20th Century Man
Written by: Ray DaviesPublished by: Davray Music Ltd.
Lyrics:
This is the age of machinery,
A mechanical nightmare,
The wonderful world of technology,
Napalm, hydrogen bombs, biological warfare,
This is the twentieth century,
But too much aggravation
It's the age of insanity,
What has become of the green pleasant fields of Jerusalem.
Ain't got no ambition, I'm just disillusioned
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna be here.
My mama said she can't understand me
She can't see my motivation
Just give me some security,
I'm a paranoid schizoid product of the twentieth century.
You keep all your smart modern writers
Give me William Shakespeare
You keep all your smart modern painters
I'll take Rembrandt, Titian, Da Vinci and Gainsborough,
Girl we gotta get out of here
We gotta find a solution
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't want
I don't want to die here
Girl we gotta get out of here
We gotta find a solution
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't want
I don't want to be here
I was born in a welfare state
Ruled by bureaucracy
Controlled by civil servants
And people dressed in grey
Got no privacy, got no liberty
Cos the twentieth century people
Took it all away from me.
Don't wanna get myself shot down
By some trigger happy policeman,
Gotta keep a hold on my sanity
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna die here.
My mama says she can't understand me
She can't see my motivation
Ain't got no security,
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna be here.
This is the twentieth century
But too much aggravation
This is the edge of insanity
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna be here.
This song can be found on the following releases:
stereo mix (5:53), recorded Aug-Sep 1971 at Morgan Studios, Willesden, LondonMuswell Hillbillies | 24 Nov, 1971 | USA | RCA Victor LSP 4644 | 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM |
Muswell Hillbillies | 26 Nov, 1971 | UK | RCA Victor SF 8243 | 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM |
Muswell Hillbillies | 23 Jan, 1990 | USA | Rhino R2 70934 | CD |
Muswell Hillbillies | 14 Jul, 1998 | USA | Konk/Velvel 63467-79719-2 | CD |
The Kinks' Greatest - Celluloid Heroes | 25 Sep, 2001 | USA | Konk/Velvel/Koch VEL-CD-79734 | CD |
Muswell Hillbillies | 24 Aug, 2004 | USA | Konk/Koch Records VEL-SC-79801 | SACD (hybrid) |
Greatest Hits 1970-1986 | 30 Oct, 2007 | USA | Konk/Velvel/Koch Records VEL-79822 | 3 CD set |
Picture Book | 8 Dec, 2008 | UK | Universal/Sanctuary 5313049 | Multi CD box set |
Muswell Hillbillies | 21 Jun, 2010 | UK | Konk/Koch/Universal Music 2738367 | CD |
Muswell Hillbillies (Deluxe Edition) | 7 Oct 2013 | UK | Sanctuary Records Group/Universal Music 373 493-3 | 2 CD set |
Muswell Hillbillies (Legacy Edition) | 10 Nov 2014 | USA | Sony/RCA/Legacy 88843093772 | CD/DVD set |
stereo mix, edit, nearly 2 minutes shorter (3:59), recorded Aug-Sep 1971 at Morgan Studios, Willesden, London
20th Century Man/Skin and Bone | Dec 1971 | USA | RCA Victor 74-0620 | 7" vinyl single, 45 RPM |
The Essential Kinks | 14 Oct 2014 | USA | RCA/Arista/Legacy (Sony Music) 88843066622 | 2 CD set |
stereo mix, edit, about 1 minute shorter (5:02), recorded Aug-Sep 1971 at Morgan Studios, Willesden, London
The Kinks' Greatest - Celluloid Heroes | May 1976 | USA | RCA Victor APL1-1743 | 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM |
The Kinks' Greatest - Celluloid Heroes | 25 Jun, 1976 | UK | RCA Victor RS 1059 | 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM |
Muswell Hillbillies (Deluxe Edition) | 7 Oct 2013 | UK | Sanctuary Records Group/Universal Music 373 493-3 | 2 CD set |
stereo mix, shorter edit (3:52), recorded Aug-Sep 1971 at Morgan Studios, Willesden, London
Backtrackin' (The Definitive Double Album Collection) | 6 Dec, 1985 | UK | Starblend TRACK 1 | 12" vinyl 2-LP set (double album), 33 1/3 RPM |
Backtrackin' - Volume Two | Jun 1986 | UK | Starblend CD TRACK 1/2 | CD |
stereo mix, alternate instrumental take (3:02), recorded 6 Oct 1971 at Morgan Studio 1, Willesden, London
Muswell Hillbillies (Deluxe Edition) | 7 Oct 2013 | UK | Sanctuary Records Group/Universal Music 373 493-3 | 2 CD set |
Muswell Hillbillies (Legacy Edition) | 10 Nov 2014 | USA | Sony/RCA/Legacy 88843093772 | CD/DVD set |
live, stereo mix, recorded 3 Mar, 1979 at The Barn, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
One For The Road | 1980 | Brazil | Arista (Ariola Discos Fonograficos) 300 932/3 | 12" vinyl 2-LP set (double album), 33 1/3 RPM |
One For The Road | 4 Jun, 1980 | USA | Arista A2L 8401 | 12" vinyl 2-LP set (double album), 33 1/3 RPM |
One For The Road | 1 Aug, 1980 | UK | Arista DARTY 6 | 12" vinyl 2-LP set (double album), 33 1/3 RPM |
One For The Road | 27 Apr, 1999 | USA | Konk/Velvel 63467-79728-2 | 2 CD set |
One For The Road | 7 Sep, 2004 | USA | Konk/Koch VEL-SC-79803 | SACD (hybrid) |
live, stereo mix, shorter edit (3:17), recorded 3 Mar, 1979 at The Barn, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
State Of Confusion | 23 Mar, 1984 | UK | Arista ARIST 560 | 7" vinyl EP, 33 1/3 RPM |
State Of Confusion | 23 Mar, 1984 | UK | Arista ARIST 12560 | 12" vinyl EP, 45 RPM |
live, stereo mix (3:49), recorded 1997 at unknown venue, overdubs at Konk Studios, Hornsey, London
The Storyteller | 21 Apr, 1998 | USA | Konk/EMI-Capital 7243 4 94168 2 6 | CD |
stereo mix, by John Banta, recorded 2000
The Great Lost KPS Album - The Kover Kontroversy Kontinues | Jul 2000 | UK | Pie KPSCD003 | CD |
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