The song was an energetic but endearing tale of a rebellious teenage lad's struggle against his parents who are concerned about his late-night activities. Although George wrote and sang it from the teenager's perspective (he was himself only 19 when he composed it and the character refers to being that age in the song), he also penned a middle eight in which the "parents" (George putting on more "adult" voices) aired their concerns, which included late nights and cigarettes and ultimately asking"Why do you have to be so cruel?"
The song was an energetic but endearing tale of a rebellious teenage lad's struggle against his parents who are concerned about his late-night activities. Although George wrote and sang it from the teenager's perspective (he was himself only 19 when he composed it and the character refers to being that age in the song), he also penned a middle eight in which the "parents" (George putting on more "adult" voices) aired their concerns, which included late nights and cigarettes and ultimately asking"Why do you have to be so cruel?"