Song
You Really Got Me
The Kinks
Album:
Kinks
Song Meaning of You Really Got Me by The Kinks
Ray Davies believed that the band’s previous two singles had flopped because they were too pristine, the Kinks went into the studio in 1964 to record this deliberately raw track, written by Ray Davies on the piano in his parents’ living room.
The original recording felt too shiny, and the band had to borrow money to re-record it. Guitarist Dave Davies took a razor to the speaker cone on his amp to get the desired dirty sound for that immortal, blistering riff. “The song came out of a working-class environment,” Dave recalled. “People fighting for something.”
You Really Got Me" is a song written by Ray Davies for English rock band the Kinks. The song, originally performed in a more blues-oriented style, was inspired by artists such as Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy.
"You Really Got Me" was built around power chords and heavily influenced later rock musicians. Built around a guitar riff played by Dave Davies, the song's lyrics were described by Dave as "a love song for street kids".
Ray said of the song's writing, "When I came up with ['You Really Got Me'] I hadn't been writing songs very long at all. It was one of the first five I ever came up with."
Davies said that he had been inspired to write the song one night during his college days playing with the Dave Hunt Band, when he saw an attractive girl on the dance floor. He said: "When we finished, I went off to find her, but she was gone and never returned to the club. She really got me going."
The song became the group's breakthrough hit; reaching number seven in the USA and number two in the UK, and included on the Kinks' debut album, Kinks.
You Really Got Me lyrics by The Kinks
Girl, you really got me goin'
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
You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
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
You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
Oh no...
[Solo]
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
You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
Release Date
1964
Songwriter/s
Ray Davies
Producer/s
Shel Talmy
Label/s
Pye, Reprise
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