"It was 1976 and we were touring America", recalled Scott Gorham. "Jailbreak wasn't shifting and we weren't selling any tickets – but there we were, gigging around… The manager came in and told us, 'Well guys, it looks like you have a hit record'… Our response was, 'Wow! Which song are you talking about?' When he replied, 'The Boys Are Back in Town', it was a case of Really? We'd demoed maybe 15 songs and 'The Boys Are Back in Town' wasn't among the ten that we chose for the album, which in some ways made it a double surprise. We owe it all to two DJs in Louisville, Kentucky. They fell in love with the fucking song and played it incessantly until other stations in the surrounding area picked up on it… Had that song not kickstarted the sales of the album, then the band was over." It was given 499th position among the 2004 Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, though was not included in the 2010 update. Rolling Stone praised lead singer and bassist Phil Lynott's "Gaelic soul" and said the "twin-guitar lead by Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson" was "crucial to the song's success". The song is played at most Irish Rugby matches, and has appeared in numerous commercials, most recently in a 2019 ad for Applebee's, television shows, and feature films. In March 2005, Q magazine placed "The Boys Are Back in Town" at No. 38 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The song won a 1976 NME Award for Best Single. The song was used on various trailers for the Disney•Pixar film Toy Story and Rick and Morty’s 4th season.
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart
Peak position
Ireland
16
UK
63
Year-end charts
Certifications
Single release information
The original 1976 UK single release featured the album track "Emerald" as a B-side, although in some territories "Jailbreak" was chosen. The single was remixed and re-released in several formats in March 1991, after the success of the "Dedication" single, reaching No. 63 in the UK. The 12" EP featured the extra tracks "Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed", "Black Boys on the Corner" and a live version of "Me and the Boys". There are many theories regarding the inspiration behind "The Boys Are Back in Town", although none has been verified. One theory is that it is about the Quality Street Gang.
At the 2012 Republican National Convention, the song was used to introduce Vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan on stage. This unauthorised use of the song caused controversy. Both Lynott's mother, Philomena Lynott, and Thin Lizzy lead guitarist Gorham criticised its use, suggesting that Lynott would not have wanted his music used for any political purpose, including endorsing politicians, and furthermore would likely have objected to the policies of Ryan and his running mateMitt Romney.
