Kinks, The - Harry Rag Lyrics

*2:12** B I N G O !* its pete's voice btw

Ah, Tom is young and Tom is bold
Tom is as bold as the knights of old
But whenever he gets in a bit of a jam
There's nothing he won't do to get a harry rag

Harry rag, harry rag
Do anything just to get a harry rag
And he curses himself for the life he's led
And rolls himself a harry rag and puts himself to bed

Ah, Tom's old ma is a dying lass
Soon they all reckon she'll be pushing up the grass
And her bones might ache and her skin might sag
But still she's got the strength to have a harry rag

Harry rag, harry rag
Do anything just to get a harry rag
And she curses herself for the life she's led
And rolls herself a harry rag and puts herself to bed

Ah, bless you tax man, bless you all
You may take some but you never take it all
But if I give it all, I won't feel sad
As long as I got enough to buy a harry rag

Harry rag, harry rag
Do anything just to get a harry rag
And I curse myself for the life I've led
And roll myself a harry rag and put myself to bed

Ah, the smart young ladies of the land
Can't relax without a harry in their hand
And they light one and they boast and brag
So content because they got a harry rag

Harry rag, harry rag
Do anything just to get a harry rag
And they'll light one and they'll boast and brag
So content because they got a harry rag

Harry rag, harry rag
I'll do anything just to get a harry rag
And I curse myself for the life I've led
And roll myself a harry rag and put myself to bed

For God's sake give the poor guy a cigarette!!!

ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. WORST SONG OF 1967.

I used to listen to this song with my dad all the time, then some things happened with my mother, we never listen to this song anymore... I'm crying so hard

この曲は日本人好みです。

Just lit me self up a harry rag😎

Great song!

A true Ray Davies classic. Great lyrics😎

Those who voted 16 thumbs down are all MORONIC SLOBS!!!

Hermoso tema

Así es

I'm a nonsmoker, but I can relate to this song. That's the genius of Ray Davies.

Was introduced to this song over Christmas by Harry Wragg's grandson!!

Ray's songs(Dave's too) hold up incredibly well. I haven't heard this since I had the album in the early 80's and it still sounds great. Thanks

Great song - but the correct spelling is Harry Wragg..

I get the distinct impression that in almost every early kinks song, Ray Davies sings while smiling. It sounds like he's about to laugh and he's having fun. This one, autumn almanac, dedicated follower of fashion, dead end street and more. I love that, it always makes me happy to hear.

Catchy as hell. How could anyone not love it? One of my favorites by The awesome KINKS!!!

Who knew a song about wacky tobbacky could be so clever!

Alex - If you don't know by now, this song is about cigarettes not grass!

Harry rag = cigarette

This song is so much fun, it's so punky and full of dark humor. That "Oi!" reminds me of TNT by ACDC. And the "aaaah" before every verse is just the best.

Never have I witnessed fans with such a desperate need to hype up pretty shitty songs from the Kinks as masterpieces as they bemoan how few people supposedly appreciate the 'genius' of the ''greatest British song writer'' ever who makes Lennon and Macca look like amateurs.

A lot of Kinks stuff is pretty mundane and monotonous, and far to parochial and of its time, like this.

Call this a 'pearl' you tit. It's a throwaway song.

This song is HILARIOUS a "Harry rag" is a cigarett and it's one of the most anti-smoking songs I've heard from the 60s. It casts the habit in a tragic light while making fun of everyone at the same time. Every time it comes on I start dancing.

@Underground906
Agreed, it is a throwaway song in a sense, a bit of harmless fun. I still like it though.

Don't want to be drawn into the pointless Kinks v Beatles argument. They are my two favourite bands full stop - significantly different from each other, both great. What I will say though is that anyone who thinks the Kinks are in any way musically less sophisticated/inferior to the Beatles hasn't listened to much of the Kinks output. Objectively it just ain't so; strip away what George Martin added in the recording studio and the majority (not all) of the Beatles songs are musically pretty straight forward, especially on the earlier albums.

Some great 60's Kinks singles but loads of bad album tracks.This rubbish? Would hardly pass muster played by street buskers.Production always a major problem on Kinks records.Thin no body instrumentation and tinny voice.Many critics at the time said Ray could only write 2 types of songs:British knees up afternoon tea stuff like this,or clangy rockers.... Virtually anything after 1971  - forget it.

