[Dean's World] Ron Coleman: The boys are back in town

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Posted by Ron Coleman:
The boys are back in town
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1157381191.shtml


   I've just been pondering the fact that Thin Lizzy's [1]"The Boys are
   Back in Town" might be the stupidest pop song ever.

   All right, that's impossible. But it is so stupid, and this morning it
   was the background of some radio commercial, and I was compelled to
   share the moment with you.

     Guess who just got back today? Them wild-eyed boys that had been
     away Haven't changed, haven't much to say But man, I still think
     them cats are crazy

   Where were these boys? The state penitentiary? Hollywood? What kind of
   boys travel as a group and then magically, or perhaps seasonally,
   reappear in "town" as a unit? Are the "boys" 16? Thirty? How many
   "wild-eyed" cats do you know who "haven't much to say"? Man, around
   here "wild-eyed cats" don't shut up, whether anyone's listening or
   not.

     They were asking if you were around How you was, where you could be
     found Told them you were living downtown Driving all the old men
     crazy

   The group as a whole inquired about this one young lady, evidently.
   She must have liked these crazy cats and by all accounts the fondness,
   as multivalent as it was, was mutual. Why "if you were around" --
   proper use of the subjunctive voice -- but "How you was"? A little
   posing, perhaps?

     Friday night they'll be dressed to kill Down at Dino's bar and
     grill The drink will flow and blood will spill And if the boys want
     to fight, you'd better let them

   What are they, a pack of well-dressed murderers? Are they a motorcycle
   gang? They're not usually dressed so nice. "Dressed to kill" -- are
   they the Rat Pack? Why do I have to let them fight? They're only boys,
   after all. Am I supposed to be happy about the reemergence of these
   delightful boys?

   Great hook, yeah. But this song just makes me curl my toes. It's just
   so full of phony adolescent bravado. There are other bad ones out
   there, but this one finally needed to be addressed. I hope I have made
   my point.

References

   1. http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/theboysarebackintownlyrics.html