Meaning of “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley

“The Boys of Summer” is a song performed by the iconic American singer and songwriter Don Henley of the Eagles fame. While the song’s lyrics basically talk about the demise of a relationship and wanting your ex back, in a 1987 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Henley said the theme of the song has more to do with the issue of aging and questioning the events of the past.

In a prior interview he had in 1985 with NME, he said of the famous line in which he sings about a “Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac” being words based on a real event. According to him, one day, while driving down the famous San Diego Freeway, he was suddenly overtaken by an expensive Cadillac Seville that had a Deadhead (Grateful Dead) sticker placed on the bumper of the car. Henley said what he saw was a classic example of how his generation had sold out.

If you are wondering what the meaning of “Deadhead” from the lyrics refers to, it is simply another name given to a fan/follower of the Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead is the name of one of America’s most renowned rock bands.

But what exactly is the meaning of the phrase “Boys of Summer”?

Up until today, Henley is yet to explain to his fans and the world alike exactly what he means by the phrase “Boys of Summer”. Based on the lyrics in which Henley sings about his love for his ex going to remain strong long after the “boys of summer” have gone, we get this idea that the “summer boys” are probably the boys who have come to town for the summer, and that his ex is currently seeing one or more of them.

Interpretation of “The Boys of Summer”: By Another Hand

This song actually features a couple of different narratives.

First Storyline

The first storyline, which actually dominates the track, features the singer – for lack of a better word – stalking an ex-girlfriend. For instance, he ‘drives by her house’ despite already knowing she is not there.  But he does not come off as a creep, despite the implication being that she is perhaps out with other dudes, who are referred to as “the boys of summer”. Indeed Don is convinced that these interactions will be fleeting and that he will eventually win her back. And he seems unable or unwilling to get over her as he reminisces on their past romantic experiences.

Second Storyline

Meanwhile the third verse veers the song in completely-different directions. It features the singer beholding “a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac” and lamenting the fact that he has held on to aspects of the past. A “Deadhead” is actually a reference to a die-hard fan of the famed American rock band Grateful Dead. And in this context the Cadillac symbolizes wealth and snobbishness. This was a vehicle Henley saw in real-life which intrigued him as he thought it was unorthodox for “upper-middle class American bourgeoisie” to be fans of the rowdy Grateful Dead. And he seems to have included it in the song primarily because he found interesting.

Meanwhile the part about holding on to the past, which takes up the latter half of the verse, actually reflects his sentiments concerning the 1960s. He recounts that era as being one where people thought they had affected changed. But afterwards he realized their efforts were not enough, and in actuality no progress was made. Thus the overall sentiment being expressed in this section is that he must not dwell on the past, as in reality it was not as good as he thought it was in the first place.

What “The Boys of Summer” is all about

So all things considered, “The Boys of Summer” is quite an interesting narrative. On one hand we have Don Henley stressing a certain female because he cannot get over their past relationship. And on the other we have him stating he needs to let go of the past, though concerning a completely-different subject matter.

Facts about “The Boys of Summer”

• Henley only wrote the lyrics of The Boys of Summer. The song’s music was written by American guitarist and songwriter Mike Campbell best known for his association with the band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
• The song came out on 26th October, 1984 as the first of the 5 singles of Henley’s second solo studio album titled Building the Perfect Beast.
• The song’s title was inspired by the famous 1972 baseball book The Boys of Summer by American author Roger Kahn.
• On the US Billboard Hot 100, the song peaked at No. 5 whereas on the UK Singles Chart, it reached No. 12, making it one of the most successful songs of Henley’s solo career.
• In Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, “The Boys of Summer” was placed at number 416th position.
• The black and white music video of the song, which was directed by French music video director Jean-Baptiste Mondino won 4 awards at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards, including the award for MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.
• Despite the Eagles being one of the most successful bands in the United States as of that time, Henley wasn’t very popular since he chose to live a very private life. However, with the massive success of The Boys of Summer, Henley instantly became a household name across the globe – a happening he found very uncomfortable.
• Since its release in 1984, the song has been covered multiple times. Some of the most notable covers of the song include American melodic hardcore band Codeseven’s cover in 1998, Spanish DJ Sammy’s cover in 2002, and the American rock band The Ataris’ cover in 2003.

Did “The Boys of Summer” win a Grammy Award?

In 1986, this classic was nominated for the Grammy Awards for Record of the Year as well as Song of the Year. It however, lost both nominations to the smash hit song “We Are the World” by USA for Africa. “Boys of Summer” however, won Henley the Grammy for the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.