When they re-emerged in 1987 with new guitarist Brett Williams and a new album called Big Bad Noise things continued as if they'd never been gone. The album eventually went double platinum and its lead single "Run to Paradise" became the biggest hit of their career, remaining a soundtrack for football games and backyard barbecues for decades to come. Big Bad Noise's other singles, "Struggletown" and "Boys Will Be Boys" both charted as well. This success afforded them the chance to travel to Los Angeles in 1991 to record their follow-up album, Midnight Sun, but like all of their later releases it didn't repeat the success of Big Bad Noise. That year they also recorded a live album, Dead Drunk Live Hangovers, at a concert in Melbourne. Richard Lara of the Screaming Jets and Barton Price of the Models joined the band on guitar and drums respectively in 1996, when they released two albums, Dancing on the Grave of Rock 'N' Roll and Yo Yo. Price left to be replaced by Paul Wheeler of fellow pub rock legends Icehouse before their 2004 album, Evolver. That year they had a bigger hit when Mark Gable contributed a new vocal take for a remix of "Run to Paradise" by Nick Skitz, a DJ known for making minimal changes to pop hits of yesteryear to turn them into dance hits of today. The single, credited to Nick Skitz vs. the Choirboys, went platinum. In 2007 they released their tenth album, So Easy.
Struggle Town
Choirboys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the city streets we've heard are paved with gold
And I'm walking out
I'm not looking back
I'm never going back
Back to Struggle Town
Down to Struggle Town
I hear my father's working night and day
In Struggle Town it has to be that way
The more you give
The less you get
I'm never going back
Back to Struggle Town
Down to Struggle Town
Oh back to Struggle Town
Back in Struggle Town
And I remember when I was a kid
Seventeen trying to be twenty-one
Never happy, never satisfied
And now I wish that I was home again
Out of Struggle Town
Out of Struggle Town
Never going back
Life in Struggle Town
Hey, back to Struggle Town
Get out of Struggle Town
Don't you know you gotta leave
Get out of Struggle Town
Never, going back
Never going back
Oh yeah, ah never going back
Struggle Town
Struggle Town
The lyrics to Choirboys' song "Struggle Town" speak to the desire to leave a difficult environment in search of something better. The singer describes a dream of leaving for the city streets that are paved with gold, and declares that he's never going back to the struggle of his hometown. The chorus reinforces this sentiment, repeating the phrase "back to Struggle Town," which serves as a stand-in for any place that represents hardship or struggle.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the attitudes and experiences that led him to strike out on his own. He notes that in Struggle Town, hard work doesn't necessarily lead to reward - a sentiment that may ring true for anyone who has experienced financial or social inequality. The song's final lines suggest that the singer has finally found contentment, perhaps by moving beyond the expectations he felt as a teenager and building a life on his own terms.
Overall, "Struggle Town" is a song about the universal human desire to pursue a better future, even if it means leaving behind something familiar or comfortable. It's a reminder that sometimes, the decision to strike out on our own can lead to great things.
Line by Line Meaning
We had this dream about a chance to go
We had a dream about an opportunity to leave Struggle Town.
To the city streets we've heard are paved with gold
We heard that the city streets offer better opportunities to succeed in life.
And I'm walking out
I am leaving Struggle Town.
I'm not looking back
I am focused on moving forward and not dwelling on my past struggles.
I'm never going back
I have no intention of returning to Struggle Town.
Back to Struggle Town
Returning to the difficulties and challenges of Struggle Town.
Down to Struggle Town
Going back down to the lower socioeconomic status of Struggle Town.
I hear my father's working night and day
My father is working tirelessly to support our family in Struggle Town.
In Struggle Town it has to be that way
In Struggle Town, hard work is required to make ends meet.
The more you give
The harder you work and the more you sacrifice.
The less you get
The less you have to show for your hard work and sacrifices in Struggle Town.
Oh back to Struggle Town
Expressing disappointment and frustration with the idea of returning to Struggle Town.
Back in Struggle Town
Returning to the difficulties and challenges of Struggle Town.
And I remember when I was a kid
Reflecting on memories of growing up in Struggle Town.
Seventeen trying to be twenty-one
Feeling the pressure to grow up and succeed quickly in Struggle Town.
Never happy, never satisfied
Feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied with life in Struggle Town.
And now I wish that I was home again
Feeling homesick and longing for the familiarity of Struggle Town.
Out of Struggle Town
Leaving the difficulties and challenges of Struggle Town behind.
Hey, back to Struggle Town
Sarcastically expressing disappointment at the idea of returning to Struggle Town.
Get out of Struggle Town
Encouraging others to leave the difficulties and challenges of Struggle Town behind.
Don't you know you gotta leave
Urging others to recognize the importance of leaving Struggle Town for a better life.
Never, going back
Expressing a firm commitment to never returning to Struggle Town.
Life in Struggle Town
Describing the difficulties and challenges of daily life in Struggle Town.
Struggle Town
A metaphor for the socioeconomic struggles and challenges faced in a lower income community.
Writer(s): Mark Dixon Gable, Bradley Charles Carr, Lindsay Edward Tebbutt
Contributed by Cole G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@colinmacgregor8718
Saw this band with my mates almost every week for about 3 tears in Sydney pubs through the early to mid 80's.Take me back to those days.
@colinmacgregor8718
What a song.
@nanjiang3617
Best 80’s song. Underrated. Love it. ❤
@JCStorm76
Underrated
@benjamindesantis723
this guy has an amazing voice
@lmbk1
Hell yes the Queanbeyan city anthem
@slamman9887
Got to see them play Jannali boys high school after our school won the MMM contest. I was in the tree until the teacher got me down. Bought the cassette and tried to impress a girl on her birthday by giving it to her then she told me she liked my mate. I was filthy and wished I never gave it to her. Man the 80’s was good. Just wish I hadn’t been so poor. Not anymore though, retired at 45.
@indigenousaquarian3112
I was 15 when I seen The Choirboys!! They played at a local venue & it was my first concert!! 35 years ago lol I am 50 today
@peregrinemccauley7819
What a film clip . Black and White masterpiece , correlating with an original , poignant song , of yesterday .
@glennystt918
Peregrine McCauley luv ya comment spot on thanx