THE KINKS - DEAD END STREET

Released: November 18, 1966

Charted:  UK: #5   

"Dead End Street" is a 1966 song written by Ray Davies, showcasing his British Music Hall influences. Originally released as a non-album single, it later appeared as a bonus track on the “Face to Face” CD. The song addresses poverty and despair in English society, focusing on a couple's failed plans to emigrate to Australia and subsequent struggles with unemployment. Its bass playing was influenced by Duane Eddy's guitar style.

"Dead End Street" reflects the despair and hopelessness experienced by the British lower class, particularly when faced with unemployment. The title metaphorically symbolizes the difficulty of escaping dire circumstances. Ray Davies explained that the song was a critique of the superficial happiness depicted in the 1960s, such as on Carnaby Street, contrasting it with the hidden struggles underneath. He wrote the song during a period when he was fearful of owning property, influenced by his father's lifelong renting and a personal guilt associated with ownership.

Ray Davies described "Dead End Street" as a song written quickly and intended to capture the mood of winter in England. He emphasized the shift from a great summer to the encroaching darkness of winter, reflecting a change in mood. The music incorporated a jazz backbeat with dark edges, reminiscent of traditional jazz vamps but also evoking the hard times of the 1920s and 1930s. 

Ray Davies originally intended "Dead End Street" to feature a French horn arrangement played by musician Albert Hall, but he decided to replace the French horn with a trombone to achieve the somber and earthy sound he envisioned for the song. According to Davies, the trombone added a working-class quality to the music, fitting perfectly with the mood and theme of the song.

The Kinks, led by Ray Davies, tricked their producer Shel Talmy during the recording of the song. Initially, Talmy wanted a more pop-oriented beat for this track. After he left the studio satisfied with it, the band secretly returned to re-record it to their own liking. The next day, they played the revised version for Talmy, who unsuspectingly praised it, believing it was the same version he had approved earlier.