In 1994, Ash Santilla and Gavin Campbell met at high school in their hometo… Read Full Bio ↴In 1994, Ash Santilla and Gavin Campbell met at high school in their hometown of Benalla, Victoria, and became good friends sharing their passion for rock music. Their first band was called Naybious, named after Gavin's sister Lauren's one-eyed doll.

Lead vocalist Santilla and lead guitarist Campbell met multi-instrumentalist Louis Macklin at a school camp, and he became the band's keyboardist and percussionist. Progress of the band stalled for some time, until 2001 when Santilla and Campbell found each other again in Melbourne and began writing again.

Soon, drummer Ben Dexter joined after coming to know the group through his brother, and bass guitarist Bryan Dochstader joined the group after noticing the group unloading gear in a supermarket car-park and asking them, "Do you guys need a bass player?"

The band couldn't decide on a name for several months until Dexter rang Santilla and asked him, "What's the model of your car?" "HR," Santilla replied. "What year?" "'67." "67 Special?" "Yeah."

67 Special did a six-month residency at the Esplanade Hotel in St Kilda to critical acclaim, and in 2003 signed with Festival Mushroom Records.

Boys & Girls
67 Special Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And burn in blood all the sinners sons
Winners and grinners of an appropriate thought
Hellfire spark from the teacher tongue
Sing along to the sailor's song

Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb
Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls!!!

I wanna see you in pink

Red rivers of love are gonna make you numb
Tip of your toe to your curly tongue
And contemplate she lies awake
He just dissolve and then he shatter then fold

Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb
Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb
Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb
Wo oh yeah coz ya speak in tongues but the boys and girls they're alright

Red rivers of love are gonna make you numb
Tip of your toes to your curly tongue
Hellfire spark the teacher tongue
All sing along the sailor song

Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb
Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb

Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb
Wo oh yeah coz ya speak in tongues but the boys and girls they're alright

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 67 Special's song "Boys & Girls" are quite cryptic, but upon closer inspection, it seems to be a commentary on society and its treatment of children. The singer seems to be calling out those who would try to manipulate and indoctrinate children with their beliefs, whether it be through religion, politics, or other means. The line "burn in blood all the sinners sons" could be interpreted as a desire to punish those who would lead children down a wrong path.

The following lines, "Winners and grinners of an appropriate thought / Hellfire spark from the teacher tongue / Sing along to the sailor's song," suggest that the singer believes that these individuals are only interested in indoctrinating children with their own beliefs, rather than encouraging independent thought. Meanwhile, the repeated line "Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb" seems to be a call to arms for all who still possess their own minds and refuse to be brainwashed.

The chorus, which repeats "Wo oh coz ya speak in tongues but the boys and girls they're alright," could be interpreted as a message of hope. No matter what society tries to do to children, they are resilient and can still think for themselves. The repeated phrase "red rivers of love are gonna make you numb" could be a nod to the fact that despite all the negativity and manipulation, love and empathy can still triumph in the end.

Line by Line Meaning

And burn in blood all the sinners sons
Punish all the sons of people who have committed sins

Winners and grinners of an appropriate thought
People who have the right mindset and attitude will come out on top

Hellfire spark from the teacher tongue
The teacher's words are like sparks that light a fire inside

Sing along to the sailor's song
Join in with the music and enjoy the moment

Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb
Just because you talk in a way that others don't understand, doesn't mean they're foolish

I wanna see you in pink
I want you to wear pink and look beautiful

Red rivers of love are gonna make you numb
Overwhelming feelings of love will stun you

Tip of your toe to your curly tongue
From top to bottom, you are filled with excitement

And contemplate she lies awake
She lays awake thinking and contemplating

He just dissolve and then he shatter then fold
He falls apart and then folds under the pressure

Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb
Just because you talk in a way that others don't understand, doesn't mean they're foolish

Red rivers of love are gonna make you numb
Overwhelming feelings of love will stun you

Tip of your toes to your curly tongue
From top to bottom, you are filled with excitement

Hellfire spark the teacher tongue
The teacher's words are like sparks that light a fire inside

All sing along the sailor song
Everyone joins in with the music and enjoys the moment

Wo oh coz you speak in tongue but the boys and girls ain't dumb
Just because you talk in a way that others don't understand, doesn't mean they're foolish

Wo oh yeah coz ya speak in tongues but the boys and girls they're alright
Even though you talk in a way that others don't understand, the boys and girls are still okay

Contributed by Jordyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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