The Boys Light Up (song)

Infobox Single
Name = The Boys Light Up


Caption =
Artist = Australian Crawl
from Album = The Boys Light Up
A-side = "The Boys Light Up"
B-side = "Boot Hill"
Released = May, 1980
Format = 7" Vinyl Single
Recorded =
Genre = Rock
Length = 4:41
Label = EMI
Writer = James Reyne
Producer = David Briggs
Certification =
Last single = "Beautiful People"
(1979)
This single = "The Boys Light Up"
(1980)
Next single = "Downhearted"
(1980)
Misc =

"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.cite web |url=http://www.apra.com.au/site/public/searchworksresult.stm |title=Australasian Performing Right Association |publisher=APRA|accessdate=2008-03-07 ] cite web |url=http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/a/australiancrawl.html |title=Australian Rock Database entry on Australian Crawl |publisher=Magnus Holmgren |accessdate=2008-03-07 ]

Australian Crawl's producer David Briggs was the Little River Band’s guitarist, and had helped them to a recording contract with EMI.cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop |url=http://www.informationbrasil.com.br/diversao/musica/biografias/AUSTRALIAN%20CRAWL.doc |format=doc |last=McFarlane |first=Ian |authorlink= Ian McFarlane |publisher=Allen & Unwin |year=1999 |isbn=1-86448-768-2 |accessdate=2008-03-01] "The Boys Light Up" peaked at #22 on the Australian Singles Chart.cite book |title=Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 |format=doc |last=Kent |first=David |authorlink= David Kent|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6 |accessdate=2008-03-06 ]

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, 2003cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/love/episodes/transcript5.htm |title="Love is in the air" Episode 5: "National Anthems"; transcript of interview with James Reyne |publisher=ABC-TV |date=2003-11-09 |accessdate=2008-03-02 ]

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.cite web |url=http://www.memorabletv.com/musicworld/ozrock/atob.htm |title=Memorable TV Oz Rock: Australian Crawl entry |publisher=Memorable TV / Little Acorns Publishing |accessdate=2008-03-02 ] Reyne makes observations about cocktail parties that his parents attended and 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. It is estimated that the song contains the phrase "... "boys light up"..." over 40 times.

Track listing

#"The Boys Light Up" (James Reyne) - 4:41
#"Boot Hill" (Reyne) - 2:36

Charts

References

External links

* [http://www.lyricsdepot.com/australian-crawl/boys-light-up.html The Boys Light Up - Lyrics]