Living on a Thin Line
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Living on a Thin Line
| cover = Living_on_a_Thin_Line_single.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Kinks
| album = Word of Mouth
| B-side = Sold Me Out
| released = January 1985
| recorded = 1984
| studio = Konk Studios, London
| venue =
| genre = New wave
| length = 4:16
| label = Arista
| writer = Dave Davies
| producer = Ray Davies
| prev_title = Do It Again
| prev_year = 1984
| next_title = How Are You
| next_year = 1986
}}
"Living on a Thin Line" is a track written by Dave Davies and performed by The Kinks on their 1984 album, Word of Mouth.
Background
"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, Dave Davies said that the track was influenced by The Kinks' long and difficult career, along with his hatred of politicians.{{cite book|last=Hinman|first=Doug|title=All Day and All of the Night|year=2004|pages=272|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=9780879307653|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hBlkaDf49M0C&q=living+on+a+thin+line}} 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".{{cite book| title = Living on a Thin Line: Crossing Aesthetic Borders with the Kinks| editor1 = Kitts, Thomas M.| editor2 = Kraus, Michael J.| publisher = Rock 'n' Roll Research Press| date = 2002| pages = 71–72}}
Dave Davies originally intended for his brother and Kinks frontman Ray to sing the song, but Ray declined.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-26 |title=The Kinks' Best Songs, Ranked |url=https://uproxx.com/indie/the-kinks-best-songs-ranked/ |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=UPROXX |language=en-US}}
Release
"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,{{cite web|title="Living on a Thin Line" single|url=https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/the_kinks/living_on_a_thin_line___sold_me_out/|website=Rate Your Music|accessdate=2014-04-27}}{{deprecated source|certain=y|date=November 2024}} 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.{{cite web|title="Living on a Thin Line" live performances|url=https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/the-kinks-23d6ac37.html?song=Living+on+a+Thin+Line|website=setlist.fm|accessdate=2013-04-27}}
Reception
"Living on a Thin Line" has been praised as one of Dave Davies's greatest songs. David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that "in 'Living on a Thin Line' – a dark variation on Ray's own death-of-England's-glory songs – brooding, goose-stepping chords and moping Pink Floyd synths underscore the desperate effectiveness of Dave's nervous croon."{{cite magazine|last=Fricke |first=David |title=Word of Mouth Album Review |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thekinks/albums/album/189321/review/5945895/word_of_mouth |magazine=Rolling Stone|url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510155927/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thekinks/albums/album/189321/review/5945895/word_of_mouth |archivedate=10 May 2007 }} Robert Christgau said, in his review of Come Dancing with The Kinks, that the track is the "second-best" on the album (to "Come Dancing"), and "'There's no England now,' he opines, which explains a lot."{{cite web|last=Christgau|first=Robert|title=Kinks|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1464&name=The+Kinks|accessdate=2014-05-21}}
The track is featured three times in a 2001 episode of The Sopranos, titled "University". Sopranos producer Terence Winter has said that it is the series' most asked-about song.{{cite web|url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-kinks/living-on-a-thin-line|title=Living On A Thin Line by The Kinks|website=Songfacts|accessdate=2022-10-09}} The song was also used during the credits in the series finale of the HBO series Vice Principals.{{Cite web|title=Music from Vice Principals S2E09|url=https://www.tunefind.com/show/vice-principals/season-2/54396|access-date=2022-01-10|website=Tunefind}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Kinks singles}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Dave Davies