The Boys Are Back in Town: A Brief History

Thin Lizzy’s 1976 classic, 'The Boys Are Back In Town' is a track that invites many questions. Who are the boys? Where were they? What brings them back to town? Smarter men than me have tried and failed to answer these questions. However there are a number of questions that I can attempt to answer! What makes this song so iconic? Why, after all these years, does it still fill listeners with excitement? How did this go from a song they didn’t even want to release to the single that shot the group to international fame? Let me tell you a little story about a group of Irish boys, a couple of guitars and how the artist is not always right.

It was the height of the 70s and 'Thin Lizzy' were working on their 6th studio album, “Jailbreak”. The Irish market already firmly on their side, being won over by, among other things, their classic cover of “Whiskey in The Jar”. However, they had yet to even chart abroad, despite touring the UK with Slade. This album, they had been warned by their label, was their last chance. They had worked steadily on it from late ’75 through to February ’76. While some members felt like it was over-worked and felt rigid, they had no choice but to work with what was recorded: 15 tracks for an LP that could only hold 10. Cutting had to be done. “The Boys are Back in Town” was to be left out. Until, someone in management came along and informed them that there was “something really good about this song.” They were convinced to keep it on.

Next, the conversation became what should the lead single be? While, “Romeo and the Lonely Girl” was considered for a while, nobody was overly excited about the track so it was quickly moved aside. The band, instead, pushed “Running Back” forward as their first choice. Some session musicians were brought in to soften the sound and seemed like the safe choice, a crowd pleaser, while “The Boys are Back in Town” seemed overly aggressive and harsh. But management continued to push for the song, despite the band’s doubts. In the end, it and “Jailbreak” became the singles.

After the album’s release, the boys were touring America. After another night at another club, their manager came in and announced that they had a hit. The band looked at him, bewildered and asked, “Which one?” They were shocked to hear that it was a song they didn’t even think should’ve been on the album in the first place: “The Boys are Back in Town”.

It reached number 1 on the Irish Charts, number 8 on the UK Charts, number 12 on the US Billboard Charts. It won 1976 NME Award for Best Single. It has been featured in everything from 'Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure' to 'Toy Story 3'.

Former Thin Lizzy guitarist, Scott Gorham, claims it’s a lesson in “how thin the line can be that separates success from failure”. It is, to this day, the most successful song produced by Thin Lizzy. It is the reason that they went on to produce 6 more studio albums, the reason that their name is known worldwide. It is a testament to how phenomenal the song is that 42 years after its release, we all can sing the iconic twin guitar solo on command, without faltering. Actually, that might just be me…

(Listen to the iconic song here! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQo1HIcSVtg)

-Robert Gibbons, featured writer