Classic Tune of the Week 16

I'm posting a song from my early teen years this week. The song is "Come Dancing" by The Kinks. "Come Dancing" was released in the U.S. in 1983 as the first single from the group's album State of Confusion and reached #6 on the Billboard Top 100 chart. The song marked a comeback of sorts for The Kinks and awakened a new generation to the music of Ray Davies and his band mates.

"Come Dancing" is a nostalgic look back by Ray Davies to his childhood when his sister would go to a local dance hall and dance the night away with her dates. The song transitions from these youthful days to the present where his sister now waits for her daughter to return from her dates.

I always loved this song. The horn section and the big band sound used in the song were very different than anything else being played at the time. I also enjoyed the sense of humor Davies showed in the video. It was so...English. It fit with my enjoyment of other British humorists such as Benny Hill, Monty Python, and Black Adder.

As I've gotten older I have continued to enjoy the song. Now, however, it is less the humor of the song that strikes a chord with me than the nostalgia for times gone by. Now I'm in my early forties and am waiting for my teen-aged daughter to come home from group outings. While I have no desire to be fifteen again, I do miss much about those days. The energy I had, how I felt physically, and the lack of responsibility are a few examples. This song takes me back to a time when I had all that. While I wouldn't want to go back permanently to those days I do enjoy visiting occasionally. "Come Dancing" helps me do that. I hope you enjoy it.



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