The Kinks’ Dave Davies has responded to criticism dished out by musician Moby over their classic tune “Lola.”
In an interview with The Guardian, Moby revealed that the iconic tune was a song he could no longer listen to, noting, “’Lola’ by the Kinks came up on a Spotify playlist, and I thought the lyrics were gross and transphobic.”
He added, “I like their early music, but I was really taken aback at how unevolved the lyrics are.”
But Dave Davies took to social media to argue that the song isn’t transphobic at all.
“I don’t wanna show the guy up, but Moby should be careful what he says. the cockettes And their friends used to follow us around on tour,” he wrote on X, referring to the ’70s psychedelic hippie theater group formed in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. “We appreciated them.”
He added, “Why is Moby being so rude about this simple song? We’re not trans phobic. Why does he have to have a go at us?”
Dave Davies also posted a letter sent to him and brother Ray Davies, who wrote the song, from “trans icon” Jayne County on how meaningful the song “Lola” is to her. Dave Davies noted in the caption, “I am highly insulted that MOBY would accuse my brother of being ‘unevolved’ or transphobic in any way.”
“Lola,” released in June 1970, tells the story of a man’s encounter with a trans woman or cross-dresser. According to the lyrics, Lola “walked like a woman but talked like a man.” The song was a top-10 hit for the band.
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