The Kinks – Waterloo Sunset (Live 1973)

Few songs have as accurately captured the quintessence of London in the sixties than the brilliant Ray Davies for The Kinks song ‘Waterloo Sunset’. The track climbed the charts and has gone on to be an anthem for the city but it started out as an ode to another location.

In a year that saw the release of The Beatles own ethereal and locational classic ‘Strawberry Fields Forever,’ The Kinks’ representation of a small piece of London real estate fell perfectly in line with the feeling of the moment. But Davies had originally set out to write a song about another British city, in fact, the Fab Four’s own Liverpool.

Written by Kinks lead singer Ray Davies, he called this “a romantic, lyrical song about my older sister’s generation.”

Waterloo Bridge is in London, and the lyrics are about a guy looking out of a window at two lovers meeting at Waterloo Station. Davies used to cross Waterloo Bridge every day when he was a student at Croydon Art School.

Written and produced by Kinks frontman Ray Davies, “Waterloo Sunset” is one of the band’s best-known and most acclaimed songs, and was ranked number 14 on the 2021 edition of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. It was also their first single that was available in true stereo.

The Kinks

• Ray Davies – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
• Dave Davies – backing vocal, electric guitar
• Pete Quaife – backing vocal, bass guitar
• Mick Avory – drums

Additional musician

• Rasa Davies – backing vocal

“Waterloo Sunset” – Single by the Kinks from the album Something Else by the Kinks
Released 5 May 1967
Recorded 3, 10 and 13 April 1967
Label Pye (UK) / Reprise (US)
Songwriters Ray Davies
Producers Ray Davies
Charted No.2 in UK; No.4 in Australia; No.7 in West Germany; No.3 in Ireland; No.1 in Netherlands .