Back Off Boogaloo

Album: Blast From Your Past (1972)
Charted: 2 9
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Songfacts®:

  • "Boogaloo" was Ringo's nickname for Paul McCartney. The song was Ringo urging Paul to stop his snide remarks in the press about the other Beatles, and just make good music ("Give me something tasty"). >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Ken - Louisville, KY

Comments: 20

  • Mo Gedney from ConnecticutLove this song, especially George Harrisons slide Guitar through-Out the song!
  • Barry from Gagetown Nb CanadaI still love all of Ringo's hits ... I have the cassette version of Blast From the Past ! 2021 ... Jay from Embrun , maybe bugaboo or jigaboo would be the same thing ?
  • Rick Macdowell from Ma. Who was the "Frankenstein in the video?
  • Ricky from Carmarthenshire South WalesWhy are people still obsessed with 'Paul is dead' nonsense, this load of baloney started in America in the 60s, and seems to be a fascination with some.
    Does anyone imagine that with all the people Paul has been connected to over the years,(Band members , musicians, producers, family) that someone would have revealed any facts !
    During the Beatles messy break-up John, George and Ringo could have used this for a better deal.
    Yoko, after being the brunt of some unfriendly remarks from McCartney during the final months of the group hasn't said anything.
    Ex-Wife, Heather Mills, who is totally bonkers could have said something.
    Just seems that everytime someone posts a remark about 'Faul/Paul', 'Billy/William Shears', they add another bit of ludicrousness on !
  • Rod from ArkansasStop playing a Dead Man ( Paul died on 911 1966 ) Bill Shepherd ( Billy Shear's ) took over as Paul ( the Dead Man ) ! Frankenstein refers to all the Plastic Surgery done on William Shepherd ( an Early Paul Double and sang Beatle Song's in the Pepper Pot's Band ) Billy took over the Beatles as MI6 had Planned ! Billy = Fake Paul loved Boogaloo ( a Black style Music ) so then Fake Paul Back Off ! I don't know about wallpaper shoes but the rest I'm sure of along with every Relative and Famous Rock group surrounding the Beatle's !
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 26th 1972, "Back Off Boogaloo" by Ringo Starr entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #88; six weeks later on May 7th, 1972 it would peak at #9 {for 2 weeks} and spent 10 weeks on the Top 100...
    As already stated, it reached #2 in the UK and also in Canada; plus made the Top 10 in two other countries, Switzerland and the Netherlands...
    Between 1970 and 1981, as a solo artist, he had fourteen songs make the Top 100; seven* made the Top 10 with two reaching #1, "Photograph" for one week in 1973 and "You're Sixteen" for one week in 1974...
    * His seven Top 10 records all made the Top 10 consecutively between May 1971 and March 1975.
  • Cyn from Buffalo, NyThe BOOGALOO was a rock & roll dance popular in the 1960's. It took me 2 seconds to Google the word to find out it's meaning. Therefore, while Ringo MAY have been referring to Paul in his song by saying things like " you think you're a groove" or "get yourself together now", he is not calling Paul a boogaloo. Geeesh.
  • Jay from Embrun, OnI was often told that "boogaloo" was a hidden word for "N*gger*
  • Jim from West Palm Beach, FlI think it was released in '71. The Beatles law suits were in full swing at the time. The running joke was Paul sued John, John sued George, George sued Paul, and Ringo accidently sued himself.
  • Jim from Hammond, InThe 45 single had a picture of Frankensteins monster smoking
  • Tony from Wilmette, IlI love this song but Im not sure its insulting paul
  • Harold from San Bernadino, CaLove the drums on this one.
  • Patrick from Raleigh, NcRingo said that the idea for this song came from hanging out with Marc Bolan of T. Rex in the early 1970's (Ringo directed the T. Rex movie "Born to Boogie"). Apparently "Boogaloo" was a favorite word of Marc's and Ringo based the song around it. This song was redone on his "Stop and Smell the Roses" album complete with Beatles references sprinkled throughout the song.
  • Stacey from Tuscon, AzI really like this song, but I don't really like the name "Boogaloo" and the video is kind of creepy!
  • Bianca Sanchez from Alburquerque, NmPaul........ Stop calling Ringo Boogaloo it's emberrasing!
  • Johnny from Los Angeles, CaWas this written by Ringo or did someone else wrtie it? Wikipedia says Marc Bolan inspired it.
  • Eric from Byron, NyTo be fair, Paul was only suing the other Beatles because that was the only legal way to dissolve the group.
  • Ian from Lethbridge, CanadaGreat song! One of his best.
  • Tiffany from San Diego, CaThis is definitely about Paul. During the time when he [Paul] was suing the other three Beatles.
  • Louis from Youngstown, OhRingo has never confirmed that this was about Paul. In fact, he has denied it. I always thought, though, that it was about Paul. Great song and still sounds great when Ringo does it with any version of the All Starr Band.
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