Single:
Smalltown Boy entered the Australian singles chart* on 23 July 1984 and peaked at #8. The song was #64 on the Top 100 of 1984.
Album:
The song is on The Age of Consent which entered the Australian albums chart* on 5 November 1984 and peaked at #12.
Songwriters:
Steve Bronski, Jimmy Somerville, Larry Steinbachek
Producer:
Mike Thorne
Record label of Australian release:
London
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Songfacts:
This song is a semi-autobiographical story of Jimmy Somerville, who was lead singer of the band at the time. The song covers the oppression of homosexuals in provincial Scotland in the early 1980s.
The music video was groundbreaking in its depiction of what the song meant. It showed Somerville being attacked by a homophobic gang and being brought home by police to the family whom he is attempted to run away from.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/bronski-beat/smalltown-boy
Lyrics:
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
But the answers you seek will never be found at home
The love that you need will never be found at home
Click for full lyrics
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