The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
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
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
We are the Sherlock Holmes English-speaking Vernacular
God 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 Affiliates
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?
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
God save the Village Green!
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
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
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
We are the Sherlock Holmes English-speaking Vernacular
God 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 Affiliates
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?
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
God save the Village Green!
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Pretty much everything mentioned in this song is something that the Kinks were not. Its all about irony.
Like a lot of The Kinks work their is an element of story telling, irony, humour and genius. The narrative is set as a group (society) telling everyone their mission statement while the undercurrent makes you think that the writer holds these values close to their heart too.
The Villiage Green he talks about is an actual place where they grew up by the way. I have seen him revisit it on TV and describe the influence it had on the album.
And another point on the lyrics. I've been listening to this song for years and a few weeks back we noticed another of his clever tricks in his writting.....
'God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties' immediately followed by 'Preserving the old ways from being abused'
Maybe I should have noticed it earlier but 'stawberry jam' then 'preserving' GENIUS!!!
'genius' may be a bit of a stretch....
Its about Britishness, as are a lot of kinks songs. Very middle class middle england attitudes.. particularly the dislike of change.
In order for this song to be ironic the Kinks would have to be opposed to things which it would be appalling to be opposed to. Do you honestly think any Englishman, inhabitant of a small island ever on the brink of foreign occupation, would write a song ironically smearing George Cross winners. It is a shame that mediocrities like Stewart and Colbert have so poisoned the second-hand minds of college students that they are no longer capable of distinguishing irony from light-heartedness.
The song is pretty much just saying that we shouldn't lose our national identity and everything that's British. It was written during their American ban so they're writing a British song for the British people without outside influence - I suppose it could be a subtle knock to American commercialization of both everyday life and even music. This song is quintessentially British and it solidified The Kinks as a band who stuck to their roots when many bands were going to America and writing songs that had no link to where they came from. The lyrics are incredible and this should be shown as one of Ray's best pieces - great rhythm too!
So...any ideas, anyone? I love this song...
"God Save Donald Duck, Vaudeville and Variety" An excellent song, but really still working on what exactly it's saying.
It's just kind of about not wanting the olds things to change. He doesn't seem to mind new things coming along (Protecting the new ways, for me and for you) but he seems mainly concerned with keeping the things he knows the way they are.
Great song, about saving old values.
always took this to be both a positive and negative song about those things on which he singing...yes he likes the past but needs the future and wants development, i dont think hes agreeing with those who care only for the past.
Mrs Mopp is a character from a popular wartime radio comedy show...old mother riley is a character from a popular set of films from the early 50s (old mother riley was played by a man)