Bored Teenagers

Album: Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts (1977)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by guitarist Tim Smith, "Bored Teenagers" was released as the B-side of "Gary Gilmore's Eyes," and also found its way onto a live compilation album The Roxy London WC2 (Jan-Apr 77). An uptempo track, it is certainly in the spirit of the bored teenager, and not a bad complement for the rather more innovative A-side. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England
  • "Bored Teenagers" is the second track on The Adverts' debut album, Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts. Coming at the height of the punk movement, the album captured the raw energy and rebellious spirit of the era. The lyrics, penned by frontman T.V. Smith, tackled social issues like unemployment ("Bored Teenagers"), disillusionment with authority ("New Church"), and the bleak realities of working-class life ("Safety in Numbers").
  • The album title came to Smith when Sounds writer Jane Suck teased him that the likelihood of the band recording an album was as realistic as "crossing the Red Sea." "As soon as she said that, I thought, 'That's the title,'" he told Uncut magazine.
  • Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts is considered a classic of the punk genre, praised for its energy, honesty, and songwriting. In 2003, Mojo magazine ranked Crossing the Red Sea # 17 in its list of the 50 greatest punk albums.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dwight Twilley

Dwight TwilleySongwriter Interviews

Since his debut single "I'm On Fire" in 1975, Dwight has been providing Spinal-Tap moments and misadventure.

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.