Julian Casablancas is half American and half Danish and the son of John Casablancas and Jeanette Christiansen. His parents divorced when he was young. He attended kindergarten with future bandmate Nikolai Fraiture.
Early in his teens, Julian's father sent him to the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. This was where Julian first met Albert Hammond Jr. , one of few other American students on campus.
When Casablancas returned to New York, he continued his education at the Dwight School, where he met Fabrizio Moretti and Nick Valensi. Julian later dropped out because he felt like he "just wasn't learning anything" there.
During his hiatus from The Strokes, he released a solo album called "Phrazes for the Young" on the 9th of November in 2009.
To date, the Strokes have released Is This It, Room on Fire, First Impressions of Earth, Angles, Comedown Machine and The New Abnormal.
Boombox
Julian Casablancas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The stuffy old money where the poor gets snubbed
The spread is bland sauerkraut and boiled goose
There's no way these people will ever cut loose
But then I walk in the room, hold my boombox high
And what happened next, will blow your mind
The music was so undressing
Everyone got out on the floor
It was a bunch of old white people dancing
Now picture if you will a bunch of business men
Stuffed in the boardroom like pigs in a pen
The ties around the necks are like a hangman's noose
In the middle of the table there's a boiled goose
The old people smell makes you want to puke in the sink
These dudes will never dance yeah that's what you think
I stride in the room all young and hip
Hold up my boombox and say listen to this
Then everyone started to move
People rejoiced instead of financing
Your preconceived notions were shattered
By the super old white people dancing
The big apple, where people never dance
Spirits go down while profits expand
The cops or the dealers, who's got the juice
The street benders peddling their boiled goose
So many types of people will never get along
Till I bust out my boombox and play this song
The music washed away all the hate
And society started advancing
Every demographic was represented
It was a rainbow coalition of dancing
Whoa !
Everyone was wearing fingerless gloves
Whoa!
I saw a Spanish guy doing the Bartman
Transport now to an old folks home
Where the elderly are tossed on their brittle bones
The orderlies are stealing there's no excuse
Everyday for lunch they eat boiled goose
So I grabbed my boombox and hit the turbo base
And what happened next was a total disgrace
Everybody started having sex
The music was way too powerful
A bunch of old people fucking like rabbits
It was disgusting to say the least
Oh!
A boombox can change the world
You gotta know your limits with a boombox
This was a cautionary tale
A boombox is not a toy
Julian Casablancas's song "Boombox" is a playful take on the power of music to bring people together across social boundaries. The opening verses describe a stuffy, upper-class country club and a dreary boardroom filled with business executives. In both scenarios, the people seem unlikely to cut loose and have fun. However, when the singer enters with his boombox, things change dramatically. The music he plays is so infectious that even the old white people begin to dance, and business executives who were once pigs in a pen rejoice and dance instead of financing.
The final verse takes us to an old folks home, where the residents are described as frail and neglected, and the orderlies are stealing from them. Once again, the singer arrives with his boombox, and this time the power of the music is overwhelming. The elderly people, described as "tossed on their brittle bones," begin to have sex, moved by the music's energy. Throughout the song, the lyrics stress the transformative power of music and its ability to create unexpected connections and pleasures.
In many ways, "Boombox" is a celebration of the unexpected and the unconventional. The song describes a world where social boundaries are rigidly enforced, but the arrival of music and dancing breaks down those barriers in surprising ways. The song also plays with the idea of expectations and stereotypes: the staid old country club turns into a dance party, business executives rejoice instead of financing, and the elderly people have sex. Ultimately, the song suggests that music has the power to change the world, but it also comes with risks, as the final verse reminds listeners that a boombox is not a toy.
Line by Line Meaning
Imagine in your mind a posh country club
Picture a fancy club where the rich snub the poor
The stuffy old money where the poor gets snubbed
The place is full of old, wealthy people who ignore those who are less fortunate
The spread is bland sauerkraut and boiled goose
The food is unappetizing and unremarkable
There's no way these people will ever cut loose
The guests are uptight and won't dance or have fun
But then I walk in the room, hold my boombox high
The artist enters with a boombox in hand
And what happened next, will blow your mind
Get ready for this wild story...
