Victoria (song)

"Victoria" is a song written by Ray Davies of The Kinks, which appeared as the opening track of the 1969 concept album, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). In the satirical style that Ray Davies had become known for in his earlier works such as the Kinks 1966 hit, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, the lyrics juxtapose the paternalist aspirations of the British Empire in the Victorian age, "Land of my Victoria/Land of hope and gloria", with the grim realities of life in Britain during the nineteenth century, "Sex was bad and obscene/And the rich were so mean", and expresses the simple adulation of the queen and country by the working class, "Though I am poor, I am free/When I grow I shall fight/For this land I shall die". The music starts with a simple electric blues riff under the lyrics, and builds to an exuberant climax with brass and strings at the "Land of hope and gloria" bridge. The play-out features brass, heavy rock guitar and raucous background vocals from Dave Davies, and a "psychedelic" effect is achieved by use of an Indian-style drone, reminiscent of the effect on the group's 1965 single, See My Friends, and by then familiar to audiences from recordings by The Byrds and The Beatles.

Chart performance

The single version of "Victoria" failed to crack the top 40 on the American Billboard Pop Singles chart, but was a top 40 hit in both the UK and Canada, and charted in the top ten in Sweden.

Cover versions

The song was covered by The Fall in 1988, and has also been covered by Cracker, and Sonic Youth.