The Boys Are Back in Town
Encyclopedia
"The Boys Are Back in Town" is a single from Irish
hard rock
band Thin Lizzy
. The song came out in 1976 on their album Jailbreak
. It was honoured with the 499th position among the 2004 Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, though it was not included in the 2010 update. Rolling Stone
praised lead singer Phil Lynott
's "Gaelic soul" and called the "twin-guitar lead by Scott Gorham
and Brian Robertson
" used "crucial to the song's success". The song is played at most Irish Rugby matches. In March 2005, Q magazine placed "The Boys Are Back in Town" at number 38 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The song was used for the trailer of Toy Story
, only instead of "boys", they made the chorus sound like "toys" to go with the trailer.
" 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. 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".
"The Boys Are Back in Town" is widely believed to be about soldiers coming home from war. However, the album notes clearly state it is actually about the Quality Street Gang
, a group that Phil Lynott
was familiar with from his time as child in Manchester.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
. The song came out in 1976 on their album Jailbreak
Jailbreak (album)
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described Jailbreak as a "truly exceptional album", with "a dimension of richness that sustains, but there's such kinetic energy to the band that it still sounds immediate no matter how many times it's played". Highlighting Lynott's songs as "lovingly florid.....
. It was honoured with the 499th position among the 2004 Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, though it was not included in the 2010 update. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
praised lead singer Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott
Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
's "Gaelic soul" and called the "twin-guitar lead by Scott Gorham
Scott Gorham
Scott Gorham is an American guitarist and songwriter who rose to international recognition as one of the "twin lead guitarists" of the Irish-formed rock band, Thin Lizzy...
and Brian Robertson
Brian Robertson
Brian "Robbo" David Robertson is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known for his work with Thin Lizzy and Motörhead.-Early life:...
" used "crucial to the song's success". The song is played at most Irish Rugby matches. In March 2005, Q magazine placed "The Boys Are Back in Town" at number 38 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The song was used for the trailer of Toy Story
Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
, only instead of "boys", they made the chorus sound like "toys" to go with the trailer.
Charts
| Single | UK | US | IRL |
|---|---|---|---|
| "The Boys Are Back in Town" (1976) | 8 | 12 | 1 |
| "The Boys Are Back in Town" (1991 reissue) | 63 | 16 | |
Single release information
The original 1976 UK single release featured album track "Emerald" as a B-side, although in some territories "JailbreakJailbreak (Thin Lizzy song)
"Jailbreak" is a song by Thin Lizzy that originally appeared as the title track on their 1976 album Jailbreak. Along with "The Boys Are Back in Town", it is one of their most popular songs, and is a classic rock radio staple, receiving steady airplay....
" 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. The 12" EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
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".
"The Boys Are Back in Town" is widely believed to be about soldiers coming home from war. However, the album notes clearly state it is actually about the Quality Street Gang
Quality Street gang
The Quality Street Gang was a name given to a group of criminals operating in Manchester in the 1960s and 1970s. Although the group was considered by some senior officers in the Greater Manchester Police to be the instigators of much of Manchester's major crime, many others believed that the gang...
, a group that Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott
Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
was familiar with from his time as child in Manchester.
Covers
- New Jersey rock band Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
have covered the song live during concerts and have used it as a B-Side. The studio recording appeared on the compilation album Stairway to Heaven/Highway to HellStairway to Heaven/Highway to HellStairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell was a 1989 compilation album featuring bands that performed at the Moscow Music Peace Festival. It was released by the Make a Difference Foundation. Each song is a cover of a famous solo artist or rock band who had suffered a drug- or alcohol-related death. The...
which featured covers of songs by artists/groups who had been touched by drug or alcohol abuse a la Phil Lynott. Also featured were Mötley CrüeMötley CrüeMötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
, Ozzy OsbourneOzzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, ScorpionsScorpions (band)Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, Skid Row, CinderellaCinderella (band)Cinderella is an American heavy metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation. They were famous for being a glam metal band, but then shifted over towards a more hard...
, and Gorky ParkGorky Park (band)Gorky Park or Парк Горького was a Soviet Glam Metal band, that gained mainstream popularity in USA during Perestroika. Gorky Park is famous for its kitsch use of western stereotypes of Russians, such as pseudo-traditional clothing, balalaika-like guitar design and Hammer and sickle as their logo...
. The album was released in 1989 by Mercury/PolyGram Records and is now hard to find. - The Rumble StripsThe Rumble StripsThe Rumble Strips are an English band from Tavistock, Devon. The band take their name from Rumble Strips, which are small, continuous lines of bumps along the edge of a road. Having known each other since childhood, a precise conception date for the band doesn't really exist. The current line-up...
covered the song in 2007 as a B-side to "Girls and Boys in Love" - The alternative rockAlternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band EverclearEverclear (band)Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
covered this song on the Detroit Rock City soundtrack. - The CardigansThe CardigansThe Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
have covered the song as a B-side to "Hey! Get Out of My Way." - Michael HayesMichael Hayes (wrestler)Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
, a member of the Fabulous Freebirds wrestling clique, had a brief rock career, during which he covered the song on his album Off The Streets - ChinchillaChinchilla (band)Chinchilla is a heavy metal band from Germany. The group was originally founded by guitarist Udo Gerstenmeyer in 1988, and released an EP entitled No Mercy in 1990. This incarnation of the band broke up just after the release of the album, but Gerstenmeyer reformed the band in 1994 and recorded a...
covered that song on The Last Millennium album (2002) - Metalcore band AtreyuAtreyuAtreyu can mean:* Atreyu, a character from Michael Ende's Neverending Story* Atreyu , an American metalcore band...
covered this song on their EP Covers of the DamnedCovers of the DamnedCovers of the Damned is an EP of covered songs, recorded for Atreyu's Congregation of the Damned Tour, in support of their fifth album, Congregation of the Damned. The performers were a collaboration of Atreyu, along with their tourmates Blessthefall, Chiodos, Endless Hallway and Architects...
, though it only featured certain members of the band along with members of the bands they are currently touring with. - Happy MondaysHappy MondaysHappy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
covered the song. - A cover by Belle & SebastianBelle & SebastianBelle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
is featured on The BBC SessionsThe BBC Sessions (Belle and Sebastian album)The BBC Sessions is an album by Belle & Sebastian. It is a double album. The first disc is a compilation of unreleased recordings recorded between 1996 and 2001, while the second is a live recording from a concert in Belfast on 21 December 2001...
. - Covered by Funeral For A FriendFuneral for a FriendFuneral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:...
on Kerrang's Higher Voltage!: Another Brief History of RockHigher Voltage!: Another Brief History of RockHigher Voltage!: Another Brief History of Rock is a Kerrang! covermount CD released on June 20, 2007, featuring many older rock songs, covered by newer rock artists.-Track listing:#"Davidian" - Lostprophets...
in 2007. - Reggie WattsReggie WattsReggie Watts is a Seattle-based comedian and musician. His shows are mostly improvised and consist of stream of consciousness stand-up in various shifting personae, mixed with loop pedal-based a cappella compositions. He also performs regularly on television, radio, and in live theater...
covered the song on Conan on 1 November 2011.