The Boys Are Back in Town
| "The Boys Are Back in Town" | |
|---|---|
 1991 Re-release UK 7" single |
|
| Single by Thin Lizzy | |
| from the album Jailbreak | |
| B-side | "Emerald", "Jailbreak" or "Sarah" |
| Released | 1976 1991 (re-release) |
| Format | 7", 12", CS, Picture disc |
| Genre | Hard rock |
| Length | 4:29 (Album), 3:11 (Single) |
| Label | Vertigo |
| Writer(s) | Phil Lynott |
| Producer | John Alcock |
"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.[1]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".[2] The song is played at most Irish Rugby matches.[3] In March 2005, Q magazine placed "The Boys Are Back in Town" at number 38 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.[4] The song was used for the trailer of Toy Story 2, only instead of "boys", they made the chorus sound like "toys" to go with the trailer. It was also used in a Wrangler Jeans commmercial.
Charts
| Single | UK | US | IRL |
|---|---|---|---|
| "The Boys Are Back in Town" (1976) | 8[3] | 12[2] | 1[3] |
| "The Boys Are Back in Town" (1991 reissue) | 63[5] | 16[6] |
Single release information
The original 1976 UK single release featured 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". "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.
Covers
- New Jersey rock band Bon Jovi 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 Hell 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 Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, Skid Row, Cinderella, and Gorky Park. The album was released in 1989 by Mercury/PolyGram Records and is now hard to find.
- The Rumble Strips covered the song in 2007 as a B-side to "Girls and Boys in Love"
- The alternative rock band Everclear covered this song on the Detroit Rock City soundtrack.
- The Cardigans have covered the song as a B-side to "Hey! Get Out of My Way."
- Michael Hayes, 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
- Chinchilla covered that song on The Last Millennium album (2002)
- Metalcore band Atreyu covered this song on their EP Covers of the Damned, though it only featured certain members of the band along with members of the bands they are currently touring with.
- Happy Mondays covered the song.
- A cover by Belle & Sebastian is featured on The BBC Sessions.
- Covered by Funeral For A Friend on Kerrang's Higher Voltage!: Another Brief History of Rock in 2007.
- Reggie Watts covered the song on Conan on 1 November 2011.
References
- ^ The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time : Rolling Stone
- ^ a b The Boys Are Back in Town : Rolling Stone
- ^ a b c BBC - Comic Relief does Fame Academy - Home
- ^ Q lists - page3
- ^ a b "The Boys Are Back in Town (1991) Record details". 45cat.com. http://www.45cat.com/record/lizzy15. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ "Irish Charts - Thin Lizzy". www.irishcharts.ie. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=1. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
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