Though best known for their instrumental hit "Pick Up the Pieces," the band's strength lies in their consistently accomplished songwriting, stretching across several gold-selling albums and multi-Grammy nominations for Atlantic Records. Despite their Scottish roots, the six-piece band developed their own "authentic" sound influenced by R&B heroes such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and Donny Hathaway, which was eagerly adopted by black audiences in the US and elsewhere.
Many of the band's cuts, such as "Cut The Cake" and "Let's Go 'Round Again," attracted chart action as hit singles, while album tracks like "Schoolboy Crush" and "Person to Person" became much-sampled "rare" grooves. Other tunes like "Cloudy," "A Love Of Your Own," and "Nothing You Can Do" stand alongside some of the finest soul album tracks ever recorded.
The current lineup of the band, with noted US musicians alongside founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre, continues to delight audiences and critics alike in its wide-ranging touring. The musical energy and trademark sound are remarkably true to the original, and with constant revisitation and re-workings of AWB's, and others' classics in the mix, it is no surprise that the Average White Band is now a multi-generational attraction and a perennial fixture with many of the top music venues.
School Boy Crush
Average White Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wait 'til everybody's long gone
There must be so many things that we can explore
Maybe I can walk you home
If it starts to rain we can take some shelter
I'd like to hold your little hand
My heart is spinning like a helter-skelter
We'll get to know each other if we can
[Chorus]
She said hey wait a minute hold on
She said hey just a little bit hold on
When ever I try to think of what it feels like to feel it
For the first time, and was it really such a thrill
She said look, boy but don't you touch
That ain't much only a school boy crush
Got to keep this secret can't take no chance
Don't want nobody else to know
There is nothing wrong with trying to start a romance
But we should take it rather slow
If we play it cool it'll be all right
Don't let the teacher see us talking
But after school we will be out of sight
Everybody gonna think we just gone walkin'
[Chorus]
The song "School Boy Crush" by Average White Band, originally released in 1975, is about the excitement and uncertainty of young love. The song tells the story of a boy who meets a girl at the playground after school and asks if he can walk her home. He is clearly smitten with her, but she is hesitant, telling him to slow down and suggesting that his feelings may just be a "school boy crush."
The chorus of the song sees the girl urging the boy to take his time and not get too ahead of himself. She asks him to think about what it really means to feel such intense emotions for the first time, and whether it's really as thrilling as he believes it to be. She cautions him not to touch her, reminding him that their romance needs to remain secret and that they can't let anyone know what's going on between them.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of innocence and vulnerability that comes through in both the lyrics and the music. The playful melody and upbeat tempo of the track perfectly capture the feeling of youthful energy and exuberance, while the lyrics speak to the uncertainty and confusion that often come with first love.
Overall, "School Boy Crush" is a charming and nostalgic ode to the joys and challenges of young love, a song that perfectly captures the excitement and uncertainty of that time in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Meet me in the playground at a quarter to four
Let's meet up at the playground at 3:45 pm.
Wait 'til everybody's long gone
Let's wait until everyone else leaves before we start talking.
There must be so many things that we can explore
There's a lot we can learn and discover about each other.
Maybe I can walk you home
I'd like to escort you home.
If it starts to rain we can take some shelter
We can seek refuge together if it begins to rain.
I'd like to hold your little hand
I want to hold your hand.
My heart is spinning like a helter-skelter
I'm very excited and nervous about being around you.
We'll get to know each other if we can
Hopefully, we'll have a chance to learn more about each other.
[Chorus]
Refrain from proceeding further in this relationship from younggirl's perspective.
She said hey wait a minute hold on
Wait, slow your roll.
She said hey just a little bit hold on
Wait just a little bit longer.
When ever I try to think of what it feels like to feel it
Whenever I try to think about what it feels like to experience it.
For the first time, and was it really such a thrill
The feeling of experiencing something like that for the first time, was it that exciting?
She said look, boy but don't you touch
Look at me, but please don't touch me.
That ain't much only a school boy crush
It's just a crush, nothing more than that.
Got to keep this secret can't take no chance
We have to keep this a secret and be careful not to get caught.
Don't want nobody else to know
We don't want anyone else finding out about us.
There is nothing wrong with trying to start a romance
There's nothing wrong with wanting to start a romantic relationship.
But we should take it rather slow
While we should go slowly in this relationship.
If we play it cool it'll be all right
If we act casual and stay calm, everything will be fine.
Don't let the teacher see us talking
We shouldn't let the teacher see us talking.
But after school we will be out of sight
But once school is over, we can be alone together.
Everybody gonna think we just gone walkin'
Everyone will just think that we went for a walk.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: ROGER BALL, MALCOLM DUNCAN, STEPHEN FERRONE, ALAN EDWARD GORRIE, OWEN ONNIE MCINTYRE, HAMISH STUART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind