Mr. Churchill Says
"Mr. Churchill Says" | ||||
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Pye, London | ||||
Genre | Hard rock | |||
Label | Pye | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ray Davies | |||
Producer(s) | Ray Davies | |||
The Kinks UK singles chronology | ||||
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Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) track listing | ||||
12 tracks
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"Mr. Churchill Says" is a song written by Ray Davies and released by the Kinks. It appears on the 1969 album Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire).
Lyrics and music
The song is about the struggle of
The song features a striking example of integration of
When talking about the song (and Churchill himself) Ray Davies stated, "Today TV exposed weaknesses in politicians ... But I don't know about Winston Churchill. He may have been a bit more ruthless than we've been led to believe. When the battle's over and you've won, you always look good. But what was achieved by it?"[2]
Release and reception
"Mr. Churchill Says" was first released as the second track on the second side of Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), where it followed "Shangri-La". However, it saw single release on 12 December 1969, where it was released as the B-side of the "Victoria" single in Britain.
Unlike other tracks on Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), "Mr. Churchill Says" has generally received mixed reviews from critics. Rolling Stone's J.R. Young praised the track, saying that "on "Mr. Churchill Says" the band moves effortlessly into a three or four part number, changing the tempo, the mood, and the melody while never losing a superb dancing beat."[3] However, in his book, Preservation: The Kinks' Music 1964–1974, Andrew Hickey said that the track is "one of the lesser songs on the album, but a necessary breather after the intensity of 'Shangri-La'."[4]
See also
References
- ^ It is not clear whether this sound comes or not from the BBC Sound Library. Both the Kinks in End of the Season and the Beatles in a take of Across the Universe used the same bird song extracts
- ^ Kitts, Thomas M. (2014-05-25). Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else.
- ^ Young, J.R. (November 1969). "Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-05-26.
- ^ Hickey, Andrew. Preservation: The Kinks' Music 1964 - 1974.