"The Kinks"
- You Really Got Me
- All Day and All of the Night
- Sunny Afternoon
- A Well Respected Man
- Waterloo Sunset
- Tired of Waiting for You
- Victoria
"The Kinks"
Celluloid Heroes
автор:
The Kinks
жанры: rock, 70s
альбомы: The Ultimate Collection, To the Bone, One for the Road, Everybody's in Showbiz
- Текст
- Открытка с текстом
Everybody's a dreamer And everybody's a star And everybody's in movies It doesn't matter who you areThere are stars in every city In every house and on every street And if you walk down Hollywood Boulevard Their names are written in concreteDon't step on Greta Garbo As you walk down the Boulevard She looks so weak and fragile That's why she tried to be so hardBut they turned her into a princess And they sat her on a throne But she turned her back on stardom Because she wanted to be aloneYou can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard Some that you recognize, some that you've hardly even heard of People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vainRudolph Valentino Looks very much alive And he looks up ladies' dresses As they sadly pass him byAvoid stepping on Bela Lugosi Because he's liable to turn and bite But stand close by Bette Davis Because hers was such a lonely lifeIf you covered him with garbage George Sanders would still have style And if you stamped on Mickey Rooney He would still turn round and smileBut please don't tread on dearest Marilyn 'Cos she's not very tough She should have been made of iron or steel But she was only made of flesh and bloodYou can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard Some that you recognize, some that you've hardly even heard of People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vainEverybody's a dreamer And everybody's a star And everybody's in show biz It doesn't matter who you areAnd those who are successful Be always on your guard Success walks hand in hand with failure Along Hollywood BoulevardYou can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard Some that you recognize, some that you've hardly even heard of People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vainI wish my life was a non-stop Hollywood movie show A fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes Because celluloid heroes never feel any pain And celluloid heroes never really die
The song names several famous actors of 20th century film, and also mentions Los Angeles's Hollywood Boulevard, alluding to its Hollywood Walk of Fame. The actors mentioned are Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Bela Lugosi, Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, George Sanders, and Mickey Rooney although some versions of the song, includng recorded concert versions, are performed with fewer verses and, thus, Marilyn Monroe, George Sanders, and Mickey Rooney are left out.
Davies uses the technique of personification (of the Walk's concrete stars) to create an intimate connection with the subject matter. The lyric has a warm, melancholy and nostalgic feel, and is driven by three underlying themes. First, "Celluloid Heroes" specifically cites the inhumane and exploitative manner in which the film industry can use its stars. Second, Davies suggests the escapist fantasy world of movies as an attractive respite. "I wish my life were a non-stop Hollywood movie show," he writes, "because celluloid heroes never feel any pain," and "never really die." Finally, Davies treats as metaphor the sometimes ethereal and elusive nature of Hollywood fame and success. "Everybody's a dreamer, everybody's a star" is followed by a cautionary note to the listener - those who find success must maintain their guard, because "success walks hand-in-hand with failure along the Hollywood Boulevard."
"Celluloid Heroes" and the "Everybody's in Show-Biz" album was followed by Davies' and the Kinks' pioneering but commercially unsuccessful and artistically uneven theatrical incarnation (1973–1976) (see main article The Kinks).