"The Boys of Summer"
Single by Don Henley
from the album Building the Perfect Beast
B-side"A Month of Sundays"
ReleasedOctober 26, 1984 (1984-10-26)
Genre
Length4:48
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Don Henley singles chronology
"I Can't Stand Still"
(1983)		 "The Boys of Summer"
(1984)		 "All She Wants to Do Is Dance"
(1985)
Audio
"The Boys of Summer" on YouTube

"The Boys of Summer" is a song by the American musician Don Henley. The lyrics were written by Henley and the music was composed by Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released on October 26, 1984, as the lead single from Henley's album Building the Perfect Beast. [4] It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, number one on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart, and number 12 in the UK Singles Chart.

The music video won several awards. "The Boys of Summer" was also performed live by Henley with the reunited Eagles; a version is included on the group's 2005 DVD Farewell 1 Tour: Live from Melbourne.

Writing

Mike Campbell, the guitarist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, wrote a demo for "The Boys of Summer" while experimenting with a LinnDrum drum machine and Oberheim OB-X synthesizer. He showed it to Tom Petty, but Petty felt it did not fit with the record they were working on, Southern Accents. At the suggestion of the producer Jimmy Iovine, Campbell played it for Don Henley, the vocalist and drummer for the Eagles, who wrote the lyrics and recorded the vocal. They re-recorded the song after Henley decided to change the key.[5][6]

Composition

"The Boys of Summer" uses a repeating guitar riff. It was recorded in the key of F♯ major with a tempo of 88 beats per minute. Henley's vocals span F♯3 to A♯4.[7][8]

The lyrics appear to be about the passing of youth and entering middle age, with the nostalgic theme of "summer love"[9] and reminiscence of a past relationship.[10] In a 1987 interview with Rolling Stone, Henley explained that the song is about aging and questioning the past[11]—a recurring theme in Henley's lyrics (cf. "The End of the Innocence",[12] and "Taking You Home".[13]) In an interview with NME in 1985, Henley explained the '"Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac" lyric as an example of his generation selling out.[14][15]

I was driving down the San Diego Freeway and got passed by a $21,000 Cadillac Seville, the status symbol of the right-wing upper-middle-class American bourgeoisie – all the guys with the blue blazers with the crests and the grey pants – and there was this Grateful Dead "Deadhead" bumper sticker on it!

The song's title is taken from Roger Kahn's 1972 book about the Brooklyn Dodgers, which was in turn taken from a Dylan Thomas poem.[16]

Accolades

"The Boys of Summer" reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for five weeks. It was his most successful hit in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart. A re-release of the single in 1998 also reached No. 12.

Billboard called it "dance oriented pop swimming in synths and reverberating guitar."[17]

In 1986, Henley won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for the song.[18] "The Boys of Summer" was ranked No. 416 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "The Boys of Summer" is included in The Pitchfork 500, Pitchfork Media's "Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to Present."[19]

Tom Petty was astounded by the track's success. One day, he and Campbell were out on a car drive to listen to a mix of their song "Don't Come Around Here No More", but turned on the ignition and heard "The Boys of Summer". Campbell changed the station in case the song would upset Petty, but another station was also playing the song. Petty enjoyed listening to it and regretted initially turning it down.[20]

Music video

The music video to "The Boys of Summer" is a French New Wave-influenced piece directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Shot in black-and-white, it shows the main character of the song at three different stages of life (as a young boy, a young adult and middle-aged), in each case reminiscing about a past relationship. Interspersed with these scenes are segments of Henley singing the words of the song while riding in a pickup truck. The boy is dressed in a style typical of the 1950s, the teenage lovers are dressed in a style characteristic of the early 1960s while the middle-aged man is dressed in the style of the 1980s. As a boy in the 1950s, the protagonist practices playing the drums, suggesting musical aspirations; as a teenager in the 1960s, he walks down a beach with his girlfriend whom he kisses passionately; and as a middle-aged man in the 1980s, he appears to be an executive of some sort who is comfortable, but unhappy in life as he sits at his desk remembering his youth. The young boy in the video is played by a seven-year-old Josh Paul,[21] while the girl is played by Audie England. Interspersed with these scenes are segments of Henley articulating the words of the song while driving in a convertible. At its conclusion, the video uses the post-modern concept of exposing its own workings, as with a wry expression Henley drives the car away from a rear projection screen.

