The Unlikely Rise of a Rock Classic
In 1976, the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy achieved their only Top 40 hit in the United States with the song “The Boys Are Back in Town.” This track, from their album Jailbreak, reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 24, 1976. Rolling Stone has since recognized the song as one of the greatest of all time, praising its powerful hard rock sound driven by the twin guitar work of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, as well as frontman Phil Lynott’s energetic lyrics.
Despite its eventual success, the song almost didn’t make it onto the Jailbreak album at all. Its journey to becoming a classic was anything but straightforward.
A Song That Almost Didn’t Make the Cut
“The Boys Are Back in Town” was originally written by Lynott and titled “GI Joe.” It wasn’t initially considered a strong candidate for the Jailbreak album. According to guitarist Scott Gorham, the band had demoed about fifteen tracks for the album and selected the ten best ones. However, their co-manager, Chris O’Donnell, heard the song and suggested they include it.
“We had already rejected it as not good enough for the album,” Gorham explained in an interview with Classic Rock. “He liked it and told us that we should include it.” While O’Donnell saw potential, the band still needed to refine the song. The original lyrics had an anti-war theme, which wasn’t suitable for the band. Musically, it also needed some work. After adjustments, “GI Joe” was transformed into “The Boys Are Back in Town.”
From Anti-War to a Night Out
In a separate interview with HotPress.com, Gorham elaborated on the changes made to the song. He noted that Lynott agreed the anti-war theme had been overdone by other bands. “He turned it into more of a gang song,” Gorham said.
“He looked at all of us: what do we do on a Saturday night? We go out, we have a lot of drinks, try to pull the chicks and have a great time,” Gorham recalled. “And that is what that song is: it’s Saturday night with all your buddies. That’s what the song is all about, nothing more.”
The Role of Radio in the Song’s Success
Once the band reworked the song, they still didn’t believe it had hit potential. “To us, this was a decent album track, no more. We certainly did not think it could be a single!” Gorham admitted to Classic Rock. However, two disc jockeys in Kentucky began playing the track, leading to requests at other radio stations. “Suddenly it was everywhere. The States, it seemed, had fallen in love with this tune,” he said.
Even with the growing radio buzz, the band remained unsure about the song’s potential. They didn’t even include it in their live performances. “Truth be told, we didn’t even have it on the short list to put it on the album,” Gorham once told Express UK. He added that during a club gig in the U.S., they received news from their manager: “Well, boys, looks like we’ve got a hit on our hands here in America!”
“And honest to God, Phil said, ‘Well, I guess we’d better put it back in the set!’” Gorham recalled. “That’s how unsure we were of what was going to be a single.”
A Lasting Legacy
Thin Lizzy’s U.S. record label, Mercury, ultimately released “The Boys Are Back in Town” as a single in April 1976. The song went on to become one of the band’s most iconic tracks, marking a significant commercial breakthrough in the American market.
