Misfits (The Kinks song)

The lyrics of "Misfits" detail the many so-called "losers" and "failures" who are "lost without a crowd yet [they] go [their] own way." It goes on to say that "You're a misfit, afraid of yourself, so you run away and hide" and that "you've been a misfit all your life." The lyrics, however, embrace these misfits, with lyrics such as "misfits are everywhere" and "why don't you join the crowd and come inside." "Yes it's true what they say, every dog has his day," Davies sings, suggesting that these misfits will have their time.

Release and reception

Ray Davies said of the song's appeal, "I was trying not to be a hit machine - and we've certainly achieved that with a few albums. But we wanted to expand and find a new fan-base - and hopefully, we'd still be excited by the music. Things like "Misfits" and "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" a bit later were attempts to do both; music we got a kick out of, and also improve the fan-base."^[1]

"Misfits" was first released on the album of the same name on May 19, 1978. Although it was not released as a single, it was used as the B-side to the Black Messiah single. It also served as the title track of an EP named "The Kinks Misfit Record".

"Misfits" has been often praised as one of the best songs on the album of the same name. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called the track "a classic outsider rallying cry" and labelled it as one of the two "touchstones" of the album.^[2] Rolling Stone's Ken Emerson said that "Misfits" is "a fitting introduction to the Kinks' most intimate album".^[3]

American EP

"The Kinks Misfit Record" was the first American Kinks EP created, despite the unpopularity of EPs in the U.S. The EP features "Misfits" as well as "A Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy", "Black Messiah", and "Permanent Waves" (all from Misfits). Although "A Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy" was released as a single in the United States, the other three tracks made their non-album debut in America on the EP.

Track listing

All tracks written by Ray Davies.

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"A Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy"	4:58
2.	"Black Messiah"	3:24

Side two
No.	Title	Length
3.	"Misfits"	4:19
4.	"Permanent Waves"	3:37

References

↑ Hasted, N. (2011). You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9781849386609.
↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "AllMusic". Retrieved 2014-05-18.
↑ Emerson, Ken. "Rolling Stone". Archived from the original on December 9, 2007. Retrieved 2014-05-18. CS1 maint: Unfit url (link)

The Kinks singles discography

UK and US singles 1960s	1964 "Long Tall Sally" "You Still Want Me" "You Really Got Me" "All Day and All of the Night" 1965 "Tired of Waiting for You" "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy" "Set Me Free" "See My Friends" "Who'll Be the Next in Line" "A Well Respected Man" "Till the End of the Day" 1966 "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" "Sunny Afternoon" "Dead End Street" 1967 "Mister Pleasant" "Waterloo Sunset" "Death of a Clown" (Dave Davies solo) "Autumn Almanac" "Susannah's Still Alive" (Dave Davies solo) 1968 "Wonderboy" "Days" "Lincoln County" (Dave Davies solo) 1969 "Starstruck" "Hold My Hand" (Dave Davies solo) "Plastic Man" "Drivin'" "The Village Green Preservation Society" "Shangri-La" "Victoria"

UK and US singles 1970s	1970 "Lola" "Apeman" 1971 "God's Children" "20th Century Man" 1972 "Supersonic Rocket Ship" "Celluloid Heroes" 1973 "One of the Survivors" "Sitting in the Midday Sun" "Sweet Lady Genevieve" "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" 1974 "Money Talks" "Mirror of Love" "Mirror of Love" (Band Version) "Holiday Romance" "Preservation" 1975 "Everybody's a Star (Starmaker)" "Ducks on the Wall" "You Can't Stop the Music" 1976 "I'm in Disgrace" "No More Looking Back" 1977 "Sleepwalker" "Juke Box Music" "Father Christmas" 1978 "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" "Live Life" "Black Messiah" 1979 "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" "A Gallon of Gas" "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" "Moving Pictures" "Pressure"

UK and US singles 1980s	1980 "Lola" (live) "You Really Got Me" (live) 1981 "Better Things" "Destroyer" "Predictable" 1982 "Come Dancing" 1983 "Don't Forget to Dance" 1984 "Good Day" "Do It Again" 1985 "Living on a Thin Line" (Radio Promo only) "Summer's Gone" 1986 "Rock 'n' Roll Cities" "How Are You" 1987 "Lost and Found" 1988 "The Road" 1989 "Down All the Days (Till 1992)"

UK and US singles 1990s	1990 "How Do I Get Close" 1993 "Only a Dream" "Scattered"

Notable Non-UK/US Singles	1966 "Dandy" (Europe) 1969 "Picture Book" (Australia) "Australia" (Australia) 1983 "State of Confusion" (Germany) 1991 "Did Ya" (Europe)

Other Selected Songs	"Bald Headed Woman" "Stop Your Sobbing" "I Need You" "I Go to Sleep" "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" "Big Black Smoke" "Party Line" "Rosie Won't You Please Come Home" "Love Me Till the Sun Shines" "David Watts" "Two Sisters" "Polly" "She's Got Everything" "Do You Remember Walter?" "Johnny Thunder" "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains" "Big Sky" "Sitting by the Riverside" "Animal Farm" "Village Green" "Phenomenal Cat" "All of My Friends Were There" "Wicked Annabella" "Monica" "People Take Pictures of Each Other" "Berkeley Mews" "Mr. Churchill Says" "Strangers" "This Time Tomorrow" "Rats" "Got to Be Free" "Have a Cuppa Tea" "Oklahoma U.S.A." "Muswell Hillbilly" "Sitting in My Hotel" "The Hard Way" "Life Goes On" "Misfits" "Attitude" "Low Budget" "Give the People What They Want" "Heart of Gold" "Long Distance"

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