Don Henley's Lyric Aficionados Collective: "The Boys of Summer"

Exploring Don Henley's Iconic Anthem And Its Enduring Legacy

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What’s “most popular” is often as objective as it is subjective, but in the case of Don Henley’s solo career, it seems pretty, pretty, pretty* obvious that “The Boys of Summer” is his most popular song. The song is #1** for Henley on Spotify with 541,912,673 streams and counting. It’s also his highest-charting song, peaking at #5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

From Henley’s 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast, let’s dive into what’s made “The Boys of Summer” so iconic.

*Did you get the Larry David Curb reference?

**“The End Of The Innocence,” sits a diiiistant second on the list, with 80,381,000 streams.

Background

“The Boys of Summer” gets its track title from Roger Kahn's 1972 book* on the Brooklyn Dodgers, which itself was inspired by a Dylan Thomas poem** (1939). Kahn’s book covers the heartache of the Dodgers spurning Brooklyn for Los Angeles.

*I’ve never read Kahn’s book which is a bit surprising given how big of a baseball fan I am. I’ll add it to my neverending list of books to read!

** Henley is famously well-read and was an English major in college. It’s not surprising he’s able to be this well-versed in literature.

Infamously, the music was written by Mike Campbell, lead guitarist and confidante of Tom Petty and their band, the Heartbreakers. Campbell used a Roger Linn drum machine to come up with the song’s rhythm before recording the demo to a 4-track machine. Then Campbell decided to show the song to Petty.* Petty turned it down as they recorded Southern Accents, stating that he didn’t believe the sound fit the album concept.

*The story goes that Petty and Campbell went into a vehicle to listen to a tape mix of “Don’t Come Around Here No More” when “The Boys of Summer” came on the radio. This happened after Petty had turned down the song and it had become a hit for Henley. I love this story for two reasons: 1). because it highlights how much Petty cared about the fan experience, something he consistently wrote about in his music. They wanted to hear how the mix would sound on a radio not just in the studio. And 2). Petty admitted to Campbell that “The Boys of Summer” turned out to be a pretty rad song!

There are differing accounts for how Campbell and Henley linked up and wrote the song. Luckily for us Henley aficionados, it did happen.

The Heartbreakers were working with producer Jimmy Iovine, a friend of one Mr. Don Henley. When Campbell debuted the unnamed demo in the studio, Iovine, who was there, suggested showing it to Henley. Despite never having met, Henley and Campbell had their first phone call the next day. Campbell played the demo for Henley over the speaker, and Henley, impressed, promptly wrote the lyrics and expressed eagerness to record the song.

But as recollected from The Moment with Brian Koppelman, Campbell says Henley just sat at the other end of a big table “like a judge” listening in silence with his eyes closed. This implies they met in person for the unveiling of the demo. Campbell says he left having no idea if Henley liked the song or not. When he got home, he got a call from Henley, who said “I just wrote the best song of my life to your music.”

Which version is the true story? I’ll let you be the judge!

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Lyrics Analysis

Henley wasn’t blowing smoke! “The Boys of Summer” is a terrifically written song.

To most, the song is simply about looking back on past relationships and wanting to return to what you had. In 1987, Henley opened up to Rolling Stone, revealing that the song revolves around aging and introspection—a common theme in his lyrics.

Interestingly, Henley uses the “boys of summer” as a metaphor for the guys that an ex-girlfriend is dating. They seem to be just summer flings, while the protagonist sees himself as someone who could be with her forever.

The opening lines, "Nobody on the roads, nobody on the beach," paint a picture of the California coast transitioning from summer to fall. As the weather cools down, the area becomes noticeably quieter. Followed by the depressing lyric “The summer’s out of reach.”

The second verse illustrates the subject's struggle with being left behind while his ex has moved on. Despite this, he still clings to hope, as seen in the lines: “But babe, I'm gonna get you back, I'm gonna show you what I'm made of.”

Regarding the third verse, Don Henley shared with NME in 1985:

I was driving down the San Diego Freeway and got passed by a $21,000 Cadillac Seville, the status symbol of the Right-wing upper-middle-class American bourgeoisie – all the guys with the blue blazers with the crests and the grey pants – and there was this Grateful Dead ‘Deadhead’ bumper sticker on it!

Despite Henley and the protagonist’s optimism at the beginning, by the end, they realize they must move on: “Those days are gone forever, I should just let them go.”

See the full lyrics here!

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Reader Story!

In each column, I would like to feature a reader of CERNIG and get their insights and stories on the song we are covering. If you’d like to be featured in the future, send an email or comment below.

