Don Henley – ‘The Boys Of Summer’
Nobody On The Road, Nobody On The Beach
If you’re anything like me, Don Henley’s ‘The Boys Of Summer’ is a song that takes you back to balmy summers spent in Southern California, cruising up and down Interstate 5 with your Wayfarers on and the love of your life in the seat next to you. Don’s always had a fantastic ability to write lyrics that illustrate the feelings that we can’t necessarily put into words, but that we can definitely identify with on a personal level.
Maybe that’s why ‘The Boys Of Summer’ is a song that’s endured in its 31-year history and has made it onto Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time!
Don Henley In The Spotlight
MTV exposure from this song’s video raised Henley’s profile but cost him a degree of anonymity. With the Eagles, he was tucked away behind a drum kit, and rarely on TV. Once ‘The Boys of Summer’ got in hot rotation, Henley found himself suddenly recognizable, which often made him uncomfortable.
Written about lost love and the letting go of youth, ‘The Boys Of Summer’ is a song that resonates on a level a little deeper than the loss of a summer fling. As in many of Henley’s songs, it’s quite specific, yet ambiguous enough for the listener to project her own life into it!
+ The Boys Of Summer lyrics +
Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air, the summer’s out of reach
Empty lake, empty streets, the sun goes down alone
I’m drivin’ by your house, though I know you’re not home
But I can see you, your brown skin shinin’ in the sun
You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
I never will forget those nights, I wonder if it was a dream
Remember how you made me crazy?
Remember how I made you scream?
Now I don’t understand what happened to our love
But baby I’m gonna get you back
I’m gonna show you what I’m made of
I can see you, your brown skin shinin’ in the sun
I see you walkin’ real slow and you’re smilin’ at everyone
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
Out on the road today I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac
A little voice inside my head said
“Don’t look back you can never look back”
I thought I knew what love was, what did I know?
Those days are gone forever, I should just let them go but
I can see you, your brown skin shinin’ in the sun
You got that top pulled down and that radio on baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun
You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
