The Kinks: Holloway Jail
2007.Aug.30
Seems a little like ol’ Ray Davies buried the leed in “Holloway Jail.” It’s ostensibly about HM Prison Holloway (Wikipedia), right? Which still exists in London and has in various iterations since 1852. And, okay, you’ve got a lady there, have you?
They took my baby down Holloway jail.
She was a lady when she went in.
Now she's in jail, and it's giving me hell.
Fair enough. Your lady is in jail and even though that basically 100%-izes the likelihood you’re some flavor of dirtbag, it still gives you hell. Got it. Understood. Sucks. Sorry for you. But wuzzis:
The C.I.D. were hot on his trail.
Frankie promised everything
and then he went and turned her in.
She went and took the rap for him.
Now she's impaled in Holloway jail
…Uh-huh, uh-huh. And who is “Frankie”? A spiv, is he? Not sure how to say this, mate, but it sounds like Frankie’s baby is in Holloway Jail. Because “you” are nowhere to be found in this tale except in its telling, and your baby is living a hell because “she went and took the rap” for this dude. Hate the player, not the game?
MAPPING IT
HM Prison Holloway, London. Still standing, sounds like it’s still a nightmare.
HEARING IT
“Holloway Jail,” from the excellent, excellent 1971 Muswell Hillbillies