Bronski Beat ♪ Smalltown Boy

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

“Cry boy cry, cry boy cry”

A rapture in pang.

Bronski Beat, Smalltown Boy, 1984.

Bronski Beat ♪ Smalltown Boy
Title: Smalltown Boy
Music, Lyrics: James Somerville; Lawrence Cole; Steve Bronski

You leave in the morning with everything you own
In a little black case
Alone on a platform, the wind and the rain
On a sad and lonely face

Mother will never understand
Why you had to leave
For the answers you seek will never be found at home
The love that you need will never be found at home

Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away

Pushed around and kicked around, always a lonely boy
You were the one that they'd talk about around town
As they put you down

And as hard as they would try, they'd hurt to make you cry
But you'd never cry to them, just to your soul
No, you'd never cry to them, just to your soul

Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away

Cry boy, cry, cry boy, cry, cry boy
Cry boy, cry, cry boy, cry boy, cry, cry boy
Cry boy, cry, cry boy, cry boy, cry, cry boy
Cry boy, cry, cry boy, cry boy, cry

You leave in the morning with everything you own
In a little black case
Alone on a platform, the wind and the rain
On a sad and lonely face

Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away

This song is about gay boy. All members of the Bronski Beat band, are open gays. Quote from Wikipedia:

The song is a popular gay anthem and was a huge commercial success, reaching number 3 in the band's native UK. As well, it was a number one hit in Holland and Italy, and hit the top 10 in Australia, Canada, France, and Switzerland. The track reached number 48 in the U.S. pop chart and was a #1 U.S dance hit.

The song addresses key issues in 1980s homosexual culture. It addresses family rejection for being homosexual and homophobia in British society. It also deals with loneliness and bullying through societal and familial rejection.

I was listening to this song all day ~1987, when i was ~18. I didn't know what the song's about till now.

(No, am not gay. I was a pretty boy, and the gays, young and old, were all eyeing me. This is in Montreal, Canada. There were guys, inviting me to their houses, and tried to be initimate. Many instances involved physical touching, starting with hugging. Though, i was rather clueless at the time. One time, a guy deceived me as a agent interviewing me to be a male model. Who, had me naked and actually took out a tape to measure my penis size.)

In any case, this song is exceedingly attractive. The falsetto, frenzy beat. Another song i listened all the time is Donna Summer ♪ I Feel Love

At the other corner, we have, in stark constrast, Eurythmics ♪ I Need A Man

and in 1999, we have RuPaul “I'm Super” (South Park song).