Saturday, September 22, 2012

Ray Davies: Oklahoma USA

There are many wonderful songs about Hollywood. Ray Davies, the genius behind the Kinks, wrote two of them. "Celluloid Heroes" and this one, "Oklahoma USA," from his little-heard but definitely essential Muswell Hillbillies album.

It's about an English woman in a gritty industrial town dreaming of the movie Oklahoma, Hollywood, and that idealized vision of America that our entertainment industry once portrayed.


Watch Davies perform "Oklahoma USA" at New York's Barrymore Theatre in 2006.

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2 comments:

Betty Carlson said...

Oklahoma USA is one of my favorites Kinks songs, and I am a big fan. It's not surprising it doesn't get that much attention, though...it's so subtle and quiet.

I agree Celluloid Heroes is also great, but I would put others above it.

Thanks for giving Oklahoma USA some recognition!

Marathon Pundit said...

Thanks for being a fellow Kinks fan. There are not enough of us!