She is known for her sense of humor, which is expressed in both her music and her onstage performances. Many of her songs alternate between emotional reflections on romance and outright comedy. Two of her more famous songs include "Sensitive New Age Guys" and "Bald Headed Men".
One of the Boys
Christine Lavin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
he worked every day of his life
first as a lawyer then as a judge
my grandmother Charlotte was his darling wife
they had 7 children
and 42 grandkids
who looked up to him as the great patriarch
he lived his whole life here in New York City
Grandpa was a type A workaholic
before we all knew what those terms meant
he'd bring briefcases filled with work papers
to every family event
he didn't drink
he didn't smoke
he was quite formal whenever he spoke
and though we loved him
we never felt close
he was a serious man
We always remember him working. And we heard stories about Grandpa's work ethic. He had a subscription to the Metropolitan Opera back when it was on 43rd Street -- he had seats on the aisle in the orchestra section, but had this habit of leaning over, using the tiny lights along the floor to illuminate his papers so that he could work and listen to the opera at the same time. I don't think ushers at this Met would tolerate that kind of behavior, but he got away with it back then.
The six men brave enough to marry Grandpa's six daughters never called him "Dad" or "Father" or "Thomas." It was always "Judge." That's how he liked it.
Grandma and Grandpa never took exotic trips. My theory is that with so many grandchildren their dance card was filled -- seems like every weekend they'd be attending a christening, or a confirmation or a graduation or a wedding. You can see Grandpa in all the old photo albums -- in his pinstripe suit, bowtie, and fedora. Proud and stately. He took his grandparenting duties very seriously.
One shining Sunday in the mid 1960s
grandma and grandpa were visiting our family
we lived up in Peekskill
on the banks of the Hudson
my parents, 5 brothers, 3 sisters and me
As I recall we girls were with grandma
having tea and cookies in the living room
in the field next to our house were the boys
playing baseball that afternoon
The field next to our house was really a long sloping hill. Home plate was at the bottom of that hill. The outfield was up and the outer edge of the outfield butted up against our house -- like our house was where they'd be the warning track. Outfielders never played that deep, 'cause nobody ever hit that far, what with the angle and all. At some point that afternoon I looked out the living room window, watching the boys at play, then went back to listening to grandma tell us stories. I didn't know where Grandpa was, but I figured he was off in a corner somewhere, working.
But he wasn't.
Never before and never after that
something big happened that day
grandpa put his work papers aside
he asked my brothers if he could play
He took off his jacket
undid his bow tie
my brother Greg was the pitcher
wound up, let it fly
grandpa connected
Hit the ball high, high, high, high
Grandma was telling us another story
about New York in the olden days
before there was a George Washington Bridge
Empire State Building, or subways
when all of a sudden the window was shattered
we all jumped up to see what could the matter be
to the floor cups and saucers clattered
landing next to the baseball wondered who could the batter be...
We ran to the window
looked through the broken glass
there at the bottom of the hill
stood our dear grandpa
leaning on his bat
smiling so guts out
enjoying the thrill
40 years later we can still picture him
proud as a peacock
puffed up with joy
the only time we ever witnessed grandpa
just being one of the boys
Grandpa was one of the boys
Christine Lavin’s One of the Boys narrates the serious and workaholic life of her grandfather Thomas, a lawyer and judge who lived his entire life in New York City with his wife Charlotte and seven children. Despite having 42 grandchildren, he was barely close to any of them due to his serious demeanor. He always carried his work papers wherever he would go, even to family events though he never smoked nor drank. He was proud of his job, but it made him feel distant from his grandchildren. Nevertheless, on one Sunday afternoon in the 1960s, while visiting his grandkids in Peekskill, he put his papers aside, took off his jacket and bowtie and played baseball with his grandsons. The feeling of pure joy on his face as he batted the ball and hit it high remains as the only time that Christine and her family saw Grandpa being ‘one of the boys.’
The song One of the Boys is a lyrical representation of how a serious life can make you feel lonely and isolated even if you are surrounded by people who love you. Christine’s grandfather, a typical Type A personality, spent his entire life working hard, achieving great things, and looking serious doing it. The song shows that despite this image, in his heart, he was just a normal person who sometimes just wanted to let his hair down and be part of the fun. Ultimately, the song shows that sometimes it takes just one moment of carefree joy to break down the walls between people and create a memorable, cherished memory.
Line by Line Meaning
My grandfather Thomas was a serious man
Grandpa was a serious man who worked hard every day of his life
he worked every day of his life
Grandpa worked every day of his life and was always busy with work
he lived his whole life here in New York City
Grandpa lived his entire life in New York City and made his mark there
before we all knew what those terms meant
Grandpa was a workaholic before the term even existed
he'd bring briefcases filled with work papers
Grandpa carried work papers in briefcases to every family event
he was quite formal whenever he spoke
Grandpa was formal when he spoke, despite being loved by many
though we loved him we never felt close
We loved Grandpa, but never felt particularly close to him
It was always Judge. That's how he liked it.
Grandpa preferred to be called by his professional title of "Judge"
Grandma and Grandpa never took exotic trips.
Grandma and Grandpa rarely travelled, since they were often occupied with their many grandchildren
Playing baseball that afternoon
The boys were playing baseball in the yard outside
never before and never after that
Grandpa never played baseball with the boys before or after this one time
something big happened that day
Grandpa playing baseball with the boys was a significant moment for everyone present
he asked my brothers if he could play
Grandpa asked the boys for permission to play baseball with them
Grandpa connected / Hit the ball high, high, high, high
Grandpa hit the ball really high after connecting with the pitch
40 years later we can still picture him
Even 40 years later, we still remember the time when Grandpa played baseball with the boys
proud as a peacock / puffed up with joy
Grandpa was incredibly happy and proud while playing baseball
the only time we ever witnessed grandpa / just being one of the boys
This was the only instance where Grandpa acted like one of the boys and did something fun with them
Contributed by Skyler E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.