backstory

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Today I came across a link to the Kinks' video for "Come Dancing," in which Ray depicts an unlucky suitor, "blowing his wages for the week / all for a cuddle and a peck on the cheek." The sister is most likely Rene (sometimes seen online as Renee; I'm not sure which is correct), who gave Ray his first guitar for his 13th birthday. The video takes place in a recreation of the local dance hall, the Pally Palais. "The day they tore down the Palais / My sister stood and cried. / The day they tore down the Palais / Part of my childhood died."

I looked through the comments at YouTube, and didn't see any reference to something that I'd seen mentioned recently (I think it was at The Sideshow, though I can't find it now), so I went searching and finally found what I was looking for at The Kinks Artistfacts

Ray Davies' sister, Rene, died the day he turned 13. She gave him his first guitar that year as a birthday present.

and at the BBC:

'Come Dancing' was a classic Ray Davies track. He reminisced about watching his sisters go out to the dance hall that was down the road with various boyfriends. Although the Caribbean keyboards gave it a cheery music hall vibe, there was an undercurrent of sadness in the record. The brother's sister Rene had died after a night at the dance hall. In the video be played a seedy spiv based on his uncle Frank.

Knowing this doesn't detract from my enjoyment of this classic video, but it adds to the sympathy I feel for the 13-year-old kid sitting on the steps in the video. And the sister. And even her date, the "seedy spiv."

And for some reason, I wish I was a better dancer.

update: 'Pally' changed to 'Palais' throughout -- undecided on Rene/Renee/Irene (see comments)
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Comments

[davesslave.livejournal.com]

That IS a sad story.

[sdn.livejournal.com]

i believe her name was irene; could be wrong.

also, it's the palais (in british pronunciation; see also "caff" for cafe).

[meggins.livejournal.com]

O.mi.god. I've always adored that song, but I've always had a reaction of piercing sorrow to the lines you quoted, out of proportion to the (seeming) innocence of the words. After all, it wasn't my childhood being torn down. I've always suspected the story of the song was truly autobiographical, but I didn't know the part about his sister having died.