The video won the Video of the Year at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards (leading Henley to comment at the Awards the following year that he had won for "riding around in the back of a pickup").[22] It also won that year's awards for Best Direction, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography. The Best Direction award was presented to Mondino by Henley's then-former Eagles bandmate Glenn Frey.

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[37] Gold 45,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

DJ Sammy version

"The Boys of Summer"
Standard artwork for most CD releases
Single by DJ Sammy
from the album Heaven
B-side"Appalachian Fall"
ReleasedOctober 21, 2002 (2002-10-21)
Length4:55
LabelPulp, Urban
Songwriter(s)Don Henley, Mike Campbell
Producer(s)DJ Sammy, Martin Eyerer, Oliver Laib
DJ Sammy singles chronology
"Sunlight"
(2002)		 "The Boys of Summer"
(2002)		 "Rise Again"
(2004)

In 2002, Spanish trance artist DJ Sammy (with vocals performed by Dutch singer Loona) covered the song. It was released in 2002 as the third and final single from second studio album, Heaven (2002). This cover peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and was one of New Zealand's most successful hits of 2002, reaching number three and earning a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. The music video was filmed in València, Spain, and was released in November 2002.

Track listings

European maxi-CD single[39]

  1. "The Boys of Summer" (original radio edit) – 3:58
  2. "The Boys of Summer" (original extended version) – 6:33
  3. "The Boys of Summer" (Green Court remix) – 8:08
  4. "Appalachian Fall" – 4:54

UK CD single[40]

  1. "The Boys of Summer" (radio edit)
  2. "The Boys of Summer" (Jessy remix)
  3. "Heaven" (the Candleflip Bootleg mix)
  4. "The Boys of Summer" (CD-ROM video)

US maxi-CD single[41]

  1. "The Boys of Summer" (radio version) – 3:58
  2. "The Boys of Summer" (extended version) – 6:28
  3. "The Boys of Summer" (Green Court remix) – 8:00
  4. "The Boys of Summer" (Humate remix) – 8:12
  5. "The Boys of Summer" (Martin Eyerer remix) – 8:42
  6. "Appalachian Fall" – 4:16

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[66] Gold 35,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[67] Gold 5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[68] Silver 200,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Australia October 21, 2002 CD Central Station [69]
Europe November 18, 2002
[48]
United Kingdom February 24, 2003
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 Data [70]

The Ataris version

"The Boys of Summer"
Artwork for overseas commercial release
Single by the Ataris
from the album So Long, Astoria
ReleasedSeptember 8, 2003
Length4:20
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Don Henley, Mike Campbell
The Ataris singles chronology
"In This Diary"
(2003)		 "The Boys of Summer"
(2003)		 "The Saddest Song"
(2003)

In 2003, the rock band the Ataris covered "The Boys of Summer" for their album So Long, Astoria. The song became their second single when a radio station began to play it. The single peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Chart (held off the No. 1 top spot by Linkin Park's "Faint") and No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains their most successful single.[71]

The Ataris' version of the song replaced the "Deadhead sticker" reference with one that the band felt was more appropriate to the age group of their fans, namely a "Black Flag sticker", in honor of the punk rock band from the 1980s. In a 2016 interview, Henley was asked if he was okay with the lyric change and responded critically, "No, not really... And if you noticed, we haven’t heard much from the Ataris since then."[72] On the contrary, Mike Campbell said "it's not a song you expect a young band like that to do, but I kind of like their version of it."[73]

Music video

The music video was directed by Steven Murashige and was released in July 2003.[74]

Charts

Chart (2003–2004) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[75] 24
Germany (Official German Charts)[76] 45
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[77] 17
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[78] 87
UK Singles (OCC)[79] 49
US Billboard Hot 100[71] 20
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[80] 2
US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[71] 36
US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks[71] 18
US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[71] 10

