Well. the prompts for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday are a bit out of the ordinary (thankfully): sheer nastiness – ‘brutal; ‘cruel’; ‘violent’.

Rather than find a song whose title includes one of these words (and the only one that came to mind was ‘Don’t Be Cruel’), I tried some lateral thinking and came up with this by The Kinks from 1966. Rather more congenial, I think, particularly for the time of year.

The tax man’s taken all my dough
And left me in my stately home
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
And I can’t sail my yacht
He’s taken everything I’ve got
All I’ve got’s this sunny afternoon

Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
I got a big fat mama trying to break me
And I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
In the summertime
In the summertime
In the summertime

My girlfriend’s run off with my car
And gone back to her ma and pa
Telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty
Now I’m sitting here
Sipping at my ice cold beer
Lazing on a sunny afternoon

Help me, help me, help me sail away
Well give me two good reasons why I oughta stay
‘Cause I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
In the summertime
In the summertime
In the summertime

Ah, save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
I got a big fat mama trying to break me
And I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazing on a sunny afternoon

Written by Ray Davies

Song Lyric Sunday 20 June 2021