(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman

"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" was inspired by Ray Davies watching Superman: The Movie in late 1978.{{cite book|title=You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks|author=Hasted, N.|year=2011|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=9781849386609|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/storyofkinksyour0000hast}} Ray Davies has said that the song was written as a joke in response to a request by music producer Clive Davis, who was then running Arista Records, for a record to appeal to clubs. Davies said of this: "It was kind of a joke, taking the piss out of Clive [Davis] wanting us to do a club-friendly record."

{{quote box|quote=I've always admired Superman comics. I went to see the film when it came out at Christmas - that Christmas was three years ago - I was overwhelmed ... I thought it was so true to the comic books and I wanted to write kind of a rock disco cause I hate disco music as a rule ... but now we've got a sort of mix with a rock and roll backbeat and it works real well.|source= – Ray Davies, 1981{{cite news|title=Ray Davies Interview: Denver 9-9-81}}|width=30%|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}

"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman", as well as its B-side, "Low Budget", were the first songs recorded for the Low Budget album, although, unlike the rest of the album, recorded in New York, the tracks were cut in Konk Studios. The band's recently hired studio engineer, John Rollo, said of the sessions for the two songs, "The album before Low Budget, Misfits was beautifully recorded, but not that rock and roll. I think the first two songs I did went extremely well, and the band wanted to spend some time in New York to get away from distractions, so they kept it as a raw band recording."{{cite book|last1=Jovanovic|first1=R.|title=God Save the Kinks: A Biography|publisher=Aurum Press|pages=234–237}}

Dave Davies, initially unimpressed with the song, added guitar parts. Dave Davies also said of the song's release, "I think that one 'Superman' was, not the biggest mistake, but it could've been one of the biggest mistakes we made. I remember I had quite a difficult time with Ray while we were making the record, because I didn't like the direction it was going. It was a strange time for music in general, anyway. The fact that it's funny, that it was a humorous song, saved it. I don't feel bad about that song at all, but it could have been a big mistake."{{cite news |last1=McCue |first1=D. |title=Dave Davies - Out Of the Ordinary |url=http://www.davedavies.com/articles/gm_0290.htm |work=Guitar Magazine |date=February 1990 |access-date=2015-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923212827/http://www.davedavies.com/articles/gm_0290.htm |archive-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

The song also evokes another movie from the era, Saturday Night Fever, and the 1960s Animals hit "We Got to Get Out of This Place". The lyrics describe an average person dreaming of being Superman in order to get through social issues.{{cite web|title=(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/wish-i-could-fly-like-superman-mt0004961536|author=Gilliam, R.|publisher=Allmusic|access-date=2014-04-06}} The lyrics combine "fantasy" and "mundanity", two of Davies' favorite themes. Author Thomas Kitts notes the irony in the lyrics sung by a weakling wishing he were Superman which, as with other songs Davies wrote, leads to the singer feeling resigned.{{cite book|title=Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else|url=https://archive.org/details/raydaviesnotlike0000kitt|url-access=registration|author=Kitts, T.|page=[https://archive.org/details/raydaviesnotlike0000kitt/page/199 199]|year=2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0415977692}} Author Nick Hasted makes a similar point, that despite dreaming of being Superman, the singer remains Clark Kent and can't get over his fear of the bad news he keeps hearing. According to AllMusic critic Richard Gilliam, its lyrics are among "Ray Davies' most sharp-edged".

"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" has a disco-like sound, though a hard rock version is sometimes performed in concert. The song features a four on the floor drum part as well as a prominent guitar riff played by Dave Davies.{{cite web |last1=Aaron |first1=Charles |title=Inorganic at the Disco: 40 Rock Bands Who Beat Arcade Fire to the Dance Floor—The Kinks, "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" (1979) |url=https://www.spin.com/2013/10/inorganic-at-the-disco-40-rock-bands-who-beat-arcade-fire-to-the-dance-floor/lfdk404c31cmmi8gmo6keki2oge/ |publisher=Spin Magazine |access-date=20 September 2019}} Critic Johnny Rogan describes the lyrics as "witty" and the music as "upbeat".{{cite book|title=The Complete Guide to the Music of the Kinks|author=Rogan, J.|author-link=Johnny Rogan|page=126|year=1998|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=0711963142}} Music critic Robert Christgau describes it as a "fusion of syndrum and macho-flash guitar".{{cite book|title=Rock Albums of the '70s: A Critical Guide|author=Christgau, R.|author-link=Robert Christgau|page=214|year=1981|publisher=Da Capo Press|isbn= 9780306804090}}

