Mick Ronson convinced Ian to write "Boy" a nine-minute atmospheric song after leaving Mott The Hoople and Ian wrote the song at drummer Bobby Colomby's, of Blood Sweat & Tears, house in New York while he was out on tour. The original title was Did You See Them Run? along with a poem Ian wrote in 1973, Shade's Off. Once extended and developed together Boy became a song. This was one of the songs that unusual for Hunter was written in the studio. It is likely the first song that Ronno and Ian worked on together and although Mick did not write the lyrics he was instrumental in putting the band together and writing arrangements Ian felt he deserved co-writing credit.
Since Ronno did get co-songwriting credit on this fueling the speculation that the lyrics refer to David Bowie and coke certainly was involved during Diamond Dogs; however, Ian has stated that it was a compendium of people and not about one person, specifically, Bowie, since Ian would not give away eight minutes to him. Hunter also said there is a bit of himself in the song and, if not Bowie, his manager was a target. If one person was singled out it would be Joe Cocker who was down on his luck in his career and Ian knew him a bit from his days at Island records. Clearly the song is about the toll that the rock star life can take on a person.
There are good things to enjoy such as Beau Geste which is an adventure novel by British writer P.C. Wren which details the adventures of three English brothers joining the French Foreign Legion. Published in 1924 it has been adapted for the screen several times.
Beau Geste is an adventure novel by British writer P. C. Wren, which details the adventures of three English brothers who enlist separately in the French Foreign Legion following the theft of a valuable jewel from the country house of a relative. Published in 1924, the novel is set in the period before World War I. It has been adapted for the screen several times.
This song has been popular since Ian's first solo LP, appears in several versions, as well as in more than one live version.
Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
Boy
(Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson)
Genocidal tendencies are silly to extreme
After all you're still quite small you don't know where you've been
You was only swearing yesterday
Oh you want to win the world away
But now you got nothing to say-ay-ay
Boy you're getting out of hand
You've got to make a stand
So put the coke away
Boy you got the do the show
Got to let the people know
You got the strength to stay
I can see you run
I can see you hide
Oh your heart is aching
Lost in a dream of what might have been
You're the guide
You're the number one
And your knees are shaking
Stand and deliver in an endless dream
Schizophrenic, photogenic, aggravates me so
Only yes-men
Have a guess man
Watch the spirit go
Batman zips the monster as he bleeds
And gets up on the buzz he needs
And a kid on the street just reads
and reads and reads and reads
and reads and reads and reads
Boy its them hard case city blues
Cagney is the news
Does the giant ring a bell
Boy its the Hudson East river cruise
Its the Empire State buffoons
Oh you know the story well
Do you have to run
Do you have to hide
There's a new tomorrow
Yes you're a mess
But you're more than less
When this battles won
You can look inside
Oh you did not borrow
Yes you're the best
But you still can't rest
You know you know
The carnival is closed
Your street's alive with ghosts
But a friend says don't look back
Don't look left don't look right
Your vision is your fight
Through long electric nights
When a woman helps you write
Na na na
Na na na
Na Na na na
Na na na
Cheer up mate put the dramas in the past
See you did not have to fast Euphemism lasts and lasts and lasts
And lasts and lasts and lasts
And lasts and lasts
Boy if you've got an axe to grind
Be thankful for this time
For it gives you what you need
Boy you've got an eighty-eight to play
It'll tell you what to say
It'll tell you when to breathe
Boy take a turnpike heading west
Turn the people on to Beau Geste
Cause that's what you did the best
Boy play the pipes till they're old and worn
Sing the words till they fall forlorn
Like the pieces of a jigsaw jet
Boy don't let the earth get in your face
its a middle-aged displace
Its the middle ages snide
Boy we're a million miles away
And to think its so insane
Take a chance on a one way ride
Boy shoot a rocket clean out of your mind
Oh these people ain't your kind
No they ain't your kind at all
Boy shoot a rocket clean out of your brain
No these people ain't the same
You can hear another call
Boy the [other book?] starts with [no?]
They don't show us how to grow
They only show us how to win
Boy the secret's in the bicycle shed
Ain't no answers now they're dead
To seek is a mortal sin
Hey you know boy let your madness be the clueIan Hunter LP/CD: "Ian Hunter"
Sleeve and track listing
Sony/Columbia 519817 2.
Sleeve variations
Regular CD/LP
Review
After leaving Mott the Hoople, Ian teamed up with guitarist Mick Ronson to record his first solo album. Mott had booked Air studios in London, but Ian and Mick went in instead. The result is an album that is totally stunning - one of Ian's best.
From the opening "'Ullo!" of Once Bitten Twice Shy to the savage cut-off of original album closer I Get So Excited this is an album packed full of good tracks. I can't pick out highlights because they're all good.
The 30th Anniversary issue now includes two session outtakes (unreleased at the time), together with two single edits. All of the bonus material was previously released on the Once Bitten Twice Shycompilation.
Sound quality is excellent, as are the sleeve notes.
This album has been issued several times on CD. The original Columbia (USA) CD had good (but not exceptional) sound quality, while the UK Sony/Rewind CD had very good sound quality. Neither had bonus tracks.
| Boy | 8:54 | Originally issued on Ian Hunter. |
| Boy (alternate version) | 6:25 | An alternate version can be found on Once Bitten Twice Shy (not on the box set). |
| Boy (single b-side version) | 4:01 | The single b-side version (which at 4m 1s is some four and a half minutes shorter than the album version) can be found on The Singles Collection 1975-83. |
| Boy (edit) | 3:42 | An even shorter version (3m 41s) can be found on the 30th Anniversary issue of Ian Hunter. |
| Boy (live 19th May 2000) | (9:56) | This live version (coupled with Shades Off, recorded at The Robin 2, Bilston England) can be found on Bag Of Tricks (Vol 1) (box set only). |
| Boy (live 29/30th January 2002) | 9:09 | This live version (recorded Sentrum Scene, Oslo Norway) was issued on Strings Attached. |
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