June 21, 1944

When we say Ray Davies, (June 21, 1944) is an English rock musician, the accent falls peculiarly on "English.' In a song from the 1968 Kinks' album, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, we note the lyrics to a song, "Animal Farm': "I want to be back there among the cats and dogs and the pigs and the goats, where people are people and not just plain".

Even as a lad then, this rock star had a sense for something important beyond the spotlight. What this might be is analysed in an excerpt from the title song of that album:
...
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties
Preserving the old ways from being abused
Protecting the new ways for me and for you
What more can we do
We are the Draught Beer Preservation Society
God save Mrs. Mopp and good Old Mother Riley
We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium
God save the George Cross and all those who were awarded them
We are the Sherlock Holmes English Speaking Vernacular
Help save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula
We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity
God save little shops, china cups and virginity
We are the Skyscraper Condemnation Affiliate
God save tudor houses, antique tables and billiards
Preserving the old ways from being abused
Protecting the new ways for me and for you
What more can we do
God save the Village Green.

This kind of conservatism, wherein the new is vague, the old lovingly detailed, is not apparent in a lot of rock. Interesting that it should be celebrated by a nineteen sixties band. Not sure what to make of it -- certainly the mention of preserving virginity is a bit of flight.