What is “Afternoon Tea” about?
From the horses’ mouths: Pat: “Afternoon Tea.” I was in Japan on my honeymoon, and walking around Kyoto, my wife Mary and I, and came across a shop that sold British flatware and cups and things like that, and it was called Afternoon Tea. And I said, “This is a song title staring me in the face.” I didn’t know that the Kinks and probably a lot of other people had songs called “Afternoon Tea.” Dennis: ‘sokay. Pat: Thank you. After we finished recording it, Mike [Mesaros] came up to me and said, “You know, the Kinks have a song called `Afternoon Tea.'” I said, “Well, thanks, Mike.” “Afternoon Tea” is written for our friend George who was our booking agent at Premiere who died of AIDS. And I saw his disintegration, and him very much losing his mind and losing not the will to live, but he was Dennis: Just losing his life. Pat: He was losing his life, and he was disassociating himself from everybody around him. He was distancing himself because it was easier, and the disease was taking its
