These girls from the '80s. What was it about them that inspired song?

[Biggirl]

West End Girls and Buffalo Girls.

For a very long time I confuzzled these two songs together to come up with a song about cowboys and cowgirls–in my head. Now that I think about these songs, did they eve make any sense?

Firstly, it doesn’t seem The Pet Shop Boys would be that much interested in girls, if you know what I mean. Yet they sing about them and East End boys and it must mean something, no? What, I don’t know. And secondly, what about those there Buffalo Girls. What do they do besides go 'round the outside?

[Skywatcher]

I’m not familiar with what you’re referring to but this reads like a squaredance.

Now two Buffalo girls, go around the outside
Round the outside, round the outside

Two Buffalo boys go around the outside
Make sure you hold your partner

Now two Buffalo girls go round the outside
Round the outside, round the outside

Now two Buffalo boys go round the outside
Flipmode about to hold down your partner

[Exapno_Mapcase]

“Buffalo Gals” is a traditional song, though probably authored by Cool White. I’ve seen an 1844 date given. It was also in the movie It’s A Wonderful Life.

It’s in the public domain.

Buffalo Gals, won’t you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, come out tonight.
Buffalo Gals, won’t you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon.

As I was walking down the street,
Down the street, down the street,
A pretty little gal I chanced to meet,
Oh, she was fair to see.

Buffalo Gals, won’t you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, come out tonight.
Buffalo Gals, won’t you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon.

I stopped her and we had a talk,
Had a talk, had a talk,
Her feet took up the whole sidewalk
And left no room for me.

Buffalo Gals, won’t you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, come out tonight.
Buffalo Gals, won’t you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon.

I asked her if she’d have a dance,
Have a dance, have a dance,
I thought that I might have a chance
To shake a foot with her.

Buffalo Gals, won’t you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, come out tonight.
Buffalo Gals, won’t you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon.

I danced with a gal with a hole in her stockin’,
And her heel kept a-knockin’, and her toes kept a-rockin’
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stockin’
And we danced by the light of the moon.

Buffalo Gals, won’t you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, come out tonight.
Buffalo Gals, won’t you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon.

[Skywatcher]

I believe she’s referring to some Rampage lyrics, Mr. Marx.

[Spoons]

@Biggirl

Firstly, it doesn’t seem The Pet Shop Boys would be that much interested in girls, if you know what I mean. Yet they sing about them and East End boys and it must mean something, no? What, I don’t know.

I’m sure a UK Doper would know more about this, but I always understood the song as being about two groups of people in the London area:

East End Boys: The guys from the not-so-nice part of town, which (if I remember the British soap opera “The Eastenders” correctly) the East End of London is. Tough guys, the kind your mother didn’t want you hanging around with.

West End Girls: The girls from the much nicer part of town, which the West End of London is. Pretty, perky, and popular girls from well-to-do families.

I just thought of the song as being about two very different groups of people, and the attraction that seems to exist between them.

[Biggirl]

Yes, I’m talking about the Rampage song and not the old folk song. I should have clarified.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

Actually, I thought she was referring to Malcolm Maclaren.

But the point I was making was that there’s a million references in popular culture to Buffalo Gals (or Girls), and they’re probably all based on the original Cool White song. It’s pretty obviously a dance song, and has been adapted for dance music of every type in the past hundred years. Probably with few knowing of the original.