The story behind
The Kinks recorded I’m a Lover Not a Fighter in a London studio, towards the end of the eighties. The song has a smooth rhythm, as if you were approaching a door you're unsure whether to open. Ray Davies' voice sounds calm, as if he were talking to someone who knows the story. There's not much noise, no shouting, nothing that makes you nervous. It's a song you let yourself listen to, not one that forces you to listen. The lyrics talk about not wanting to fight, preferring to love, not getting involved in trouble. It's as if someone were telling you: "don't get into trouble, better live calmly". The melody moves calmly, as if walking down a street without hurry. It's not an action song, it's a thinking song. ↓ Skip to chordsIntro
E
E|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
A|-----------2--4--2-----------2--4--2--|-----------2--4--2-----------2--4--2--|
E|--0--3--4-----------0--3--4-----------|--0--3--4-----------0--3--4-----------|
Verse
E
E E E7
A
Chorus
A7
E
B7
A7
E
Verse
E
E
Chorus
A7
E
B7
A7
E
E
E
Instumental
Verse
E
E
E
Chorus
A7
E
B7
A7
E
E
Outro
E
E
B7 A
E|-------------|-------------|------------|------------|
B|-------------|-------------|------------|------------|
G|-------------|-------------|------------|------------|
D|--4--4--6--6-|-4--4--6--6--|-2--2--4--4-|-2--2--4--4-|
A|--2--2--2--2-|-2--2--2--2--|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|
E|-------------|-------------|------------|------------|
E
E|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
B|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
G|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
D|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
A|--2--2--4--4--|--2--2--4--4--|--2--2--4--4--|--2--2--4--4--|
E|--0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--|
B7 A
E|-------------|-------------|------------|------------|
B|-------------|-------------|------------|------------|
G|-------------|-------------|------------|------------|
D|--4--4--6--6-|-4--4--6--6--|-2--2--4--4-|-2--2--4--4-|
A|--2--2--2--2-|-2--2--2--2--|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|
E|-------------|-------------|------------|------------|
E
E|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
B|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
G|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
D|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
A|--2--2--4--4--|--2--2--4--4--|--2--2--4--4--|--2--2--4--4--|
E|--0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--|
From the album
Kinks
The Kinks · 1964 · Track 0