# These girls from the '80s. What was it about them that inspired song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-girls-from-the-80s-what-was-it-about-them-that-inspired-song/275122 "2004-11-16T20:51:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-girls-from-the-80s-what-was-it-about-them-that-inspired-song/275122/1 "2004-11-16T20:51:15Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-girls-from-the-80s-what-was-it-about-them-that-inspired-song/275122/2 "2004-11-16T21:39:40Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-girls-from-the-80s-what-was-it-about-them-that-inspired-song/275122/3 "2004-11-16T22:24:53Z")
“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. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-girls-from-the-80s-what-was-it-about-them-that-inspired-song/275122/4 "2004-11-16T22:38:59Z")
I believe she’s referring to [some Rampage lyrics](http://www.lyricsondemand.com/r/rampagelyrics/thesetuplyrics.html), **Mr. Marx**. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-girls-from-the-80s-what-was-it-about-them-that-inspired-song/275122/5 "2004-11-16T22:46:36Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-girls-from-the-80s-what-was-it-about-them-that-inspired-song/275122/6 "2004-11-16T23:32:34Z")
Yes, I’m talking about the Rampage song and not the old folk song. I should have clarified. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-girls-from-the-80s-what-was-it-about-them-that-inspired-song/275122/7 "2004-11-18T03:26:38Z")
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.