This week’s Reader Feature is from my Mom! I’ve forever known that “The Boys of Summer” is her favorite Henley song — one of her favorite songs, period. But I never knew why! It’s one of those things that you learn when you’re younger that just becomes fact and you don’t feel the need to do additional research. Until you write a column about said song!

Here’s what Mom said when I asked her about “The Boys of Summer”

Everytime I hear “The Boys of Summer,” I am reminded of when Dad and I lived in SoCal. Driving the freeway system with that song cranking and still not believing that I moved across the country and left my sheltered Scranton life.

I’ve never blared the song on the California freeway but I get the sentiment, and I think a lot of us have had a similar experience. In fact, my wife and I have continued the adventurous spirit my parents instilled. We moved down to North Carolina in 2018 and never looked back. Plus, the rest of the family eventually joined us down here, too! But to think — I could’ve been a California baby! Mom and Dad moved back to Scranton before they had me and that’s a story for another day 🙂

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Musical Composition

While Henley and Campbell wanted to recreate the demo as close to the original as possible, they changed the key for Henley’s voice. In an interview with Songfacts, Campbell said, “We actually cut it in one key, did the whole record with overdubs and everything, and then he decided to change the key like a half step up or something, we had to do the whole record again, but it turned out pretty good.”

The song was recorded in the key of F-sharp major and had a tempo beat of 88 beats per minute.

Henley’s vocals during the song span a typically wide range, from F-sharp to A-sharp.

Reception

“The Boys of Summer” is Henley’s highest-charting hit of his solo career. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 but went to #1 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for five weeks. The song was also charted highest in the U.K., reaching #12.

Henley took home a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 1986.

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Song Credits

• Personnel:

  • Don Henley – vocals

  • Mike Campbell – synthesizers, guitars, programming, percussion

  • Danny Kortchmar – synthesizers, guitars

  • Steve Porcaro – synthesizers

  • Larry Klein – bass

• Written by:

  • Don Henley

  • Mike Campbell

• Produced by:

  • Mike Campbell

  • Greg Ladanyi

  • Danny Kortchmar

  • Don Henley

• Release Date: October 26, 1984

• Label: Geffen

• Length: 4:48

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Fun Facts

Henley has said on multiple occasions that he did not enjoy the MTV aspect of his solo career. He considered himself primarily a singer and songwriter. So it’s a bit ironic that the video for “The Boys of Summer” won the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards, just the second year the awards were held. Henley’s song won Video of the Year, Best Director, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography. Happily, for MTV and the crowd, Henley showed up* to accept these awards.

*Securing Henley's attendance at an awards show was a challenge. For instance, when the Eagles snagged the Album of the Year Grammy for Hotel California, Henley and the rest of the band opted out of attending the ceremony.

In 2003, The Ataris did a pop-punk cover of the song. It became their highest-charting single, much to the band's and Henley's surprise and disappointment.

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My Take

“The Boys of Summer” is a terrific song! It’s not my favorite from Henley, but it has everything I want. Clever lyrics. Showing off his impressive vocal range. Catchy musical composition with an awesome guitar lick from Mike Campbell.

I will always bop along to this song whenever it comes on. I also like the idea of the song being about how summer isn’t always what we hype it up to be, and that, like all things, it will inevitably end.

I’ll admit, I get the feels whenever this song plays in late August or September. The change in environment is so stark. It’s quieter, people are back to school and work, and the innocence of a summer day is gone until next year.

Recently, I was watching Henley's 2001 Inside Job DVD and was so impressed by the strength of his vocals in this song. Having attended several Eagles concerts since 2018, "The Boys of Summer" has become a regular part of their setlist. While Henley still sounds impressive, particularly considering his age, he doesn't quite deliver the same energy as before. This is noticeable in the way the Eagles perform the song, with strong backing vocals enhancing the chorus, "I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun.

I tell you all this to say that I find it astonishing he still sounds as good as he does, but wowieeee — I’m amazed at how magnificent he sounded in his prime! The studio version hits well enough most times, but if you can find the ultra-rare Henley live version (sigh, another story for another day) then you’ll have a great day — I guarantee it!

🎶 Listen on Spotify

📺 Watch on YouTube

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Next week, I’ll cover “The End Of The Innocence” in all its purity!

Until then, let me know in the comments what you think of “The Boys of Summer” and share any stories, insights, and thoughts you have!

Lastly, if you have feedback on the structure of this column, drop that below too! I want this recurring column to resonate with you as much as Henley’s music does with me!!