"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman", backed with "Low Budget", was released as the lead single from Low Budget. Although it was a chart failure in Europe, the song found moderate success in North America, reaching number 41 on the American Billboard charts{{cite web|title=The Kinks US Charts|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/misfits-mw0000200594/awards|website=allmusic|access-date=2015-04-05}} and number 43 on the Canadian RPM charts. Charles Aaron of Spin attributed this success to the national sentiment in the United States at the time, saying, {{"'}}Superman' caught a mood — frankly, a lot of people felt like shit at the time, and Davies' wit was more broadly accessible than on some of his earlier, conceptual set pieces". Although multiple follow-up singles were issued, "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" is the only single from the album to be released in both Britain and America.

In addition to its appearance on Low Budget, the song is present on many of the band's compilation albums, including Come Dancing with The Kinks and The Ultimate Collection.

Billboard rated it one of the top tracks from Low Budget.{{cite news|title=Top Album Picks|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LyQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22catch+me+now+i%27m+falling%22&pg=PT105|date=14 July 1979|access-date=2014-04-06|newspaper=Billboard|page=88}} It described the song as a "strong pop and rock offering with outstanding vocals and instrumentation and biting lyrics.{{cite news|newspaper=Billboard Magazine|title=Top Single Picks|access-date=2020-07-08|date=March 17, 1979|page=103|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1979/Billboard%201979-03-17.pdf}} Cash Box said it "is a solid rocker with a steady beat, 'heavy metal' chording, nice phrasing and an analysis of the current British 'situation.'"{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=March 17, 1979|page=15|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2022-01-01|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1979/CB-1979-03-17.pdf}} Record World said that the Kinks "try out their disco shoes here without losing any of Ray Davies' esoterica".{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=March 17, 1979|accessdate=2023-02-12|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/79/RW-1979-03-17.pdf}} Producer Clive Davis described the song as tapping "the malaise at the tail end of the decade".{{cite book|title=The Soundtrack of My Life|url=https://archive.org/details/soundtrackofmyli0000davi|url-access=registration|author=Davis, C.|page=[https://archive.org/details/soundtrackofmyli0000davi/page/235 235]|year=2013|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn= 9781476714783}} In its review of the single, Trouser Press praised the band for "tackl[ing] disco and com[ing] away with more than a shred of dignity".{{cite book|title=The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night|author=Hinman, D.|year=2004|publisher=Hal Leonard|isbn= 9780879307653}}

During the recording of Low Budget, many alternate versions of "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" were created, including an approximately six-minute long extended edit that appeared on a 12-inch single in America and Britain. Studio engineer John Rollo said of the many versions: "On 'Superman' we must have mixed that song at Konk [studios] twenty times - and it was quite a long song - and to get it down for a 7-inch single version we had to do twenty edits. Then we were running out of days and [Ray] had to be out of the country. Clive Davis was always known as a totalitarian hands-on guy but Ray was having none of that, he was going to make the album he wanted."

It also appeared in live form on the album One for the Road.{{cite web|title=One for the Road|author=Adams, B.|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/one-for-the-road-mw0000203885|publisher=Allmusic|access-date=2014-04-06}} Allmusic critic Bret Adams called this live version a "raw, stripped-down" rendition.

• Ray Davies – lead vocals, synthesizer
• Dave Davies – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Mick Avory – drums
• Jim Rodford – bass guitar, backing vocals

{{Reflist}}

{{The Kinks singles}}

{{Christopher Reeve's/Brandon Routh's Superman}}

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Category:The Kinks songs

Category:1979 singles

Category:Songs written by Ray Davies

Category:Song recordings produced by Ray Davies

Category:Arista Records singles

Category:1979 songs

Category:Songs about comics

Category:Songs about fictional male characters

Category:Superman music