Sunny Afternoon

Listen while you read:  https://youtu.be/VLs09J_x6-c

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 got's this sunny afternoon

Help me, help me, help me sail away
Well, give me two good reasons why I oughtta stay
'Cause I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazing on a sunny afternoon

~  Ray Davies (The Kinks)

So if you think I am just continuing the weather theme in my song choices . . . okay, you can think that. It is a sunny afternoon here while I'm writing this. But the breaking news the other night was that someone's 2005 tax return (all two pages of it) were leaked (possibly by the individual whose return it was), and we all got to think about our own taxes after settling down from our disappointment that more was not revealed. And here is a gentle reminder for you: you have a month left to file your own 1040. Stop procrastinating.

Released on the 1966 album Face to Face, "Sunny Afternoon" was written very quickly by Davies during a time when he was ill, hence the raspy nature of his voice. He was also going through a difficult time emotionally. "The only way I could interpret how I felt was through a dusty, fallen aristocrat who had come from old money as opposed to the wealth I had created for myself." Hmmmm.

And I cannot help but wonder if there is someone else out there who might be wanting to escape from his current responsibilities.Well, give me two good reasons why I oughtta stay. Sometimes winning is the goal, not actually accepting what was won. You know, like the crazy kid who runs for senior class president and then actually wins . . . but has no desire to do any work for the benefit of the class? As a teacher, I saw it happen several times.

Ah, save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
I got a big fat mama trying to break me

These lines, says Davies, (although giving a nod to his mother, "a large woman"), are really an allusion to the government that tries to break people. "How are we going to get out of this *%@#ing mess?" he asks. And that was over fifty years ago. I guess we're still working on it.

Now go work on your tax returns.