Living on a Thin Line

"Living on a Thin Line" is a track written by Dave Davies and performed by The Kinks on their 1984 album, Word of Mouth.

"Living on a Thin Line"
Single by The Kinks
from the album Word of Mouth
B-side"Sold Me Out"
ReleasedJanuary 1985
RecordedJune 1983 – September 1984 at Konk Studios, London
Length4:16
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Dave Davies
Producer(s)Ray Davies
The Kinks singles chronology
"Do It Again"
(1984)		 "Living on a Thin Line"
(1985)		 "How Are You"
(1986)

Background

"Living on a Thin Line" is one of two songs on Word of Mouth written by Dave Davies (the other being "Guilty"). In his biography Kink, Davies said that the track was influenced by The Kinks' long and difficult career, along with his hatred of politicians.[1] The song was also influenced by the deterioration of English identity in the 20th century and Davies' longing for a return to "days of old".[2]

Release

"Living on a Thin Line" was first released on Word Of Mouth, but has since been released as a 12-inch promotional radio single (backed with "Sold Me Out") in America,[3] and on numerous compilation albums, such as Come Dancing with the Kinks, Lost & Found (1986-1989), The Ultimate Collection, and Picture Book. The song has also been played live by both The Kinks and Dave Davies.[4]

The song, despite not achieving commercial success, has become a fan-favourite.

The track is featured three times in a 2001 episode of The Sopranos, titled "University". Producer Terence Winter has said that it is the series' most asked-about song.[5] The song was also played in the final episode of the HBO series Vice Principals.

The song is featured at the end on a popular 2006 YouTube video titled "The Hubble Deep Field: The Most Important Image Ever Taken" with over 5.5 million views.

Reception

"Living on a Thin Line" has been praised as one of Dave Davies's greatest songs. David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that "in 'Living on a Thin Line' – a dark variation on Ray's own death-of-England's-glory songs – brooding, goose-stepping chords and moping Pink Floyd synths underscore the desperate effectiveness of Dave's nervous croon."[6] Robert Christgau said, in his review of Come Dancing with The Kinks, that the track is the "second-best" on the album (to "Come Dancing"), and "'There's no England now,' he opines, which explains a lot."[7]

References
  1. Hinman, Doug (2004). All Day and All of the Night. p. 272. ISBN 9780879307653.
  2. Kitts, Thomas M.; Kraus, Michael J., eds. (2002). Living on a Thin Line: Crossing Aesthetic Borders with the Kinks. Rock 'n' Roll Research Press. pp. 71–72.
  3. ""Living on a Thin Line" single". Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  4. ""Living on a Thin Line" live performances". Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  5. "Living On A Thin Line by The Kinks". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  6. Fricke, David. "Rolling Stone". Archived from the original on 10 May 2007.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. Christgau, Robert. "Kinks". Retrieved 21 May 2014.
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