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The tax man's taken all my dough
And left me in this stately home
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
And I can't sail my yacht
He's taken everything I got
All I've got's this sunny afternoon
Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
I gotta big fat mama trying to break me
And I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
In a summertime
In a summertime
In a summertime
My girlfriend's run off with my car
And gone back to her ma and pa
Telling tails of drunkenness and cruelty
Now I'm sitting here
Sipping at my ice cold beer
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
Help me, help me, help me sail away
Well give me two good reasons why I oughta stay
'Cause I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
In a summertime
In a summertime
In a summertime
Ah, save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
I gotta big fat mama trying to break me
And I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
In a summertime
In a summertime
In a summertime
And left me in this stately home
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
And I can't sail my yacht
He's taken everything I got
All I've got's this sunny afternoon
Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
I gotta big fat mama trying to break me
And I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
In a summertime
In a summertime
In a summertime
My girlfriend's run off with my car
And gone back to her ma and pa
Telling tails of drunkenness and cruelty
Now I'm sitting here
Sipping at my ice cold beer
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
Help me, help me, help me sail away
Well give me two good reasons why I oughta stay
'Cause I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
In a summertime
In a summertime
In a summertime
Ah, save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
I gotta big fat mama trying to break me
And I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
In a summertime
In a summertime
In a summertime
Lyrics submitted by dirtycasualtypunk
Track duration: 03:32
"Sunny Afternoon" as written by Raymond Douglas Davies
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., ABKCO Music Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I always imagine a young, wealthy man who is used to living in wealthy conditions with little or no work involved on his part. Then, suddenly, the wealth he had so much of suddenly vanishes--almost everything that made his life perfect turns against him. The taxman takes his money; his girlfriend leaves him, taking some of that wealth with her, claiming--truthfully or untruthfully--he was a bad boyfriend. Now he's left with no wealth, no particularly useful skill, and no woman--all he has is the ability to laze around in the "sunny afternoon."
It's a nice, clever story. Why does it have to demonize someone?
Back then in England, the upper tax rate was 95%. Do you think they were being taxed 95% and being satarical?
This is an extremely well crafted pop song dealing with an mature issue in one of the earlier examples of rock addressing grown up problems.
Do you think "Taxman" was satarical? What about the Stones and Lennon moving away from England's 95% tax rate?
Taxes suck. Go Kinks.
OF COURSE, anyone who thinks this is satire MUST love Obama. That makes SO much sense. (sarcasm)
Your black and white ideology just makes you seem stupid.
And no, taxes don't suck. If rich people weren't taxed the lower half of Britain that wasn't lucky enough to be born into money would be in poverty and without a health service and education!
The wealthy subject is moaning about the government taking his money, and whilst his tax rate is extraordinarily high, this has little effect on his disposable income.
in contrast, many working class men worked 7 days a week and still struggled to feed their families, the welfare system was not as developed as it is now. So yes, this song is satirical.
I also fail to see the relevance of Barack Obama in this song, this is about 60's England, not 2011 USA.
A good contrast and comparison with this song is The Kinks, Dead End Street, very bitter sounding lyrics.
There have been a lot of bands and artists over the decades that have left the UK because of it. Though at first they may have plenty money to buy their 'stately homes' and yaughts, their wealth hasn't necessarily kept climbing.
But, as they're in it for the music and not the money, they can lie back enjoying the sun (which obviously can't be here in the UK :p) while the things they've earned are slowly taken from them by the greedy (taxmen, record companies and golddiggers), concentrating on enjoying the things that can never be taken away, like the feeling of having a beer, or a joint, in the sun.
I don't know...maybe it's just my sometimes one-tracked mind :)
Either way this is just a bad-ass song...one of the Kinks' finest...