Lola (song)

For the Iggy Azalea song, see Lola (Iggy Azalea song).

"Lola"
West German single sleeve
Single by the Kinks
from the album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One
B-side
Released12 June 1970 (1970-06-12)
RecordedApril–May 1970
StudioMorgan, Willesden, London
Genre
Length4:03
Label
Songwriter(s)Ray Davies
Producer(s)Ray Davies
The Kinks singles chronology
"Victoria"
(1969) 		"Lola"
(1970) 		"Apeman"
(1970)
Alternative cover
Scandinavian single sleeve
Audio
"Lola" (official audio) on YouTube

"Lola" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies for their 1970 album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One. The song details a romantic encounter in a Soho bar between a young man and the eponymous Lola, who is possibly a trans woman or cross-dresser.[4][5][6] In the song, the narrator describes his confusion towards Lola, who "walked like a woman but talked like a man", yet he remains infatuated with her.

The song was released as a single in the United Kingdom on 12 June 1970, while in the United States it was released on 28 June 1970. Commercially, "Lola" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart[7] and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.[8] The track has since become one of the Kinks' most popular songs and was ranked number 386 on Rolling Stone's 2021 edition of its "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.[9] "Lola" was also ranked number 473 on NME's own "The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time" list.[10]

Since its release, "Lola" has appeared on multiple compilation and live albums. In 1980, a live version of the song from the album One for the Road was released as a single in the US and some European countries, becoming a minor hit. In the Netherlands it reached number 1, just as in 1970 with the studio version. Other versions include an instrumental on the band's 1971 movie soundtrack album Percy and live renditions from 1972's Everybody's in Show-Biz and 1996's To the Bone. The Lola character also appears in the lyrics of the band's 1981 song "Destroyer".

  1. ^ a b "Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1966". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. pp. 93–95. ISBN 9781493064601.
  3. ^ Perone 2004, p. 155.
  4. ^ "Sir Ray Davies wants to turn The Kinks' trans hit Lola into a West End musical". inews.co.uk. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  5. ^ "By supporting a transgender woman, The Kinks were banned from the radio". 5 June 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  6. ^ "'Lola,' who 'walked like a woman but talked like a man,' turns 50". NBC News. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  7. ^ "KINKS". Official Charts. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  8. ^ "The Kinks – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Lola ranked #386 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs List". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  10. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time – 473. The Kinks – 'Lola'". New Musical Express. Retrieved 2 June 2015.