The Boys Are Back In Town

Song Meaning of The Boys Are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy

After seven years on the concert circuit, Irish rockers Thin Lizzy finally secured a big hit with their 1976’s “The Boys Are Back in Town”.

At first, Lynott wasn’t sure what to do with the track “I was calling it ‘G.I. Joe Is Back,’ ‘The Kids Are Back,’ but that was like the Who,” he recalled. “It was a case of overthinking.”

"The Boys Are Back in Town" is a song by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. The song was originally released in 1976 as the first single from their album Jailbreak.

There are many theories regarding the inspiration behind "The Boys Are Back in Town", although none has been verified. One theory is that it is about the Quality Street Gang, who were responsible for most of the crime in Manchester in the 1970s and 1980s.

"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."

The song reached number 1 in Ireland, number 8 in the UK and number 12 in the USA Billboard 100.

The Boys Are Back in Town lyrics by Thin Lizzy

Guess who just got back today?

Them wild-eyed boys that'd been away

Haven't changed, hadn't much to say

But man, I still think them cats are crazy

They were askin' if you were around

How you was, where you could be found

Told them you were livin' downtown

Drivin' all the old men crazy

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

I said, the boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

You know that chick that used to dance a lot?

Every night, she'd be on the floor, shakin' what she's got

Man, when I tell ya she was cool, she was red hot

I mean she was steamin'

And that time over at Johnny's place

Well, this chick got up and she slapped Johnny's face

Man, we just fell about the place

If that chick don't wanna know, forget her

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

I said, the boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

Spread the word around

Guess who's back in town!

You spread the word around!

Friday night they'll be dressed to kill

Down at Dino's bar and grill

The drink will flow, and blood will spill

And if the boys wanna fight, you better let 'em

That jukebox in the corner blasting out my favourite song

The nights are gettin' warmer, it won't be long

Won't be long 'til summer comes

Now that the boys are here again

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

(Spread the word around)

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

(The boys are back, the boys are back)

The boys are back in town again

They're hangin' down at Dino's

The boys are back in town again!