Even if the discography of The Kinks consisted of only “You Really Got Me”, the group would forever secure an honorable place in the history of modern music, because from this song – no more, no less! – began hard rock and heavy metal. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and other monsters will appear later, but at first there was a composition with plain lyrics and a simple but incredibly catchy riff.
History of creation
To begin with, it was written by Ray and Dave Davis in May 1964. The brothers, who were then quite young, stood at the origins of The Kinks. Ray said that the idea for the lyrics of the song was born in a nightclub, where he saw an attractive girl on the dance floor:
I only remember that she danced. Sometimes you are so captured by the presence of another person that you cannot connect two words.
Rolling Stone 2015
A couple more excerpts from Ray’s various interviews:
By the time I wrote [эту композицию]I have recently started writing songs. She became one of the first five that I created.
The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night, Doug Hinman
When I wrote “You Really Got Me” I wanted it to be a blues song like Leadbelly or Broonzy. But since I was a white boy from North London, I made certain changes to the music that made my creation unique.
Austin Chronicle 2001
Now a word to Dave:
Me and my brother Ray used to love Jimmy Giuffrey’s record called “The Train and the River” which was kind of “ba-ba-ba-ba”. Inspired by the song, Ray fooled around on the piano in the living room and composed a two-note melody for “You Really Got Me” which I played on guitar.
We recorded the song twice. At first, our producer Shel Talmi tried very hard to be the new Phil Spector and used echo everywhere. It annoyed everyone. Ray has a story where you can hear him scolding me. I was panicking trying to play this crazy solo, and Ray was standing there saying, “Damn it, let’s go.” I ended up telling him to back off and just playing around as best I could. But this is all on the unused version of the song, not the one that was released.
When “You Really Got Me” came out, it was so different. Nobody seemed to like it – until it became an international hit. I remember the first time I heard it on the radio at my friend’s Humber Super Snipe. I was dumbfounded. I thought it was someone else. I said, “Is that us? This is us!”
The Guardian
Dave also summed up the meaning of the composition perfectly:
This is a love song written for the guys in the street. They won’t give you wine and dinner even if they knew how to hit you. “I want you – come here.”
“You Really Got Me: The Story of Kinks”, Nick Hasted
Recording and release
First, The Kinks played the song in one of the Manchester clubs. In March 1964, the track was played on London’s Regent Sound radio, but it wasn’t until June that the producers gave the go-ahead to record the song at Pye’s studio.
The first version of the song was in a blues style, but the authors decided that it was too slow and insisted on recording an accelerated version. As history has shown, they were not mistaken.
The keyboard part was performed by Jon Lord, who was not yet a member of Deep Purple.
To create a unique sound, the musicians were not afraid to experiment. According to their recollections, they pierced the speakers with knitting needles and cut them with a razor.
“You Really Got Me” was released on August 4, 1964. It became the third single from The Kinks and climbed to number one in the UK, making the band members rock stars.
Was there Page?
One of the most mysterious questions related to the history of the creation of the song is the participation in the recording of the legendary Jimi Page, who allegedly performed the lead guitar part.
Producer Shel Talmy was extremely controversial about this:
…when we finally got around to making an LP after “You Really Got Me” hit, I hired Jimmy Page to play rhythm guitar. Ray didn’t want to play. He just wanted to concentrate on singing.
SoundOnSound.com
We used Jimmy Page on some Kinks stuff…but contrary to myth, Jimmy didn’t play on You Really Got Me.
The Guardian
Jon Lord insisted that Page was still:
I’ve played with the Kinks a few times. I even played keyboards on “You Really Got Me”. I was paid five pounds for it. The guitar solo was performed by Jimmy Page, but the Kinks denied it.
www.thehighwaystar.com
Jimi himself recalled that he took some part in the work on The Kinks records, but did not attach much importance to this and said more than once that he did not remember exactly which songs he played on.
The recurring claim that he played the tambourine part, Page categorically denied:
I never played the tambourine on those damn records. I played the guitar.
And the fat point should be this emotional comment by Jimmy:
My God! I wasn’t on You Really Got Me, but I did play on other Kinks records. I have nothing more to say. But every time I do an interview, I get asked about “You Really Got Me”. Maybe someone will tweak Wikipedia so that people stop asking this question.
SiriusXM, 2014
Who to believe? Decide for yourself.
Covers and achievements
The most famous cover of “You Really Got Me” was recorded by Eddie Van Halen. The song became his first single. The authors of the track differed in their assessments of its version. Ray was enthusiastic about Van Halen’s work, while Dave said it didn’t capture the essence of the piece and “sounds too easy”.
The work was also performed by The Who and other bands.
This is one of the first compositions based on power chords. She had a significant impact on the development of such trends as punk rock, hard rock and heavy metal, about which Dave Davies said this:
Actually, I never liked this term, heavy metal. I think, for all its simplicity, it was the first rock record with a heavy guitar riff. Just because of the sound. If you played it on a ukulele, it probably wouldn’t be as powerful.
“You Really Got Me: The Story of Kinks”, Nick Hasted
The song is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Tracks of All Time, and other authoritative rankings.
Interesting Facts
- It is said that Pete Townsend, inspired by “You Really Got Me”, recorded the song “I Can’t Explain” with his band The High Numbers, turned it on by phone to Shel Talmi, who agreed to become their producer. Their collaboration resulted in The Who’s first album, My Generation.
- Some critics point to the similarities between “You Really Got Me” and the track “Louie Louie”.
- The song sounds in the popular cartoon “Minions”.
You Really Got Me lyricsYou Really Got Me lyricsGirl, you really got me going
You got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can’t sleep at night
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now
Oh yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can’t sleep at night
I got caught in your net and I don’t understand what’s wrong with me
Yes, now I’m caught
I’m caught in your web and I can’t sleep at night
Yes I really got it
I got caught and don’t know what’s wrong with me
Yes, now I’m caught
I got caught in your net and I can’t sleep at night You Really Got Me x3 See, don’t ever set me free
I always wanna be by your side
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I can’t sleep at night
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now
Oh yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can’t sleep at night
I always want to be by your side
Girl I got it
I’m caught in your web and I can’t sleep at night
Yes, I really got it
I got caught and don’t know what’s wrong with me
Oh yes I got it
I got caught in your net and I can’t sleep at night You Really Got Me x3 See, don’t ever set me free
I always wanna be by your side
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I can’t sleep at night
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now
Oh yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can’t sleep at night
I always want to be by your side
Girl I got it
I’m caught in your web and I can’t sleep at night
Yes, I really got it
I got caught and don’t know what’s wrong with me
Oh yes I got it
I got caught in your net and I can’t sleep at night You Really Got Me x3
Song Quotes
I wrote “You Really Got Me” as a dedication to all the great blues people I love: Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy.
Ray Davis, “The Storyteller”
I will never forget the first time I heard it on the radio at two o’clock in the morning. I ran and woke up my mom and dad, yelling, “We’re on the radio! We’re on the radio!” And every time, even after thirteen albums, I still feel the same joy when I hear it on the radio.
Eddie Van Halen, Van Halen News Desk
When I first heard it, I was like, “Damn, it doesn’t matter what you do with it, it’s a top-notch song.” It could have been recorded in a waltz rhythm and it would have been a hit anyway.
Shel Talmi
