Boys in the Band

Info

Boys in the Band is the fifth track on The Libertines' debut album Up the Bracket, credited to Doherty and Barat. Also the title of a 1970 film (based on a play) directed by William Friedkin, 'Boys in the Band' was one of the earliest films which openly addressed gay issues in a matter-of-fact style that largely avoided stereotyping.

The song itself could be about groupies, how they follow and worship bands and the kind of attention they get, simply for being boys in a band. Peter Doherty himself said in a 2002 interview, that the lyrics "they all get them out for the boys in the band" are to do with people metaphorically rolling out the red carpet for musicians and buying them drinks just because they're in a band.

Appearing on

Live at O2 Academy Glasgow (1)	The Libertines	Album	2016-02-19
Time For Heroes	The Libertines	Album	2007-10-29
What Became of the Likely Lads (Live, Brixton, 6 March 2004)	The Libertines	Single	2004-10-25
Live For Spanish TV	The Libertines	Session	2003-07-15
One Live	The Libertines	Session	2002-10-30
Up the Bracket	The Libertines	Album	2002-10-14
Up the Bracket [Single]	The Libertines	Single	2002-09-30
BBC Evening Session	The Libertines	Session	2002-04
XFM Session	The Libertines	Session	2002
Rough Enough Stuff	The Libertines	Session	2001
Horrorshow in London Town	The Libertines	Session	Unknown
RAK revisited	The Libertines	Session	Unknown

Concerts

Festival SOS 4.8	The Libertines	Murcia	2016-05-07
AB brussels 2016	The Libertines	Ancienne Belgique, Brussels	2016-05-03
Live @ Olympia	The Libertines	Music Hall, Paris	2016-03-09
O2 London (1)	The Libertines		2016-01-30
Reading Festival 2015	The Libertines	Reading	2015-08-30
Rock en Seine 2015	The Libertines	Domaine national de Saint-Cloud, Saint-Cloud	2015-08-29
3Arena Dublin	The Libertines	3Arena Dublin	2015-07-09
Ahmad Tea Music Festival	The Libertines		2015-06-27
Glastonbury 2015	The Libertines	Glastonbury	2015-06-26
Benicàssim Festival	The Libertines	Benicàssim, Spain	2014-07-19
BST, Hyde Park, London	The Libertines	Hyde Park, London	2014-07-05
Show more concerts
Glasgow Barrowland	The Libertines	Glasgow, Scotland	2014-06-29
Reading Festival	The Libertines	Reading, UK	2010-08-28
HMV Forum	The Libertines	HMV Forum, London	2010-08-25
Paris, Triptyque	Dirty Pretty Things	Paris	2005-10-18
Covo, Bologna	Dirty Pretty Things	Covo Club, Bologna Italy	2005-10-12
Fine Line Music Cafe	The Libertines	Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis; Minnesota US	2004-10-08
Rock Against Racism	The Libertines	London, UK	2004-03-16
Manchester Academy	The Libertines	Manchester, UK	2004-03-01
Duke of Clarence	The Libertines	London, UK	2004-02-18
Live at Kenthish Town Forum	The Libertines	London, UK	2003-12-17
The Forum, 2003	The Libertines		2003-12-16
Paradiso, Amsterdam	The Libertines	Paradiso, Amsterdam	2003-05-19
CGBG, New York	The Libertines	New York, USA	2003-04-30
Live at Harajuku Astro Hall, Tokyo	The Libertines	Tokyo, Japan	2003-04-15
Shinjuku Liquid Room, Tokyo	The Libertines	Higashi, Shibuya, Tokyo	2003-04-13
Live @ Liverpool Academy 1	The Libertines	Liverpool, UK	2003-02-24
Live Eurosonic	The Libertines	Netherlands	2003-01-09
Sticky Fingers	The Libertines	Stockholm, Sweden	2002-12-18
Marquee Club, London	The Libertines	Marquee Club, London	2002-12-10
Le Cat, Bordeaux	The Libertines	Bordeaux, France	2002-12-01
Live at Razamatazz 2	The Libertines	Barcelona, Spain	2002-11-26
Magnet Club	The Libertines	Berlin, Germany	2002-11-13
London Calling Live	The Libertines	Paradiso, Netherland	2002-11-09
Live at Nottingham Rock City	The Libertines	Nottingham, UK	2002-10-30

Lyrics

You're walking like you never seen the light
You're walking like it every night
But I've never seen you dance,
and I've never heard you sing
So how can it mean a single thing
It's all so rudimentary

You're talking like your handy in a fight
You talking like it every night
But I've never seen those flowers,
in the barrel of a gun
All I've ever seen you do is run
It's all so rudimentary

but tell me baby how does it feel
I know you like the roll of the limousine wheel

And they all get them out for
(they all get them out)
The boys in the band
(only for the boys in the band)
They twist and they shout for
(twist and scream and shout)
For the boys in the band
(only for the boys in the band)

You're walking like you never seen the light
You're walking like it every night
But then I stop to think,
I ask my self why
One of those things that darling you must try
It's all so rudimentary

Now I'm jealous, I'm jealous of my own
I've no homestead but through these hearts I will roam, yea

And they all get them out for
(they all get them out)
For The boys in the band
(only for the boys in the band)
Yes they all roll them out for
(twist and scream and shout)
For The boys in the band
Only for the boys in the band

Well tell me baby how does it feel
I know you like the roll of the limousine wheel

And they all get them out for
(they all get them out)
The boys in the band
(only for the boys in the band)
They scream and they shout for
(twist and scream and shout)
For the boys in the band
(only for the boys in the band)