Got to Be Free
Encyclopedia
"Got to Be Free" is a song written by Ray Davies
and performed by British rock
band The Kinks
. It was released on their 1970 LP Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One
, which included the Top 10 hit song "Lola
". "Got to Be Free" plays a key role in the concept album
, as the album borrows its first verse as an introduction, and closes with the full song. The song was also used in the first of the BBC's Play for Today
series The Long Distance Piano Player (1970), which featured the songs own writer, Ray Davies, in the lead role.
). "Got to Be Free" opens as a kind of lullaby ("Hush little baby/Don't you cry"), the same lyrics and tune as the album's introduction on side A, but soon changes to a more standard rock song structure, with a rousing chorus of "Got to be free to say what I want/Make what I want and play what I want" (with minor changes as the song progresses, such as "laugh when I want" and "do what I want").
resonator guitar
. Soon, a banjo
joins in played by regular lead guitarist and brother to Ray, Dave Davies
. As the song progresses, the drums and other electric instruments kick in. The song continues, and fades away at three minutes in length.
The song differs slightly from many of the other songs on its LP, with slight country and bluegrass accents at the beginning. It eventually evolves into a more powerful rock song feel, but these influences remain apparent throughout its length. The Kinks would go on to experiment with these genres heavily on their next LP, Muswell Hillbillies
.
U.S. advertising campaign.
The complete guide to the music of the Kinks, by Johnny Rogan
Ray Davies
Ray Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
and performed by British rock
British rock
British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by The Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the...
band The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
. It was released on their 1970 LP Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One
Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One
Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part OneAlternatively titled Kinks Part One: Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround; commonly abbreviated to Lola Versus Powerman is the eighth studio album by British rock band The Kinks, recorded and released in 1970...
, which included the Top 10 hit song "Lola
Lola (song)
"Lola" is a song written by Ray Davies and performed by The Kinks which details a romantic encounter between a young man and a transvestite he meets in a club in Soho, London....
". "Got to Be Free" plays a key role in the concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, as the album borrows its first verse as an introduction, and closes with the full song. The song was also used in the first of the BBC's Play for Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
series The Long Distance Piano Player (1970), which featured the songs own writer, Ray Davies, in the lead role.
Overview
Overall, the lyrics express a feeling of longing for a better world, or one devoid of all the troubles and restrictions of this one ("We've got to get out of this world somehow". The lyrics also act as a commentary on the music business, a recurring theme in Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part OneLola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One
Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part OneAlternatively titled Kinks Part One: Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround; commonly abbreviated to Lola Versus Powerman is the eighth studio album by British rock band The Kinks, recorded and released in 1970...
). "Got to Be Free" opens as a kind of lullaby ("Hush little baby/Don't you cry"), the same lyrics and tune as the album's introduction on side A, but soon changes to a more standard rock song structure, with a rousing chorus of "Got to be free to say what I want/Make what I want and play what I want" (with minor changes as the song progresses, such as "laugh when I want" and "do what I want").
Instrumentation
The song begins with some gentle strumming on Ray Davies' signature National SteelNational Steel
National Steel has several meanings:* National Steel , a defunct steel production company in the United States* National Steel Company , part of the 1901 merger that created U.S...
resonator guitar
Resonator guitar
A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar whose sound is produced by one or more spun metal cones instead of the wooden sound board . Resonator guitars were originally designed to be louder than conventional acoustic guitars which were overwhelmed by horns and percussion...
. Soon, a banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
joins in played by regular lead guitarist and brother to Ray, Dave Davies
Dave Davies
David Russell Gordon "Dave" Davies is an English rock musician best known for his role as lead guitarist and vocalist for the English rock band The Kinks....
. As the song progresses, the drums and other electric instruments kick in. The song continues, and fades away at three minutes in length.
The song differs slightly from many of the other songs on its LP, with slight country and bluegrass accents at the beginning. It eventually evolves into a more powerful rock song feel, but these influences remain apparent throughout its length. The Kinks would go on to experiment with these genres heavily on their next LP, Muswell Hillbillies
Muswell Hillbillies
Muswell Hillbillies is the ninth studio album by the English rock group The Kinks, released in November 1971. The album is named after the Muswell Hill area of North London, where band leader Ray Davies and guitarist Dave Davies grew up and the band formed in the early 1960s.The album centred on...
.
In popular culture
Toyota features the song in its 2012 model year PriusToyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
U.S. advertising campaign.
Other references
Books
The complete guide to the music of the Kinks, by Johnny Rogan