It's been a wild ride for the man who grew up in the "Grass Seed Capital of the World," listening to the diverse sounds of his mother's favorite country songs and his Dad's soul records.
"Corvallis is a small college town," he says of his Oregon home, whose farms supply much of the town's teenage population with work during the warmer months. "You go to school, and in the summer you work on the farm starting at age 12. You either bale hay or drive the combine. That's what most kids do, every single year."
Once his older brother landed a record deal as a Christian artist, though, Michelson found himself with a different sort of summertime gig: selling t-shirts and CDs at his sibling's gigs. Touring the country at a young age lit a fire inside Michelson, who began playing in bands back at home. He started writing original music, too, drawing on his own experiences to create songs that balanced high-energy hooks with good-natured, real-world storylines. It was music shaped by what he listened to and where he came from.
Songs like "The Good Life," which has since become a popular track on SiriusXM radio, helped spread Michelson's music to new fans across the country. Most of the grunt work, though, was done on the road, where Michelson delivered more than 100 shows per year. He opened for artists like Lee Brice, Blake Shelton and Frankie Ballard, earning new fans along the way. To him, those fans were everything. They were his muse, his support system, his champions. Crowd interaction became a crucial part of every Jackson Michelson show, and he always ended each gig the same way: by meeting fans, shaking hands and becoming friends with those who enjoyed his music.
"Crowd engagement is so important to me," he says. "My show is just as much about the band paying attention to the crowd, as the band putting on a show for the crowd. It's not just about us; it's about the experience we're all gonna have together."
Now, with a record deal under his belt, Michelson is prepping for the next phase of his career. There are new shows to play, new songs to be written and new opportunities to explore. But he's still the boy from Corvallis, happy to sing about "The Good Life" — a life he's built himself, show by show and song by song — to an audience that continues to grow.
Boys Will Be
Jackson Michelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mudding up and showing off their toys
And riding into town and running all the red lights
Boys will be, boys will be
Drinking that beer and making that noise
Raising all kind of hell on a Friday night
But most of all boys will be
Wherever the girls are
Put 'em in a church, put 'em in a bar
Bet your truck you can bet your car
Wherever the girls are
Boys will be
Boys will be, boys will be
Tryna act tougher than the other boys
Cos it's in our blood we don't have a choice
We do what we do when we play it cool
Wherever the girls are
Anywhere under the stars
Put 'em in a church, put 'em in a bar
Bet your truck you can bet your car
Wherever the girls are
Boys will be
Girls will be girls will be
Flashing them smiles and flashing them curls
Rocking our world with them painted lips
And them painted toes
Cos they know
Boys will be
Boys will be
Boys will be
Wherever the girls are
Anywhere under the stars
Put 'em in a church, put 'em in a bar
Bet your truck you can bet your car
Wherever the girls are
Wherever the girls are
Anywhere under the stars
Put 'em in a church, put 'em in a bar
Bet your truck you can bet your car
Wherever the girls are
Boys will be
Boys will be
Yeah boys will be
In "Boys Will Be," Jackson Michelson celebrates the energetic, adventurous, and often reckless nature of young men. He sings about the ways they love to flaunt their toys, make noise, and mess around in trucks, mud, and town. The boys seem to live for the excitement and the thrill of breaking rules, such as running red lights and causing a raucous on a Friday night. However, their ultimate motive is to be where the girls are - any place, be it a church, bar, or under the stars. They try to stand out from other guys and show off their toughness and coolness but ultimately do not stand a chance against the charms of the lovely ladies who shake their world with their smiles, curls, and painted toes. It seems that wherever the girls are, the boys will be present as well.
The song speaks to the universal theme of gender roles and relationships, where girls and boys often follow a traditional pattern in terms of behavior and expectations. While boys are expected to be rowdy, daring, competitive, and independent, girls are often associated with beauty, grace, charm, and domesticity. The song plays on these stereotypes and reinforces them while also critiquing them. The boys' behavior is wild and carefree but also futile if it doesn't lead them to the girls they seek. The girls, on the other hand, seem to hold the power and the allure that the boys cannot resist. However, they are also portrayed as one-dimensional objects of desire, who exist solely to satisfy the boys' needs. There is no hint of complexity or depth to their character or their relationships with the boys. In this sense, the song perpetuates a narrow and outdated view of gender roles and romantic love that may not reflect the reality and diversity of human experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Boys will be, boys will be
Boys will always behave in a certain way
Mudding up and showing off their toys
Boys love to play outside with their toys and impress others
And riding into town and running all the red lights
Boys like to break the rules and have fun
Drinking that beer and making that noise
Boys like to have a good time with their friends
Raising all kind of hell on a Friday night
Boys like to have fun on the weekends and let loose
But most of all boys will be
Above all else, boys will always be this way
Wherever the girls are
Boys will follow girls wherever they go
Anywhere under the stars
Boys will follow girls even outside
Put 'em in a church, put 'em in a bar
Boys will follow girls no matter where they go
Bet your truck you can bet your car
People know that boys will follow girls so much that it's a sure bet
Girls will be girls will be
Girls also have their own way of being and behaving
Flashing them smiles and flashing them curls
Girls use their charm and appearance to attract attention
Rocking our world with them painted lips
Girls can make boys feel amazing
And them painted toes
Girls always pay attention to the details
Cos they know
Girls understand the power they have over boys
Yeah boys will be
Boys will always be this way
Contributed by Natalie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Linh Nguyen
Watched your performance at Folsom Live. You guys were definitely one of the best bands there that night! Good music, good energy
Catlin White
Loved seeing him at the hardrock in daytona...the man killed it.....he was by himself on stage never a dull moment and made us all feel like family.....the man needed a beer i asked him what kinda beer do you drink.......he said what kinda beer do drink??.....i drink cold beer thats the kinda beer i drink lmfao I'll never forget it!!!!!!thanks my brother!!
Tillerjunkey
He kicks ass!!!
Shower Thoughts
watched y'all wolf fest today and you killed it!! it was such a fun show!!
Sammy's Golden Adventures
I love your song
Patricia Spear
😍😍 you were amazing last night at Gary Allan!!
Taylor Dockins
i love you so much jackson
Livia weber
Yay First Comment:))) Love this song. Definitively deserves more views.
Hoot Owl
I feel sorry for country music. It doesn't even sound like country anymore, except for the vocal accent and lyric topics. Country's gone, rock's gone. Now it's pop and hip hop, littered with fake drums. Super predictable music. Oh well.