“Boys” is a song written by Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell, originally recorded by the Shirelles at Bell Sound Studios in New York City and released as the B-side of their “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” single in November, 1960. The single is from their album, Tonight’s the Night. Tonight’s the Night is the debut album by American girl group the Shirelles, released in December 1960 by Scepter Records. It contains the hit song “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” as well as “Tonight’s the Night”, which became a minor hit for the Shirelles. The album was remastered and restored by Cornbread Records. It was then reissued in 2017 on 180 Gram Vinyl with 2 bonus tracks, one track was ” Look A Here Baby” on the end of side A and the second track was “A Teardrop And A Lollipop” on the end of side B.
In 2022, the album was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.
Boys
I been told when a boy kiss a girl (Ah-hm, ah-hm)
She takes a trip around the world (Ah-hm, ah-hm)
Yeah, yeah
Hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, please say you do
Mama says when you kiss my lips
I get a thrill through my fingertips
Yeah, yeah (Shod shu bop, du shod shod shu bop)
Hey, hey (Shod shu bop, du shod shod shu bop)
Hey, hey (Shod shu bop, du shod shod shu bop)
Hey, she say you do (Shod shu bop bop)
Well, I’m talkin’ ’bout boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Don’t you know I mean boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Well, I’m talkin’ ’bout boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Don’t you know I mean boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Well, I’m talkin’ ’bout boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Hey what a bundle of joy (Yeah, yeah, boys)
[Saxophone Solo]
Well, I’m talkin’ ’bout boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Don’t you know I mean boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Well, I’m talkin’ ’bout boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Don’t you know I mean boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Well, I’m talkin’ ’bout boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Hey what a bundle of joy (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
You know I’m talkin’ ’bout boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Well, boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Well, I’m talkin’ ’bout boys (Yeah, yeah, boys)
Well, I’m talkin’ ’bout boys (Yeah, yeah)
The Beatles’ cover was recorded at EMI Recording Studios on 2/11/63 in a single take. It is Ringo Starr’s first recorded lead vocal with the Beatles and, as the fifth track on the Beatles’ first album, Please Please Me, represents the first time many fans heard Starr singing a lead vocal. This version bears many similarities to Ray Charles’s hit “What’d I Say,” particularly during the chorus verses. February 11 was a marathon day for The Beatles, because they recorded 10 of the 14 tracks they needed for Please Please Me. The band also included another song by the Shirelles, “Baby It’s You,” on the album.
The Beatles did not concern themselves about possible homosexual undertones that go with singing a song about boys, although they altered the gender pronouns employed on the Shirelles’ version (e.g. “My girl says when I kiss her lips…”.) In an October 2005 Rolling Stone interview, Paul McCartney stated:
“Any one of us could hold the audience. Ringo would do ‘Boys’, which was a fan favorite with the crowd. And it was great — though if you think about it, here’s us doing a song and it was really a girls’ song. ‘I talk about boys now!’ Or it was a gay song. But we never even listened. It’s just a great song. I think that’s one of the things about youth — you just don’t give a shit. I love the innocence of those days.”
McCartney also said:
“Ringo always used to do a song in the show. Back then he had ‘Boys’. It was a little embarrassing because it went, ‘I’m talking about boys – yeah, yeah – boys’. It was a Shirelles hit and they were girls singing it, but we never thought we should call it Girls, just because Ringo was a boy. We just sang it the way they’d sung it and never considered any implications.”
“Boys” had always been the Beatles’ “drummer song” during their Cavern days – Pete Best sang it at that time – and it was their main “drummer song” until 1964. Coincidentally, Starr also sang the song for his solo spot with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and Cilla Black would sometimes join him on stage, sharing the microphone. Best released his own version of the song in 1965.
A live version of the song was included on the Beatles live album The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, first released in 1977, and re-released in 2016 as Live at the Hollywood Bowl. Recorded on 8/23/64, ‘Boys’ was the first track to be released on digital download and streaming platforms, one week prior to the full remastered album release on 9/9/16.
Source: wikipedia
Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim wants us to share a song that includes girls. When I saw the prompt this was the first song I thought of!
Interesting choice! Well played 👍
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:) Thanks, Clive!
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A classic track of early rock and roll and girl-group pop – I’m so glad the Beatles felt confident in their cover not to change the lyrics. Great start to the day Lisa – with that bouncy drum beat and rhythm you can’t help tap your feet! 🙌 (Ange)
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Glad you enjoyed the choices, Ange :)
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I always loved the Beatle cover
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Me too. Ringo does it with oomph.
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Great music from a long gone era!
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Dwight happy you like the golden hits :)
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you know I am old school!! :>)
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Sure do, OG ;)
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:>)
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Excellent choice. Lisa and this was a great match for the theme today. I enjoyed your write-up going all in and getting quotes from band members and talking about Pete Best. Everyone always liked Ringo for his approachable nature which gave him universal appeal.
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Jim I’m glad you liked the songs. I can’t take credit for the write-up it was cut and paste this week. I watched a doc recently and it talked about how upset some folks were when Best was booted and replaced by Ringo.
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I had no idea that people were mad about Ringo replacing him.
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Watch this doc: https://youtu.be/8y9SNHungtQ?si=PNlDFK3x6oTQHgG0
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Thanks, Lisa.
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I love both versions and Ringo did a great job. One of the first Ringo songs I remember. Great picks Lisa…
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Max, thanks!
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A classic song and a very cool choice today, Lisa. Nicely done.
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Thanks, Nancy!
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Most welcome, Lisa.
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Interesting lyrics that I have heard but not paid attention to, fascinating backstory.
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Happy you took a look, Paul.
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In the US, this was on “Introducing the Beatles”, the first Beatles album in my house. A great intro to their influences, since it included R&B covers, a show tune, and originals.
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Steve, thanks. I remember it by the cover, where it looked like at least one was missing fingers.
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Nice one, Lisa. Enjoyed this!
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Awesome, Susan!
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Great post! Unlike The Shirelles’ recording of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” I don’t think I had heard their rendition of “Boys.” Instead, I only had known the song because of The Beatles. It’s always been one of my favorites Ringo sang!
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Christian happy to make the intro. I knew The Beatles’ one was a cover but didn’t know who sang the original either.
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It’s a great song! And Paul is right, only a fool would go beyond that to read anything into Ringo’s rendition. (K)
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Hell Yeah!
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What a wonderful choice, by playing both of these! I do remember the song from way back :)
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Thanks, Barbara!
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