Julie Andrews got her big break when her stepfather introduced her to Val Parnell, whose Moss Empires controlled prominent venues in London. Andrews made her professional solo debut at the London Hippodrome singing the difficult aria "Je Suis Titania" from Mignon as part of a musical revue called "Starlight Roof" on 22 October 1947.
Andrews gained fame at a young age in 1950s Britain by acting and singing on light entertainment radio programmes such as "Educating Archie". She rose to international prominence after starring in Broadway musicals such as My Fair Lady and Camelot, as well as musical films like Mary Poppins (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965).
Andrews had a major revival of her film career in the 2000s, in children's films such as The Princess Diaries (2001), its sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), and the Shrek animated films (2004-2007). In 2005, Andrews made her debut as a stage director with a revival of The Boy Friend, in which she also made her Broadway acting debut in 1954.
She was married with Blake Edwards in 1965 until his death in 2010.
The Boy Friend
Julie Andrews Lyrics
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Of seventeen or thereabouts
Has but one desire in view
She knows she has reached the stage
Of needing one to care about
Nothing else will really do
Childhood games are left behind
And her heart takes wing
Hoping that it soon will find
Just one thing
We've got to have,
We plot to have,
For it's a dreary not to have
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
We scheme about
And dream about
And we've been known to scream about
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
He is really a necessity
If you want to get on
And we might as well confess it
He is a sine qua non
We sigh for him
And cry for him,
And we would gladly die for him
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
We plead to have,
We need to have,
In fact our poor hearts bleed to have
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
We'd save for him
And slave for him
We'd even misbehave for him
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
Life without us is impossible
And devoid of all charms
No amount of idle gossip'll
Keep them out of our arms
We're blue without
Can't do without
Our dreams just won't come true without
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
We're blue without
Can't do without
Our dreams just won't come true without
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
The lyrics of "The Boy Friend" are a humorous yet truthful take on the desires of a younger woman in search of love. Once a girl reaches the age of seventeen or older, she becomes aware that she needs someone to care about. All the childish games from her past become trivial, and she needs someone to focus on. This fundamental desire of finding a significant other is a recurring theme in the song. The lyrics portray how passionate girls can be about finding a boyfriend. Every girl dreams and schemes about finding a boy to fall in love with. For them, having a boyfriend becomes a necessity if they want to succeed in life.
The song presents a comical yet straightforward insight into women's lives. The lyrics are written from a woman's perspective, and they ensure that no girl is left behind when it comes to falling in love. The girl's desire for a boyfriend is also presented as a necessity as per the societal norms of the time. Overall, the song is a charming and relatable take on the pursuit of love and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
Any girl who's reached the age
Of seventeen or thereabouts
Has but one desire in view
She knows she has reached the stage
Of needing one to care about
Nothing else will really do
At the age of seventeen or so, every girl has just one thing in mind, which is to find someone to love and care for her, and nothing else will suffice.
Childhood games are left behind
And her heart takes wing
Hoping that it soon will find
Just one thing
With childhood games now in the past, her heart is filled with hope and yearning to find the one thing she desires most.
We've got to have,
We plot to have,
For it's a dreary not to have
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
We scheme about
And dream about
And we've been known to scream about
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
We absolutely must have that special person known as "The Boy Friend," and we will do whatever it takes to get him – whether it's plotting, scheming, dreaming, or even screaming.
He is really a necessity
If you want to get on
And we might as well confess it
He is a sine qua non
If you want to get anywhere in life, you simply must have a "Boy Friend" to be by your side, and we must admit that he is an essential requirement.
We sigh for him
And cry for him,
And we would gladly die for him
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
We yearn for him deeply, shed tears over him, and would even be willing to die for him if necessary – that's how important he is to us.
We plead to have,
We need to have,
In fact our poor hearts bleed to have
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
We beg and desperately crave to have the one thing our hearts truly desire – "The Boy Friend" – and our hearts ache with longing for him.
We'd save for him
And slave for him
We'd even misbehave for him
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
We'd go to great lengths to win the affections of our "Boy Friend," whether it's saving up money, working tirelessly to please him, or even acting out of character to get his attention.
Life without us is impossible
And devoid of all charms
No amount of idle gossip'll
Keep them out of our arms
Without us, life would be unbearable and monotonous, and no amount of rumors or gossip could ever keep our "Boy Friend" away from us.
We're blue without
Can't do without
Our dreams just won't come true without
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
Without our "Boy Friend," we are sad and incomplete, and our hopes and dreams cannot be realized without his love and companionship.
We're blue without
Can't do without
Our dreams just won't come true without
That certain thing called "The Boy Friend"
Without our "Boy Friend," we are sad and incomplete, and our hopes and dreams cannot be realized without his love and companionship.
Writer(s): Sandy Wilson
Contributed by Hailey P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.