Beginning as a four-piece comprising Viv Strachan (vocals), Gordon McIntyre (guitar), Nick Reynolds (bass), and Alexis Beattie (drums), Ballboy played gigs around Edinburgh for a few years, and recorded tracks for the Edinburgh indie compilation it's a life sentence..., released by the newly formed SL Records label in 1997.
By 1999 Gordon, the band's main songwriter, had taken over vocal duties. Katie Griffiths had joined on keyboards and Gary Morgan had taken over the drums. The band signed to SL Records that year, and released a series of EPs showcasing their catchy new pop tunes, complete with alternately humorous and mournful lyrics. The tracks of these EPs were collected on 2001's Club Anthems.
Their 'proper' debut album, A Guide for the Daylight Hours, was released the following year, featuring artwork by Glasgow based artist David Shrigley. This was quickly followed in 2003 by the acoustic and often melancholy The Sash My Father Wore and Other Stories, virtually a solo record by Gordon.
In 2004 ballboy returned to full band mode, with the addition of a new keyboard player (Alexa Morrison) and their third album, The Royal Theatre. It took a change of record label (to their own, Pony Proof Records) and another four years before the 4th ballboy album was released, entitled I Worked on the Ships in August 2008.
Gordon McIntyre has a side project called Money Can't Buy Music who released their debut album in September 2009, The Universe for Beginners.
Their official Website is at www.ballboymusic.com.
Born In The USA
Ballboy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the first kick I took was when I hit the ground,
And you end up like a dog that's been beaten too much,
Until you spend half your life just covering up.
I got in a little hometown jam,
So they, so they put a rifle in my hand,
And they sent me off to a foreign land,
I had a brother at Khe Sahn,
Fighting off the Viet Kong,
Well, they're still there,
But he's all gone, gone, gone.
He had a woman he loved in Saigon,
I've got a, got a picture of him in her arms,
Well, she's still there,
But he's all gone, gone, gone.
Now in the shadow of the penitentiary,
Out by the gas fires of the refinery,
I've been ten years burning down this road,
I've got nowhere to run,
I've got nowhere to go.
I was born in the USA,
I was born in the USA,
I was born in the USA,
I've got nowhere to run,
I've got nowhere to hide.
The aforementioned lyrics come from Ballboy's song Born In The USA. This song is a commentary on the devastating effects of the Vietnam war, and how it impacted the lives of soldiers who fought for their country. The song aims to debunk the glamorous portrayal of the war by the media, and instead sheds light on the tragedy that resulted from the war. The line "I was born down in a dead man's town, And the first kick I took was when I hit the ground," clearly illustrates the singer's experience of growing up in a place that was plagued by hardship and lack of opportunity.
The song also talks about the singer's experience of going off to war, and how his life was changed forever as a result. In the line, "I got in a little hometown jam, So they, so they put a rifle in my hand, And they sent me off to a foreign land, To go and kill the yellow man," the singer describes how he was forced to go to war and fight against people he had no personal disagreement with. The song goes on to mention the singer's brother who was killed in action, leaving his lover behind. The line "Well, she's still there, But he's all gone, gone, gone," is a poignant reminder of the countless lives lost in the war and the devastation it caused.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born down in a dead man's town,
I was born in a place that's lost its vitality and hope due to economic struggles.
And the first kick I took was when I hit the ground,
My first experience of life was full of hardship and adversity.
And you end up like a dog that's been beaten too much,
The constant struggle and hardship makes you feel defeated and hopeless, like a dog beaten to a pulp.
Until you spend half your life just covering up.
You spend most of your life trying to hide your struggles and put on a brave face because you feel ashamed of your origin.
I got in a little hometown jam,
I got involved in a small-town conflict or trouble.
So they, so they put a rifle in my hand,
As a result, I was drafted into the military and given a weapon.
And they sent me off to a foreign land,
I was sent to fight in a distant country.
To go and kill the yellow man.
I was ordered to kill the perceived enemy, who happened to be Asian.
I had a brother at Khe Sahn,
My brother was stationed at Khe Sahn, a U.S. Marine Corps outpost during the Vietnam War.
Fighting off the Viet Cong,
He was fighting against the communist forces in Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong.
Well, they're still there,
The Viet Cong are still present and fighting in Vietnam.
But he's all gone, gone, gone.
Sadly, my brother died while serving in Vietnam.
He had a woman he loved in Saigon,
My brother had a girlfriend he loved in Saigon, the capital city of South Vietnam.
I've got a, got a picture of him in her arms,
I have a picture of my brother with his girlfriend, probably taken before he was sent to battle.
Well, she's still there,
My brother's girlfriend is still in Saigon.
But he's all gone, gone, gone.
Sadly, my brother is not with her anymore because he died.
Now in the shadow of the penitentiary,
I am now in a place near a prison, perhaps indicating a life of crime or poverty.
Out by the gas fires of the refinery,
I am near a refinery where gas is being burned or otherwise processed, possibly suggesting a toxic, dangerous environment.
I've been ten years burning down this road,
I've been on this same road for a decade, perhaps indicating a life of stagnation or desperation.
I've got nowhere to run,
I feel trapped and with no escape route from my situation.
I've got nowhere to go.
I feel lost and without a destination, with no clear path forward.
I was born in the USA,
I am an American, but my life has not been easy and without struggles.
I was born in the USA,
I am a product of my environment, growing up in a place that has seen better days.
I was born in the USA,
I am proud of my American heritage, but recognize the challenges of growing up in a disadvantaged area.
I've got nowhere to run,
I feel trapped and with no escape route from my situation.
I've got nowhere to hide.
I feel exposed and vulnerable, with no way to avoid the challenges and struggles of my life.
Contributed by Molly N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@07franco
Wow. I bought the 'club classics' album years ago on the back of 'Olympic Cyclist' track (given away on a big issue conp) and realising that Ballboy were actually amazing passed on the album to every one close to me... Fuck me, but Gordon has written some outstanding songs since then(i gave up my eyes?) and on this track he adds a level of pathos not immediatly available on the Bruce version. Loving it........x
@ianreissmann
I remember hearing the Peel show when he played this. His comment afterwards (which isn't on this) was "That song makes so much more sense now" - me too. A tribute to Ballboy. I fine song magnificently covered.
(I won't comment on the stupidity of the US right who couldn't appreciate what they were doing).
@TheBoudicca3
Ah... my favourite cover version ever (swiftly followed by Revere's Love Will Tear Us Apart - sorry Gordon/Stephen Revere). Really painful to hear Peelies voice at the beginning though; I remember Sheila reading and then playing 'I Lost You But I Found Country Music' from the bio after he died... brings it all back; remember this at The Luminaire in 2008... Bliss!
@ericcrawford9827
Saw them at Brighton. Some kind of wonderful. x
@elMick
agree, the irony is right in your face in this version
@tigerboy1966
Bruce f#d up his own song by overdoing the Irony and allowing it to be hijacked. This version plays it straight and is all the better for it. And yes I am a massive Bruce fan.
@aelmore
I recall when the Reaganites co-opted this song into their propaganda, but never realized it was a bitter indictment of how Vietnam vets got shafted.