David Watts (song)

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David Watts

David Watts is a song by the Kinks written by Ray Davies. It appears on their 1967 album Something Else by the Kinks and was released in the United States as the B-side to Autumn Almanac.

Theme and meaning

The lyrics describe the narrator’s admiration for a schoolboy named David Watts, who seems to have a lucky, “charmed” life. There’s an undertone of envy and a possible schoolboy crush. Critics have noted homoerotic overtones, but Davies has said he keeps the meaning open and lets listeners decide what it means.

Real-life connection

Davies has said that David Watts was a real person, a concert promoter from Rutland who was gay and had shown romantic interest in Ray’s brother, Dave Davies. The song’s imagery plays with that backstory in an ironic, double-layer way.

Versions and appearances

- The Kinks released the song on Something Else by the Kinks (1967). In the U.S., it was the B-side to Autumn Almanac. A live version from Syracuse, recorded March 4, 1980, appeared on the live album One for the Road (1980).
- It has been included on compilation albums such as The Kink Kronikles (1972).

Covers

The Jam covered David Watts in 1978 as a double A-side single with "'A' Bomb in Wardour Street." Their version, with Bruce Foxton on lead vocals, reached No. 25 in the UK and appeared on their album All Mod Cons.