# In 1968, Ray Davies wrote an “unhappy” song for The Kinks he never really liked. Now, he admits “it belongs to the world”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1968-ray-davies-wrote-an-unhappy-song-for-the-kinks-he-never-really-liked-now-he-admits-it-belongs-to-the-world/
- Published: 2026-10-22T08:57:30+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-22T09:25:59+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1968-the-kinks-classic-ray-davies-said-belongs-to-the-world-now/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Ray Davies wrote ‘Days’ for his sister Rosie in 1968.
- Its farewell lyrics have taken on wider meanings for listeners.
- A 2010 performance after Pete Quaife’s death deepened its resonance.

## Summary

Ray Davies wrote The Kinks’ song ‘Days’ in 1968 as his sister Rosie left Britain to start a new life in Australia. Though rooted in a painful family goodbye and a turbulent period in Davies’s life, the song’s open-ended lyrics have allowed listeners to connect it to their own farewells and new beginnings.

Davies described ‘Days’ as both sad and inspirational, while his brother Dave recalled finding it deeply unhappy. Davies later said the song had grown in intensity over time; performing it at Glastonbury in 2010, shortly after former Kinks bassist Pete Quaife died, gave the lyrics fresh personal meaning. He now regards the song as belonging to the world.

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