Victoria

I noticed it was the 108th anniversary of Queen Victoria's death last Thursday (22nd) then I heard this Kinks number on the radio and thought you might enjoy this live version. Wikipedia says it's a Ray Davies number, the opening track of the 1969 concept album Arthur (or the decline and fall of the British Empire) and a largely unsuccessful single. In the satirical style Davies had become known for in earlier works, the lyrics juxtapose the paternalist aspirations of Empire in the Victorian age, "Land of my Victoria/Land of hope and gloria", with the grim reality of life in Britain during the 19th Century, "Sex was bad and obscene/And the rich were so mean". It expresses the simple adulation of queen and country found among the working class, "Though I am poor, I am free/When I grow I shall fight/For this land I shall die". The original starts with a simple electric blues riff under the lyrics, and builds to an exuberant climax with brass and strings at the "Land of hope and gloria" bridge. The play-out features brass, heavy rock guitar and raucous background vocals from Dave Davies. A "psychedelic" effect is achieved by use of an Indian style drone. A version by The Kooks will be on the War child charity album, Heroes next month.