Everything got outta control
The situation became wild and unpredictable
The music was so undressing
The music was so sexually suggestive that people felt liberated
Everyone got out on the floor
Even people who wouldn't normally dance joined in
It was a bunch of old white people dancing
The guests were predominantly older white people
Now picture if you will a bunch of business men
Now imagine a group of businessmen
Stuffed in the boardroom like pigs in a pen
The men are squeezed into a boardroom like livestock
The ties around the necks are like a hangman's noose
The businessmen's ties look like nooses around their necks, symbolic of their stressful lives
In the middle of the table there's a boiled goose
There's a boiled goose on the table, indicating that this group is also enjoying unappetizing food
The old people smell makes you want to puke in the sink
The stench of old people's homesickness is overpowering and nauseating
These dudes will never dance yeah that's what you think
It seems improbable that these businessmen would ever let loose and dance
I stride in the room all young and hip
The artist is confident and fashionable
Hold up my boombox and say listen to this
He presents his boombox as a source of impactful music
Then everyone started to move
The businessmen begin dancing
People rejoiced instead of financing
They experience joy instead of stress associated with finance
Your preconceived notions were shattered
The artist's assumptions about these businessmen were proven wrong
By the super old white people dancing
Everyone is dancing, regardless of age or race
The big apple, where people never dance
New York City is perceived as a place where people are not likely to loosen up and dance
Spirits go down while profits expand
Money is prioritized over happiness
The cops or the dealers, who's got the juice
A question about who holds the real power and status
The street benders peddling their boiled goose
People on the street are selling the same boring food
So many types of people will never get along
There are many people who will never see eye-to-eye
Till I bust out my boombox and play this song
But the music from the boombox unites everyone
The music washed away all the hate
The power of music to eliminate hostility and barriers
And society started advancing
People became more inclusive and accepting of each other
Every demographic was represented
Everyone from all backgrounds came together
It was a rainbow coalition of dancing
People from all walks of life danced together
Everyone was wearing fingerless gloves
This is a detail that illustrates the fashion of the time and place
I saw a Spanish guy doing the Bartman
One of the guests was an interesting character who was dancing in his own way
Transport now to an old folks home
Imagine now an elderly care home
Where the elderly are tossed on their brittle bones
The elderly patients are not treated with gentleness and care they need
The orderlies are stealing there's no excuse
The nurses are not doing their jobs properly
Everyday for lunch they eat boiled goose
The residents are being fed the same unappetizing meal
So I grabbed my boombox and hit the turbo base
The boombox comes out again with even more power
And what happened next was a total disgrace
Something embarrassing and horrific happens next
Everybody started having sex
People start becoming too wild and too intimate with each other
The music was way too powerful
The music exacerbated people's prurient tendencies
A bunch of old people fucking like rabbits
It becomes a grotesque, animalistic scene
It was disgusting to say the least
Closed-minded people might find this completely unacceptable
Oh!
A shouted interjection
A boombox can change the world
Music has the power to break down barriers between people and bring people together
You gotta know your limits with a boombox
There is a limit to the power of music and it's important to be responsible with it
This was a cautionary tale
The story is meant to be a warning or reminder of the consequences of letting music get out of hand
A boombox is not a toy
The singer stresses the importance of treating the boombox with respect and understanding its power
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Akiva Schaffer, Andrew Samberg, Asa Taccone, Drew Campbell, Jorma Taccone
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@IProvideLyrics1924
[Verse 1: Andy Samberg]
Imagine in your mind a posh country club
The stuffy old money where the poor get snubbed
The spread is bland, sauerkraut and boiled goose
There's no way these people will ever cut loose
But then I walk in the room, hold my boombox high
And what happened next will blow your mind
[Chorus: Julian Casablancas]
Everything got out of control
The music was so entrancing
Everyone got out on the floor
It was a bunch of old, white people dancing
[Verse 3: Andy Samberg]
The Big Apple, where people never dance
Spirits go down while profits expand
The cops or the dealers, who's got the juice?
The street vendors peddling their boiled goose
So many types of people, they'll never get along
Till I bust out my boombox and play this song
[Chorus: Julian Casablancas]
The music washed away all the hate
And society started advancing
Every demographic was represented
It was a rainbow coalition of dancing
[Bridge: Julian Casablancas]
Woah, everyone was wearing fingerless gloves
Woah, I saw a Spanish guy doing the Bartman
[Verse 4: The Lonely Island]
Transport now to an old folks home
Where the elderly are tossed on their brittle bones
The orderlies are stealing, there's no excuse
Every day for lunch they eat boiled goose
So I grabbed my boombox and hit the turbo bass
And what happened next was a total disgrace
[Chorus: Julian Casablancas]
Everybody started having sex
The music was way too powerful
A bunch of old people fucking like rabbits
It was disgusting to say the least
[Outro: Julian Casablancas]
A boombox can change the world
You gotta know your limits with a boombox
This was a cautionary tale
A boombox is not a toy
@JoshFreilich
(Cut Verse)
[Verse 2: Andy Samberg]
Now, picture if you will a bunch of businessmen
Stuffed in the boardroom like pigs in a pen
The ties around their necks are like a hangman's noose
In the middle of the table, there's a boiled goose
The old people smell makes you want to puke in the sink
These dudes'll never dance, yeah, that's what you think
I stride in the room all young and hip
Hold up my boombox and say, "Listen to this!"
[Chorus: Julian Casablancas]
Then everyone started to move
People rejoiced instead of financing
Your preconceived notions were shattered
By the super old white people dancing
@giannaaraujo7501
Dear Father
This song played at your funeral, my god I miss you. I miss the way you used to play this song to make us laugh, and now every time I hear this song it brings tears to my eyes. I can never listen to a lonely island song again without thinking about you.
Dad, I miss you.
Love, your daughter
Gianna❤
@TheGourdKing
Julian adds an alarming amount of legitimacy to this song.
@mrsisterfister6647
This is in my playlist lol
@joeshittheragman6252
Because Julian is legit
@TheChickencheeseman
That’s kind of the point
@paridhisaxena6591
I wish he would have sung more song!! I love his voice❤❤
@camsterdam3896
As does Samburg's hair...lol
@colinclayton8042
I find it cool how Julian said making this was the most fun he's ever had recording music.
@ethanwise7755
Source? I just wanna read it
@gianella2154
Julians face in the hole video is trying not to laugh
@ciromtoretti
@@gianella2154 1:45