Ah, Tom is young and Tom is bold
Tom is as bold as the knights of old
But whenever he gets in a bit of a jam
There's nothing he won't do to get a Harry rag

Harry rag, Harry rag
Do anything just to get a Harry rag
And he curses himself for the life he's led
And rolls himself a Harry rag and puts himself to bed

Ah, Tom's old ma is a dying lass
Soon they all reckon she'll be pushing up the grass
And her bones might ache and her skin might sag
But still she's got the strength to have a Harry rag

Harry rag, Harry rag
Do anything just to get a Harry rag
And she curses herself for the life she's led
And rolls herself a Harry rag and puts herself to bed

Ah, bless you tax man, bless you all
You may take some but you never take it all
But if I give it all, I won't feel sad
As long as I got enough to buy a harry rag

Harry rag, Harry rag
Do anything just to get a harry rag
And I curse myself for the life I've led
And roll myself a Harry rag and put myself to bed

Ah, the smart young ladies of the land
Can't relax without a Harry in their hand
And they light one and they boast and brag
So content because they got a Harry rag

Harry rag, Harry rag
Do anything just to get a Harry rag
And they'll light one and they'll boast and brag
So content because they got a Harry rag

Harry rag, Harry rag
I'll do anything just to get a Harry rag
And I curse myself for the life I've led
And roll myself a Harry rag and put myself to bed

One of the greatest songs in the history of mankind!

@MrGoldenthroat Fucking brilliant! Pure genius Ray is.

I am from England

My name is Harry wragg

Really?

Yes my dad is called ian that's why its ian in it

one of the most original songs ever written. I never tire of it. never.

my fave 60,s band

You guys have it wrong, a 'harry rag' is actually slang for a joint. Just listen to the lyrics! "so contempt because they've got a harry rag" it was the 60s guys, what were you expecting?

+ "Before the internet" includes "word of mouth from know it alls". The 60's; people were inserting "found" drug references all over the place! We Americans could scarcely keep up with British slang!

Whatever floats your boat. It's Only Joint Box Music.

Sorry JumpyWun & Rick, it just refers to a plain cigarette. It's cockney rhyming slang and dates back to the early 1950's. Apparently it's still used a bit in Ireland even to this day.

If you listen to the lyrics it's clearly about cigs and not joints.

@Rick Kane Right Rick it can be either!

Rick - I take that back - it definitely refers to a cigarette.

my name is. Harry rag

What is it?

social commentary, love Rays style

What fucking asshole disliked this?

only 55,855 views? sad

Sonny McCloud These were their alternate songs. Live ones and the their classics have millions of views. Lola is at about 7.7 million views.

A great song!!

Just saw Ray Davies tonight at the Hornsey Arts Centre, he's still got it.

I was there too, and I agree.

super musik

Harry Rag genius

Ce disque (l'album complet) est un des meilleurs jamais réalisés.

Harry rag, Harry rag
Do anything just to get a Harry rag
And he curses himself for the life he's led
And rolls himself a Harry rag and puts himself to bed


Harry rag, Harry rag Harry rag, Harry rag Harry rag, Harry rag

what is yelled out at the end btw? ........bend golds? perhaps a type of smoke popular back then?

He's shouting "England", if I'm not mistaken '67 was the year that England won the world cup.

They won in 1966.

Rebecca McLaren Via Dave Davies himself: https://twitter.com/davedavieskinks/status/902743924241989632

@Sean Whiting I'm with you Sean! I'm a long time vocalist and when I perform this song I yell ''Bingo!''

I love ray's sense of humor in his writing and singing. in the last verse where his voice kind of goes feminine "the smart young ladies of the land, can't relax without a harry in the their hand" he truly wrote and meant and felt all his music. never forgot to have fun either! I love this song and I love the looks on my friends faces when I play this album and this song comes on ("like wtf") and I love when eventually they start to like the song and tap their feet along and bob their heads lol

+Rebecca McLaren Bingo!

He is a genius!

Fucking Ace..and I've never smoked.

whats a harry Rag?

+ScoriacTears Cigarette.

+ScoriacTears oh dear god what a life you've lead

+ScoriacTears I was always thought Harry Rag was traditional Cockney Rhyming slang for "Fag" (Cigarette) BUT apparently it was a term coined by Ray Davies Father. It's cool that Ray was using contemporary and 'in-house' terms for his song lyrics.

Doh! (forehead slap) Thanks.

entrega a harry rag papaa

+ariel capu Re taringuero sonó eso, aguante.

How many view?? WTF is up with this world??

Sux eh? At least we got YT to find gems like this.

@theselector Too true pal.

I love you dear Kinks! From Argentina!

Me too. From Bs As

Temazo de los kinks

De Tucumán! Los amo! Banda a la altura de los Beatles, Stones, The Who...

Alguien de Bs As acá