The Boys Are Back in Town explained

The Boys Are Back in Town
Cover:theboysareback.jpg
Caption:1991 Re-release UK 7-inch single
Type:single
Artist:Thin Lizzy
Album:Jailbreak
B-Side:"Emerald" or "Jailbreak"
Released:April 1976
Studio:Ramport, London
Genre:Rock[1] [2]
Length:4:29 (album version)
3:11 (single version)
Label:Vertigo (UK)
Mercury (US)
Producer:John Alcock
Prev Title:Wild One
Prev Year:1975
Next Title:Jailbreak
Next Year:1976

"The Boys Are Back in Town" is a song by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. The song was released in 1976 as the first single from their album Jailbreak. It is considered by Rolling Stone to be the band's best song, placing it at No. 272 on the 2021 edition of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.

Lyrical content

There are many theories regarding the inspiration behind the lyrics to "The Boys Are Back in Town", although none has been verified.[3] One theory is that it is about a group of Manchester criminals collectively known as the Quality Street Gang.[4]

Single release information

The original 1976 UK single release featured the album track "Emerald" as a B-side, although in some territories "Jailbreak" was chosen. The single was remixed and re-released in several formats in March 1991, after the success of the "Dedication" single, reaching No. 63 in the UK.[5] The 12" EP featured the extra tracks "Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed", "Black Boys on the Corner" and a live version of "Me and the Boys".

Shortly after the UK single release of "The Boys Are Back In Town" BBC Radio 1 Disc Jockey Tony Blackburn picked this single as his 'Record of the Week', receiving daily plays during his mid morning show.

Reception

"It was 1976 and we were touring America", recalled Scott Gorham. "Jailbreak wasn't shifting and we weren't selling any tickets". The band were surprised to learn from their manager that "The Boys Are Back in Town" was becoming a hit record, especially as the track had not been among the ten songs originally chosen by the band for the album. Gorham attributed the song's unexpected success to two DJs in Louisville, Kentucky who "played it incessantly until other stations in the surrounding area picked up on it… Had that song not kickstarted the sales of the album, then the band was over."[6] [7]

It was given 499th position among the 2004 Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,[8] though was not included in the 2010 update. However, it re-entered the list in the 2021 update at an even higher position than before at number 272.[9] Rolling Stone praised lead singer and bassist Phil Lynott's "Gaelic soul" and said the "twin-guitar lead by Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson" was "crucial to the song's success".[10] In March 2005, Q magazine placed "The Boys Are Back in Town" at No. 38 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.[11] The song won a 1976 NME Award for Best Single.[12]

Other uses

At the 2012 Republican National Convention, the song was used to introduce then vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan on stage. This unauthorised use of the song caused controversy. Both Lynott's mother, Philomena Lynott, and Thin Lizzy lead guitarist Gorham criticised its use, suggesting that Lynott would not have wanted his music used for any political purpose, including endorsing politicians, and furthermore would likely have objected to the policies of Ryan and his running mate Mitt Romney.[13] [14]

The song is played at most Irish rugby matches.[15]

The song is featured in a trailer and various TV spots for the 1995 Disney/Pixar film Toy Story.

Charts

Weekly charts

1991 reissue

Year-end charts

Chart (1976)Position
US Billboard Hot 100[17] 97
US Cash Box[18] 91

Cover versions

Happy Mondays version

A cover version of The Boys Are Back in Town became the last Top 40 single for the Manchester rock band Happy Mondays when it peaked at number 24 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1999.[19] [20] According to the band they did not think that their version was a straight cover, but a record "inspired by the Phil Lynott song, but doesn't sound a thing like the original".[21]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Paste Staff . The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time. . June 3, 2024. ...turning in three of the greatest rock tracks of the era: “The Boys Are Back in Town,” “Jailbreak” and “Cowboy Song. June 4, 2024.
  2. Book: Night Moves - Pop Music in the Late 70s. Don. Breithaupt. Jeff. Breithaupt. July 17, 2000. Dazed and Confused: Rock. 116. St. Martin's Griffin. 978-0-312-19821-3.
  3. Bailie, Stuart – Jailbreak album sleeve notes
  4. News: 28 February 2011. Phil Lynott's mother recalls exciting days in Manchester. Manchester Evening News. 23 June 2018. 14 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180614044625/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/phil-lynotts-mother-recalls-exciting-855110. live.
  5. Web site: The Boys Are Back in Town (1991) Record details . 17 June 2011 . 45cat.com . 7 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120907024118/http://www.45cat.com/record/lizzy15 . live .
  6. [Geoff Barton|Barton, Geoff]
  7. Web site: Scott Gorham on 40 Years of Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak . Ling . Dave . . 2016-03-26 . 2021-12-31 . 31 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211231104025/https://www.loudersound.com/features/40-years-thin-lizzy-jailbreak-scott-gorham . live .
  8. The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (1–500). https://web.archive.org/web/20090330202021/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/5. March 30, 2009. Rolling Stone. December 9, 2004.
  9. Web site: 500 Best Songs of All Time . rollingstone.com . 15 September 2021 . Rolling Stone . 16 September 2021 . 17 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210917153928/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/thin-lizzy-the-boys-are-back-in-town-1225066/ . live .
  10. News . https://web.archive.org/web/20061228110828/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596344/the_boys_are_back_in_town . 28 December 2006 . . 2016-07-27.
  11. Web site: Rocklist.net...Q Magazine Lists . Rocklistmusic.co.uk . 2016-07-27 . 13 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181013220837/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm . live .
  12. Web site: 1976 – NME. . 28 February 1976. 22 January 2018. 23 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180123072355/http://www.nme.com/awards-history/1976-606201. live.
  13. News: McDonald. Henry. 3 September 2012. Phil Lynott's mother objects to Mitt Romney using Thin Lizzy's music. The Guardian. 16 December 2016. 19 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170719225439/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/03/phil-lynott-mitt-romney-thin-lizzy. live.
  14. Scott Gorham hits out at Mitt Romney's use of 'The Boys Are Back In Town' | Music | News. Hot Press. 2016-07-27. 20 May 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130520021943/http://www.hotpress.com/news/9172026.html. live.
  15. Web site: Comic Relief does Fame Academy – Home . . 2014-09-24 . 2016-07-27 . 25 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150925050607/http://www.bbc.co.uk/fameacademy/songs/89.shtml . live .
  16. Web site: Forum – 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) . Australian-charts.com . 2016-12-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160602084720/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 . 2016-06-02 .
  17. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1976/Top 100 Songs of 1976. www.musicoutfitters.com. 15 December 2016. 7 March 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040307155555/http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1976.htm. live.
  18. Web site: Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1976. tropicalglen.com. 15 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20181020004356/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1976YESP.html. 20 October 2018.
  19. Web site: Happy Mondays | full Official Chart History. Officialcharts.com. 7 December 2021. 1 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210501173728/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26199/happy-mondays/. live.
  20. Book: Strong, Martin C. . 2000 . The Great Rock Discography . 5th . Mojo Books . Edinburgh . 421–422 . 1-84195-017-3.
  21. Web site: MONDAYS SKANK YOUR WAY IN MAY. NME. 14 March 1999. 7 December 2021. 2 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211202134058/https://www.nme.com/news/music/happy-mondays-125-1391234. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "The Boys Are Back in Town".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.