The Kinks' 1968 single "Days" was written by Ray Davies as a low-pressure farewell to his songwriting career, after the commercial failure of the album Wonderboy left the band disillusioned and made him indifferent to how the song would be received. Though never intended as a grand statement, it became one of the group's most enduring and emotionally resonant songs, still used decades later to express feelings of parting and gratitude.

The track was originally meant for the concept album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society but was rushed out as a standalone single instead. Davies drew inspiration from his sister's emigration to Australia and a fraught phone call to a former lover, describing it as "the ultimate kiss-off". A later cover by Kirsty MacColl reached number 12 in the UK charts, and Davies has since reflected that the song "belongs to the world now", having grown in meaning far beyond his original intentions.