Animal Farm Soundtrack: 1 - Animal Farm by The Kinks

For obvious reasons, Animal Farm by The Kinks is the first song I chose for my Animal Farm soundtrack. The song doesn't actually talk about the events in the story though - it is inspired by it. Still, I think it's an excellent choice to start off the album. Orwell's classic has inspired many, and clearly The Kinks are no exception. The song speaks to the time when Animal Farm stood what it was meant to stand for, a blow against oppression, against Mr. Jones, against the farmers, and against humankind. All the animals were free, masters of themselves. That's where the speaker of the song wants to go. Yes, it may be "just a dirty old shack", but its home. I liked that about this song. It wasn't about what Animal Farm ended up turning into, it was what Animal Farm stood for, why it became Animal Farm in the first place.


Lyrics

This world is big and wild and half insane
Take me where real animals are playing
Just a dirty old shack
Where the hound dogs bark
That we called our home
I want to be back there
Among the cats and dogs
And the pigs and the goats
On Animal Farm
My animal home
On Animal Farm
My animal home

While I lay my head upon my pillow
Little girl, come play beneath my window
Though she's far from home
She is free from harm
And she need not fear
She is by my side
And the sky is wide
So let the sun shine bright
On Animal Farm
My animal home
On Animal Farm
My animal home

Girl, It's a hard, hard world, if it gets you down
Dreams often fade and die in a bad, bad world
I'll take you where real animals are playing
And people are real people not just playing
It's a quiet, quiet life
By a dirty old shack
That we called our home
I want to be back there
Among the cats and dogs
And the pigs and the goats
On Animal Farm
My animal home
On Animal Farm
My animal home
On Animal Farm
Animal Farm