"Lonely Boy"
cover art
US single picture sleeve
Single by Andrew Gold
from the album What's Wrong with This Picture?
B-side"Must Be Crazy"
Released11 February 1977 (UK)[1]
March 1977 (US)
Recorded1976
Genre
Length4:24
LabelAsylum
Songwriter(s)Andrew Gold
Producer(s)Peter Asher
Andrew Gold singles chronology
"That's Why I Love You"
(1976)		 "Lonely Boy"
(1977)		 "Go Back Home Again"
(1978)
Music video
"Lonely Boy" on YouTube

"Lonely Boy" is an international hit song from 1977, written and recorded by Andrew Gold in 1976 for his album What's Wrong with This Picture? It spent five months on the American charts, peaking at number seven in both Canada[4] and the United States,[5] the latter for three consecutive weeks on June 11, 18 and 25, 1977,[6][7] and number 11 in the United Kingdom. While "Lonely Boy" would be Gold's biggest U.S. hit, his track "Never Let Her Slip Away" achieved greater success in the U.K.

Overview

The song follows the life of a child who feels neglected by his parents after the birth of a younger sister. Many assume this song to be autobiographical, yet Gold denied the implication, despite great similarities between the lyrics and his life. Regarding the verses' first lines: "He was born on a summer day in 1951" matches Gold's August 2, 1951 birthday, "In the summer of '53 his mother/Brought him a sister" matches his sister Martha's July 22, 1953 birthday, and "He left home on a winter day, 1969" may match the formation of Bryndle, of which Andrew was a member, in 1969.[8]

The second verse of the song features backing vocals provided by Linda Ronstadt. Gold had previously worked with Ronstadt as a producer and backing musician.[9]

The song was also released as an edited single, eliminating the vocal bridge and shortening the instrumental finale.

It is written in the key of A major with a tempo of 122 BPM.

The song starts with the piano accompaniment, which first seems to be on beat but then when the drums join in, it is exposed to be one half of a beat off.

Personnel

Chart performance

Uses in media and cover versions

The song was featured in a number of films including Boogie Nights (1997), The Waterboy (1998), and The Nice Guys (2016). It was the final video to be played on the MTV cable channel's first day of broadcast in the United States, on August 1, 1981.[21] It was also used in "The Pool," an episode of the TV series This Is Us, first broadcast on October 18, 2016,[22] and "Into the Black," an episode of the TV series Animal Kingdom, first broadcast on July 2, 2019.[23] The song's use in Boogie Nights was designated as one of "The 30 Greatest Rock & Roll Movie Moments" by Rolling Stone magazine.[24]

In February 2000, Foo Fighters recorded a cover of the song to be used as a B-side for an upcoming single off their 1999 album There Is Nothing Left to Lose; however, it wasn't used as a B-side as planned. On Marc Maron's January 17, 2013 WTF podcast, Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl said that the band's cover of "Lonely Boy" would eventually be released as the A-side of a special "Solid Gold" 45 rpm single with a Foo Fighters version of Gold's "Never Let Her Slip Away" as the B-side.[25]

References

  1. ↑ "Andrew Gold - Lonely Boy".
  2. ↑ "Explore: Soft Rock | Top Songs | AllMusic". AllMusic. 2011-12-13. Archived from the original on December 13, 2011. Retrieved 2014-03-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ↑ "VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs". Stereogum. SpinMedia. May 31, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  5. 1 2 Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  6. ↑ Andrew Gold, Billboard Hot 100 – Billboard.com. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  7. ↑ Billboard Hot 100, Week of June 25, 1977 – Billboard.com. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  8. ↑ After 25 Years, MusicMasters Brings Bryndle Debut. Billboard. 1995-08-12. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
  9. ↑ "Bio". Andrewgold.com. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  10. ↑ Andrew Gold- What's Wrong with This Picture? vinyl album liner notes. Accessed 12-16-2011.
  11. ↑ Andrew Gold- What's Wrong with This Picture? LP @Discogs.com (fails to list Andrew Gold as having played piano and cowbell on the track, but he is listed as such on the album credits) Retrieved 6-11-2011.
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  13. 1 2 3 "Song title 460 - Lonely Boy". Tsort.info. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  14. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1977-07-23. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  15. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1977-07-10. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  16. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 98.
  17. ↑ "Top 100 1977-07-02". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  18. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  19. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  20. ↑ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1977". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  21. ↑ Nasatasi, Alison, 25 Things You Didn't Know About MTV's First Broadcast, retrieved 2018-03-04
  22. ↑ "The Pool", This Is Us, S1-E4, Tunefind
  23. ↑ "Into the Black",Animal Kingdom, S4-E6 Tunefind
  24. ↑ Sheffield, Rob "The 30 Greatest Rock & Roll Movie Moments," Rolling Stone, February 21, 2013
  25. ↑ "Episode 353 - Dave Grohl". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. 17 January 2013.
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