When My Boy Walks Down The Street Lyrics

Grand pianos crash together
when my boy walks down the street
There are whole new kinds of weather
when he walks with his new beat
Everyone sings hallelujah
when my boy walks down the street
Life just kind of dances through ya
from your smile down to your feet

Amazing he's a whole new form of life
blue eyes blazing
and he's going to be my wife

The world does the hula-hula
when my boy walks down the street
Everyone thinks he's Petula
so big and yet so petite
Butterflies turn into people
when my boy walks down the street
Maybe he should be illegal
he just makes life too complete...

Amazing he's a whole new form of life
blue eyes blazing
and he's going to be my wife

Oh, shadows of echoes of memories
Oh, things that he brings that he found in the sea
Oh, shadows of echoes of memories of songs
Oh, how could he know that it won't be long...
9 Meanings

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Cover art for When My Boy Walks Down The Street lyrics by Magnetic Fields, The

punkrockchick: uhh... what? All songs on 69 Love Songs are originals. Also, I'm fairly certain Black Francis isn't gay.

Cover art for When My Boy Walks Down The Street lyrics by Magnetic Fields, The

I feel like the song contains some subtle commentary on how society perceives homosexuality, as well. The speaker lists a number of absurd metaphors for love, and how awesome his lover is. And then he talks about how he wants to make the guy "my wife." Using "wife" in this context, to describe a man, sort of comes off as absurd, too.

So, in a way, the lyrics can be read as a sort of a provocative challenge to the idea that homosexuality is fundamentally weird or ridiculous or whatever. Same-sex attraction, in other words, comes off as no weirder than love in general.

My Interpretation

@J.J. I tend to agree that he's tweaking the hyperbole of straight professions of love.

Cover art for When My Boy Walks Down The Street lyrics by Magnetic Fields, The

Completely in awe of this wonderful person who has landed in his lap...

Cover art for When My Boy Walks Down The Street lyrics by Magnetic Fields, The

that's Petula Clark. Big British singer back in the 60s.

Cover art for When My Boy Walks Down The Street lyrics by Magnetic Fields, The

This song is so sweet. It's just about being so in love with someone that so fully completes your life and being excited and happy about being with that person. When I listen to it I just think of that feeling you get when you see someone you love. That rush of happiness is what he's feeling when he sees his boy walking down the street. I love this song!

Cover art for When My Boy Walks Down The Street lyrics by Magnetic Fields, The

I feel like grand pianos crash together when I hear this song :D

Cover art for When My Boy Walks Down The Street lyrics by Magnetic Fields, The

the world does the hula hula

That make me giggle all the time. I always sing "hula hula" in a weird way.

Cover art for When My Boy Walks Down The Street lyrics by Magnetic Fields, The

Such a good song. And not just because it was on QAF, haha.

Cover art for When My Boy Walks Down The Street lyrics by Magnetic Fields, The

Don't forget. It's a Pixies cover. And an excellent one at that!

 
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