the Kinks as a band from childhood days on. Although it is Song # 281, and, according to my statistics, there have been posted nearly twice as much songs (without alternative versions) on this here "1000 Songs Challenge", I count Day 250, and this is some kind of jubilee, it is a Jubeljahr, a jubilee year. Listen to Oklahoma USA, this very beautiful song from the Kinks' 9th album, Muswell Hillbillies. About daydreams and movies and poor girls living for/with both. And enjoy the cover version by Yo la Tengo, from their Fakebook album (at least, I got it...):
All life we work but work is a bore
If life's for livin' what's livin' for
She lives in a house that's near decay
Built b'for the industrial revolution
But in her dreams she is far away
In Oklahoma U.S.A.
With Shirley Jones and Gordon McRea
As she buys her paper at the corner shop
She's walkin' on the surrey with the fringe on top
Cause in her dreams she is far away
In Oklahoma U.S.A.
She walks to work but she's still in a daze
She's Rita Hayworth or Doris Day
And Errol Flynn's gonna take her away
To Oklahoma U.S.A.
All life we work but work is a bore
If life's for livin' then what's livin' for
Wonderful song, I love it too. Ray is a genius.
ReplyDeletesure he is
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