"Black Messiah" is the third track from

the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...

' 1978 album ''

Misfits Misfits or The Misfits may refer to: Film and television * ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift * ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film * ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...

''. It was written by

Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voca ...

Lyrics

The lyrics of "Black Messiah" cite racial and civil differences and unrest. The lead singer is a white man who lives in an all black neighborhood. This causes unrest, with the singer claiming that "they knock me down 'cos they brown and I white". Meanwhile, a "self-made prophet" in the house next door to the singer's claims that a "Black Messiah" "is gonna set the world on fire" and "set the whole world free". At first, the white man is skeptical, but he soon changes his opinion and believes the prophet. The song criticizes the so-called "racial equality" that blacks and whites say they strive for, saying that neither race really believes in this goal wholeheartedly.

Release and reception

"Black Messiah" was released on the ''

'' album, but was also released in single form. On the U.S. version of the "Live Life" single, "Black Messiah" replaced "In a Foreign Land" as the B-side. However, in Britain, "Black Messiah" became the third single from ''Misfits'', backed with "Misfits". The single was unsuccessful, and did not chart. However, this slightly different single edit was released as a bonus track on the reissue of ''Misfits''. Also, on the U.K. version of the ''Misfits'' album, "Black Messiah" was switched with "Live Life" in the running order, making it the third track on the U.K. album. "Black Messiah" has received mixed to negative reviews, mostly because of its lyrical content.

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

called the track "dismaying", and sarcastically remarked that "

Enoch Powell John Enoch Powell, (16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician, classical scholar, author, linguist, soldier, philologist, and poet. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament (1950–1974) and was Minister of Health (1 ...

would be proud." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

''s Ken Emerson said that although "'Black Messiah' rightly ridicules the naive enthusiasm of white audiences for the Rastafarianism of

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

(which it travesties musically by adulterating it with

Dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ( ...

), the song raises without resolving the issue of Davies' own racism."

References

{{authority control 1978 songs The Kinks songs Songs written by Ray Davies Arista Records singles Songs against racism and xenophobia