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[81] Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

The Lightning Kids version

In 2022, British band the Lightning Kids released their version of "The Boys of Summer" as a single.[82]

References

  1. ↑ Houghton, Cillea (August 9, 2023). "7 Songs Don Henley Wrote That Became Classics". American Songwriter. Retrieved August 27, 2023. "Summer" is not only one of Henley's classic songs but a classic song from '80s rock.
  2. ↑ Graff, Gary (1998). "Don Henley". In Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 544–545.
  3. ↑ "100 Best Singles of 1984: Pop's Greatest Year". Rolling Stone. September 17, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Public Catalog". www.copyright.gov. U.S. Copyright Office. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  5. ↑ Boys of Summer explained by Mike Campbell on YouTube
  6. ↑ "Mike Campbell". Songfacts. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Key & BPM for The Boys Of Summer by Don Henley | Tunebat". tunebat.com. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  8. ↑ Henley, Don (February 11, 2013). "Don Henley "The Boys of Summer" Sheet Music in E Minor (transposable) - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Top 21 Songs About Nostalgia". Consequence of Sound. September 3, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  10. ↑ Puterbaugh, Parke (January 31, 1985). "Don Henley: Building The Perfect Beast". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 24, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2008. ...a wistful look over the shoulder at a faded summer romance.
  11. ↑ Gilmore, Mikal (December 10, 1987). "Henley Interview 1987". Rolling Stone. 512 (20th Anniversary Issue). Archived from the original on October 10, 2008. Retrieved September 9, 2008. Beyond that, I'm also not convinced we really accomplished all that much. Kennedy was president and everybody thought it was Camelot, but look at what we did. We raised all that hell in the Sixties, and then what did we come up with in the Seventies? Nixon and Reagan. The country reverted right back into the hands it was in before. I don't think we changed a damn thing, frankly. That's what the last verse of 'The Boys of Summer' was about. I think our intentions were good, but the way we went about it was ridiculous. We thought we could change things by protesting and making firebombs and growing our hair long and wearing funny clothes. But we didn't follow through. After all our marching and shouting and screaming didn't work, we withdrew and became yuppies and got into the 'Me' Decade.
  12. ↑ "A father now, Don Henley has matured—as has his music". CNN.com. July 3, 2000. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2008. As a solo artist, Henley offered bittersweet commentary on aging - on what happens when those carefree rebels grow up - in such songs as 'Boys of Summer' and 'The End of the Innocence.'
  13. ↑ Varkentine, Ben (May 23, 2000). "Don Henley: Inside Job". PopMatters. Retrieved September 13, 2008. Don Henley is the cynical man's cynical man.
  14. ↑ Cooke, R. (February 23, 1985). "Bumper Sticker!". NME.
  15. ↑ Cresswell, Toby (2005). Rockwiz 1001 Songs. SBS.
  16. ↑ DeMain, Bill (July 29, 2022). "How a Tom Petty reject gave Don Henley the ultimate song of lost innocence". loudersound.com.
  17. ↑ "Reviews". Billboard. November 10, 1984. p. 69. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1986". awardsandshows.com. February 25, 1986. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  19. ↑ Plagenhoef, Scott; Schreiber, Ryan, eds. (November 2008). The Pitchfork 500. Simon & Schuster. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-4165-6202-3.
  20. ↑ Lifton, Dave (November 2, 2020). "Why Tom Petty Let Don Henley Record "The Boys of Summer"". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  21. ↑ "The Band". The Chris Daughtry Fanlisting. September 8, 2008. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2008.
  22. ↑ "Don Henley's stand-up performance takes top honor among MTV awards". The Dallas Morning News. Associated Press. September 15, 1985. Retrieved October 30, 2008. Don Henley, whose video Boys of Summer won the top honor at the MTV Video Music Awards, says he did little more during the making of the piece than stand in the rear of a pickup truck that was driven around Los Angeles.
  23. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  24. ↑ Nanda Lwin (1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  25. 1 2 "The Irish Charts - All there is to know - Boys of Summer". irishcharts.ie. IRMA. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 - 2 Maart 1985/Week 9 (Dutch)". Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  27. ↑ "Don Henley – The Boys of Summer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Don Henley – The Boys of Summer". Top 40 Singles.
  29. 1 2 "The Official Charts Company - Results Matching: The Boys Of Summer". OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  30. 1 2 "Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Chartverfolgung / Henley, Don / Single". musicline.de (in German). Phononet Gmbh. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Suomen virallinen lista". Retrieved July 1, 2009.
