The Boys Light Up

James Reyne

About The Boys Light Up

"The Boys Light Up" is the second single and title track released by Australian rock band Australian Crawl from their debut album The Boys Light Up (1980). The song was written by lead singer James Reyne Australian Crawl's producer David Briggs was the Little River Band's guitarist, and had helped them to a recording contract with EMI. "The Boys Light Up" peaked at #22 on the Australian Singles Chart. The song contains the neologism "dorseted", to rhyme with "corseted". "People aren't used to hearing 'Dorseted', and it's not actually a word - it's from the Dorset Gardens - I'm trying to be as suburban as possible, and it rhymed with 'corseted'. " - James Reyne, 2003 Dorset Gardens hotel is a pub in Croydon an eastern suburb of Melbourne. The single was almost banned from radio play and some TV shows due to its explicit lyrics. Reyne makes observations about cocktail parties that his parents attended, including where one of his teachers was caught in the garden with someone else's wife. Many listeners believe the chorus lyrics are about smoking marijuana but Reyne has stated that it was about smoking tobacco cigarettes when he was in Form Four at The Peninsula School. In an interview with Peter Thompson on the ABC Television program Talking Heads, broadcast on 31 May 2010, Reyne answered a question on what the song was about, "Well, really? It's about fellatio, but[...] it was also about the sort of burgeoning, you know, kind of... new middle class, the new money and the new money aspirational... uh... class." 


Year:
2007
4:38
158 
#2

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Let me tell you about my mountain home
Where all the ladies names are Joan
Where husbands work back late at night
Hopes are up for trousers down
With hostess on a business flight
Taxi in a Mercedes drive
I hope that driver's coming out alive
The garden is a dorsetted
That lady she's so corseted
She's got 15 ways to lead that boy astray
He thinks he's one and only
But that lovely she's so lonely
She pumps him full of breakfast and she sends him on his way
What a sing song dance
What a performance
What a cheap tent show
Oh no no no no no

Then the boys light up
Then the boys light up 
Then the boys light up
Then the boys light up light up light up

Silently she opens the drawer
Mothers little helper is coming out for more
Strategically positioned before the midday show
Her back is arched those lips are parched
Repeated blow by blow
Later at the party all the mps rave
About the hummers she's been giving
And the money that they save
To her it is skin lotion
For his promotion to
That flat in surfers paradise with the ocean view
What a sing song dance
What a performance
What a cheap ten show
Oh no no no no no

Then the boys light up
Then the boys light up 
Then the boys light up
Then the boys light up light up light up

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James Reyne

James Reyne (born James Michael Nugent Reyne on 19 May 1957 in Lagos, Nigeria) is an Australian rock musician and singer/songwriter both as a member of the iconic 1980s band Australian Crawl and solo work. He is a successful singer/ songwriter and prolific artist. James continues to perform and release material. more »

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12 facts about this song

Genre Classification
"The Boys Light Up" by James Reyne is a classic example of Australian rock music, specifically from the early 1980s.
Band/Artist Origin
Although the song is often attributed solely to James Reyne as a solo artist, it was actually performed by Australian Crawl, a band for which Reyne was the lead vocalist.
Song Debut
"The Boys Light Up" was one of the tracks on Australian Crawl's debut album which was released in 1980, and it was also the band's debut single.
Chart Performance
Despite its popularity, the song didn't reach the top of the charts. It peaked at number 22 on the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart.
Song Length
The song has a run-time of 4:40 minutes, slightly longer than the average pop/rock song of its time.
Song Writing
"The Boys Light Up" was co-written by James Reyne and Guy McDonough. Both were members of Australian Crawl.
Banned from Radio
Due to its suggestive lyrical content, the song was initially banned from several radio stations in Australia as it was considered too controversial.
Australian Culture
"The Boys Light Up" has been described as an anthem of Australian pub rock, and the song's lyrics reflect the laid-back lifestyle and attitudes of young Australians at the time.
Long-lasting Success
Despite the initial controversy surrounding it, the song has since become a staple on Australian radio and is considered one of Australian Crawl's biggest hits.
Live Performances
Even after Australian Crawl disbanded in 1986, James Reyne continued to perform "The Boys Light Up" at solo concerts, solidifying its position as an iconic Australian rock song.
Certificate Award
"The Boys Light Up" album, in which the song featured, eventually achieved quadruple platinum status, signifying 280,000 copies shipped in Australia.
Cover Versions
A number of artists have covered "The Boys Light Up" over the years, reflecting its ongoing popularity in Australian music.

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