Dead Boys

Album: Dead Boys EP (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This guitar anthem finds Sam Fender singing about a social stigma among men in his hometown of Newcastle in which they're unwilling to discuss suicidal thoughts.

    We close our eyes
    Learn our pain
    Nobody ever could explain
    All the dead boys in our hometown


    "It's a song about male suicide, particularly in my hometown," Fender explained to NME. "I lost some friends very close to me because of that. This song came from that place."
  • The song was partly inspired by The Cure's 1979 track "Boys Don't Cry."

    "It's the same today," Fender told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column. "As a boy you're not meant to show your emotions, but if you don't have a job or any prospects, you're going to be depressed and it will be much worse if you can't express that. I hate the term because it's become a buzzword, but it's toxic masculinity."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)Songwriter Interviews

The former Metallica bassist talks about his first time writing a song with James Hetfield, and how a hand-me-down iPad has changed his songwriting.

Divided Souls: Musical Alter Egos

Divided Souls: Musical Alter EgosSong Writing

Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin GayeFact or Fiction

Did Marvin try out with the Detroit Lions? Did he fake crazy to get out of military service? And what about the cross-dressing?

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?