  33. ↑ "Sverigetopplistan". Sverigetopplistan.se. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  35. ↑ "Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report. Retrieved January 23, 2023 – via Imgur.
  36. ↑ "Top 100 Songs of 1985 - Billboard Year End Charts". Bob Borst's Home of Pop Culture. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Don Henley – The Boys of Summer". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  38. ↑ "British single certifications – Don Henley – The Boys of Summer". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  39. ↑ The Boys of Summer (European maxi-CD single liner notes). DJ Sammy. Pulp Records, Urban Records. 2002. 019 488-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  40. ↑ The Boys of Summer (UK CD single liner notes). DJ Sammy. Pulp Records, Data Records. 2003. DATA49CDS.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  41. ↑ The Boys of Summer (US maxi-CD single liner notes). DJ Sammy. Robbins Entertainment. 2002. 76869-72075-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  42. ↑ "DJ Sammy – Boys of Summer". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Issue 667" ARIA Top 50 Dance Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  44. ↑ "DJ Sammy – Boys of Summer" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  45. ↑ "DJ Sammy – Boys of Summer" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  46. ↑ "Oficiální Česká Hitparáda - Pro týden 4/2003" (in Czech). IFPI ČR. Archived from the original on February 1, 2003. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  47. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 21, no. 12. March 15, 2003. p. 11. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  48. 1 2 "DJ Sammy – Boys of Summer" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  49. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  50. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – DJ Sammy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  51. ↑ "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 24 October 2002". GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  52. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 1, 2003" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  53. ↑ "DJ Sammy – Boys of Summer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  54. ↑ "DJ Sammy – Boys of Summer". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  55. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  56. ↑ "DJ Sammy – Boys of Summer". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  57. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  58. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  59. ↑ "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. February 8, 2003. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  60. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2002". ARIA. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  61. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Dance Singles 2002". ARIA. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  62. ↑ "End of Year Charts 2002". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  63. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2003". ARIA. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  64. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Dance Singles 2003". ARIA. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  65. ↑ "ChartsPlus YE2003 - UKChartsPlus" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  66. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  67. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – DJ Sammy – Boys of Summer". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  68. ↑ "British single certifications – DJ Sammy – The Boys of Summer". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  69. ↑ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 21st October 2002" (PDF). ARIA. October 21, 2002. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  70. ↑ "New Release Countdown: Singles". Music Week. March 22, 2003. p. 21.
  71. 1 2 3 4 5 "Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - The Ataris". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  72. ↑ Zivitz, Jordan (September 9, 2016). "Q&A: Don Henley on growing up in Cass County, Eagles, and coping with the loss of Glenn Frey". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  73. ↑ "The Boys of Summer". Songfacts.com. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  74. ↑ The Ataris videography, Mvdbase.com
  75. ↑ "The Ataris – The Boys of Summer". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  76. ↑ "The Ataris – The Boys of Summer" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  77. ↑ "The Ataris – The Boys of Summer". Top 40 Singles.
  78. ↑ "The Ataris – The Boys of Summer". Swiss Singles Chart.
  79. ↑ "The Official Charts Company - The Ataris - The Boys Of Summer". OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  80. ↑ "The Ataris Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  81. ↑ "American single certifications – Ataris – The Boys Of Summer". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  82. ↑ Jung, Alexi (February 23, 2023). "The Lightning Kids want us to get a little closer in upcoming release". Music Crowns. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
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