"Waterloo Sunset"The Kinks
The Kinks were the archetypal "Excellent British Band That Was Too Bloody British To Make It In America." Their ruminations on British life and culture at once criticized and glorified the culture they lived in, and they set the stage for such great bands as The Jam, The Smiths, and Blur. Their peak period from 1966-1970 was almost as impressive as the golden years of The Rolling Stones or The Beach Boys, and "Waterloo Sunset" was the crown jewel. It is one of the most unabashedly gorgeous pop songs ever recorded, and it is also Ray Davies' most effective lyrical portrait. It depicts a lonely introvert overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of London and the prospect of making friends who only makes things worse for himself by staying in every night. However, he is comforted by gazing out his window at the sunset over Waterloo Bridge (which, incidentally, was all the beauty Monet needed for awhile as well). The song is never condescending, and the bleary-eyed melancholy of the melody and the backing vocals is every bit as beautiful as the sunset itself. After Christmas, I'm moving to London to work abroad for 6 months, and I will only know two people in the entire country. Naturally, this will be my anthem.
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