Paul Revere and The Raiders – Kicks

About The Song

In March 1966, “Kicks” made its debut on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 62. The song reached its peak position at number four in May and remained on the chart for a total of 14 weeks. Within two months of its release, the single had already sold 500,000 copies, marking a significant achievement for Paul Revere & the Raiders. At that time, it was their highest-charting U.S. hit, a record later surpassed only by “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)” in 1971, which reached number one. “Kicks” also secured the band’s first Canadian number one single in May 1966 and reached number 14 on Tio i Topp in Sweden.

The song holds historical significance as the first hit single with an anti-drug message in the United States. However, due to the Communications Act of 1934, which empowered the Federal Communications Commission to monitor radio and TV industries, some censors misunderstood the song title and erroneously believed “Kicks” glorified drug use. Despite this, the single achieved commercial success, selling half a million copies within two months.

Over time, the lyrics of “Kicks” were perceived as outdated by the youth, who were increasingly experimenting with marijuana and LSD. The emerging counterculture favored songs with psychedelic drug themes, such as “White Rabbit,” “Along Comes Mary,” and “Eight Miles High,” performed by popular artists like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and the Byrds. This contrast contributed to a perception that Paul Revere & the Raiders were aligned with the Establishment, upsetting figures like David Crosby of the Byrds.

Despite criticism from some quarters, “Kicks” received praise from Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson and music critic Chris Brown. Wilson singled out “Kicks” as one of his favorites of Terry Melcher’s works, while Brown commended the song’s well-timed and executed harmony, describing it as “cool and anti-drug.” In his book “Everybody Must Get Stoned,” R. U. Sirius named “Kicks” the number one rock song against drugs, highlighting its clear and concise lyrics by the Mann-Weil songwriting team. Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 400 on its 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and Paste Magazine placed it 36th on its 2014 list of the “50 Best Garage Rock Songs of All Time.”

Video

Lyrics

Girl, you thought you found the answer
On that magic carpet ride last night
But when you wake up in the mornin’
The world still gets you uptight

Well, there’s nothin’ that you ain’t tried
To fill the emptiness inside
But when you come back down, girl
Still ain’t feelin’ right

And don’t it seem like
Kicks just keep gettin’ harder to find
And all your kicks ain’t bringin’ you peace of mind
Before you find out it’s too late, girl
You better get straight

No, but not with kicks
You just need help, girl

Well you think you’re gonna find yourself
A little piece of paradise
But it ain’t happened yet
So girl, you better think twice

Don’t you see, no matter what you do
You’ll never run away from you
And if you keep on runnin’
You’ll have to pay the price

And don’t it seem like
Kicks just keep gettin’ harder to find
And all your kicks ain’t bringin’ you peace of mind
Before you find out it’s too late, girl
You better get straight

No, you don’t need kicks
To help you face the world each day
That road goes nowhere
I’m gonna help you find yourself another way

Kicks just keep gettin’ harder to find
(Oh, you don’t need kicks, girl)
And all your kicks ain’t bringin’ you peace of mind
(You just need help, girl)
Before you find out it’s too late, girl
You better get straight

And don’t it seem like
Kicks just keep gettin’ harder to find
(Oh, you don’t need kicks, girl)
And all your kicks ain’t bringin’ you peace of mind
(You just need help, girl)
Before you find out it’s too late, girl
You better get straight