It must be fall, and how do I know for certain? Easy, Don Henley’s answer to Thin Lizzy is in heavy rotation on the radio. No, not that song about dirty clothing, it’s “The Boys of Summer”, silly. Think about it: that song is the answer to “The Boys Are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy.
Henley sings about roads and beaches being empty and the summer being “out of reach”. The weather is getting cold, and his summer romance is over. This song sounds great when you drive by a forest of trees turning color.
Funny how these two songs can be linked. You have to think that Henley and Lizzy are having some kind of conversation only a DJ could understand. Also, I’ve thought about this point for far too long, and I had to share it with somebody.
After you’ve hibernated through the winter and listened to Zeppelin’s “No Quarter”, we come to spring. While the radio thaws out a familiar bass riff fills my car, and I’m reminded of many summers I spent working in a seafood restaurant frying fish. Thin Lizzy’s song of restless youth on a few warm nights always gets me pumped.
Each song is different, yet they each serve their meteorological purpose. When I hear Thin Lizzy, break out the shorts, and get ready for baseball season. If Don Henley is singing, give me a leather jacket, and close up shop.
Whether it’s Everclear or the Ataris covering those tunes, they still have the same meaning, and they really don’t sound too bad. Dylan Thomas may have seen the boys of summer in their ruin; I see them as a bunch of welcome friends.
