Boys and Girls

Album: Travelogue (1981)
Charted: 48
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Human League leader Philip Oakey explained the somewhat cryptic lyrics in an interview with Sounds shortly after the song was released: "It's about people growing old and pretending they're not. It's pretty serious actually. They made me miss out a really nasty verse about being bald and wrinkled. So we thought, that won't give us any pop play, miss it out. 'This girl's teeth have now dropped out'! It's about people who grow old and won't admit it, that's why they say they don't want boys and girls standing near them 'cause you can see the difference."
  • This was the first Human League song recorded after the departure of Martyn Ware and Ian Marsh, who formed Heaven 17. This left Oakey and Adrian Wright, who added the female backup singers Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall to the lineup. Oakey and Wright wrote this song and many others on the album that followed: Dare, which was very successful and contained their international hit "Don't You Want Me."
  • According to Oakey, the vocals were way out of tune when they put them on the song. This was corrected using a device called a Harmoniser, which puts them in harmony.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Jon Anderson of Yes

Jon Anderson of YesSongwriter Interviews

From the lake in "Roundabout" to Sister Bluebird in "Starship Trooper," Jon Anderson talks about how nature and spirituality play into his lyrics for Yes.

Is That Song Public Domain?

Is That Song Public Domain?Fact or Fiction

Are classic songs like "Over The Rainbow" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the public domain?

Brenda Russell

Brenda RussellSongwriter Interviews

Brenda talks about the inspiration that drove her to write hit songs like "Get Here" and "Piano in the Dark," and why a lack of formal music training can be a songwriter's best asset.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.