Great Forgotten Songs #30 – The Kinks “Living On a Thin Line”

“Living on a Thin Line” is a track written by Dave Davies and performed by The Kinks on their 1984 album, Word of Mouth.

“Living on a Thin Line” is one of two songs on Word of Mouth written by Dave Davies (the other being Guilty). In his biography Kink, Davies said that the track was influenced by The Kinks’ long and difficult career, along with his hatred toward politicians.

Hear the song below:

“Living On a Thin Line” by The Kinks

Word of Mouth (1984)

The song was also influenced by the deterioration of English identity in the 20th century and Davies’ longing for a return to “days of old”.

“Living on a Thin Line” was first released on Word Of Mouth, but has since been released as a 12-inch promotional radio single (backed with “Sold Me Out”) in America, and on numerous compilation albums, such as Come Dancing with the Kinks, Lost & Found (1986-1989), The Ultimate Collection, and Picture Book. The song has also been played live by both The Kinks and Dave Davies.

The song, despite not having much commercial success, has become a fan-favorite. The track was played three times in The Sopranos’ 2001 episode “University”. Producer Terence Winter has said that it is the series’ most asked about song. The song was also played in the final episode of the HBO series Vice Principals.

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