# Why are the boys back in town, and where did they go in the first place? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [July 23, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696 "2024-07-23T16:26:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/41 "2024-07-25T14:34:46Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I had always wondered about this-- a group of wild-eyed boys who were crazy, and liked getting into fights. Why did they leave town all at once as a group, and why are they all suddenly back in town? They graduated from high school, went to college, but dropped out after one semester because they’d rather be back in town. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/42 "2024-07-25T14:35:25Z")
Also, > **[I Played 'The Boys Are Back in Town' on a Bar Jukebox Until I Got Kicked Out](https://www.vice.com/en/article/dpwa7w/i-played-the-boys-are-back-in-town-on-a-bar-jukebox-until-i-got-kicked-out-832)** > > The boys were back in town, but I was out of the bar, because they asked me to leave. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/43 "2024-07-25T14:41:11Z")
Ha, that’s a takeoff on one of my favorite Mulaney bits- that article even references it: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Mw7Gryt-rcc/maxresdefault.jpg "John Mulaney Plays “What’s New Pussycat?” 21 Times on a Diner Jukebox") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw7Gryt-rcc) ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/44 "2024-07-25T15:06:24Z")
What can you do … when the audience is jonesing for a particular song. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/45 "2024-07-25T19:54:54Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Well, it’s a cruel summer. Lol 🤪 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/46 "2024-07-26T06:01:30Z")
Ha! I, until this moment, thought those lyrics were, “Hot town summer iin the city/ Back of my neck gettin’ burnt and _ **pretty.** _” Gritty makes more sense, yet I never gave it a thought…Ooops ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/47 "2024-07-26T06:18:09Z")
If the song had been written by an American, I might conjecture that they’re coming back from fighting in Vietnam. I mean, sure, Irish people fought there as well, but it seems far less likely to have been big enough of a deal in Ireland to have them go to the trouble of memorializing it in song. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/48 "2024-07-26T06:35:13Z")
> [@Sylvanz](#): > > yet I never gave it a thought…Ooops I’m umpty ump sixty something, and every once in a while I finally get a lyric that I had wrong for 50 years. And in the case of Cream’s “dull/dawn surprise” I’ll just keep using my “wrong” lyric thankyouverymuch. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2024, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/49 "2024-07-26T07:12:33Z")
Well, if the boys are back in town, then they arrived in a bright white sports car: _Here they come_ _The boys in the bright white sports car_ _Waving their arms in the air_ _Who do they think they are?_ _And where did they get that car?_ “The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car,” by Trooper, 1979. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/50 "2024-07-26T12:02:10Z")
I thought the boys were a biker gang. Not that I ever actually thought about it…that was just the picture it drew. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696/51 "2024-07-26T12:10:44Z")
> [@Sylvanz](#): > > Ha! I, until this moment, thought those lyrics were, “Hot town summer iin the city/ > Back of my neck gettin’ burnt and _ **pretty.** _” Well, some people think red is a pretty color 😏 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-boys-back-in-town-and-where-did-they-go-in-the-first-place/1004696.md?page=2)