An uptempo dance song, "Boyz" draws from West Indian soca and Tamil gaana influences, incorporating electronica and club music influences to a 4/4 beat bassline. Displaying elements of worldbeat, its instrumentation consists of urumee drum percussion, trumpets, tambourines, electronic scratches and synths. Its lyrics make reference to male bravado, warlords, motorcycle and dirty track riding and dance moves originating from Jamaica, a country that inspired the song's composition. "Boyz" placed at number nine on the Rolling Stone "100 Best Songs of 2007" list and ranked one of the best songs of the year and the decade by Blender Magazine, NME, Eye Weekly and PopMatters.
The single's accompanying music video was directed by Jay Will Williams and M.I.A., presenting the singer-rapper dancing with several male dancers from Jamaican dance crews surrounded by colourful lo-fi computer animated graphics, garnering critical acclaim for its subversive nature and triggering a new dance and graphic design revolution in music and videos.
"Boyz" was nominated for the "Viral Woodie" at the 2007 mtvU Woodie Awards. The song made appearances in many television shows and video games since its release, and featured in the film Eat Pray Love. "Boyz" reached number seven on the Canadian Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart and number ninety-nine on the Billboard Pop 100. Peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales, eight places higher than "Galang", "Boyz" gave M.I.A. her first top ten charting single and the record for the first artist of Sri Lankan and Tamil descent to have a top ten charting single in Billboard history and the first to chart on the Billboard Pop 100. "Boyz" was also part of her set list on the Kala Tour and People vs. Money Tour.
In 2016, after all the accusations of being anti-black due to her comment towards BLM, she took a few minutes to reflect on Boyz during a conversation with The Fader:
"No, every record I make is about equal appreciation of all cultures, unified and layered so they co-exist. Purely to reflect that, actually, co-existing can be possible. And I think this is why it was really important, for example, on a track like “Boyz,” to take a 2,000 year old drum beat, which is called “dupping.” […] I took it to Jamaica, and they loved the rhythm, and they got on it, and then you took that back to [other countries], and then took it here and there….I just learned that as a human being, people connect to shit."
Boyz
M.I.A. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Na na na na na na na na
Boyz there - how many?
Boyz there [3x]
How many tequilas in the place?
How many beers are in the case?
Boyz there
How many dutty wine swing it away?
How many shots without a chase?
Boyz there - how many?
Boyz there
How many mash up and in a haze?
How many wacky dip fall on their head?
Boyz there - how many?
Boyz there
How many no money boyz are crazy?
How many boyz are raw?
How many no money boyz are rowdy?
How many start a war? [2x]
Ooooow gosh!
Hey now
Let me go
Hey now
Can we go riding up a dirty track up to Laventille?
Could you show me for I make it back
Somewhre I can chill
Hey now
Let me go
Hey now
Can we go riding on a motor bike up to Sugar Hill?
Cooking chicken on the wall
With the system up on full
What we do now?
Duppa bounce
Dem der
Duppa bounce[4x]
Na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na
Boyz there - how many?
Boyz there [3x]
How many no money boyz are crazy?
How many boyz are raw?
How many no money boyz are rowdy?
How many start a war? [2x]
M.I.A.'s song "Boyz" is a celebration of the rowdy, energetic and often wild behavior of young men. The lyrics are a series of questions about the different ways boys let loose and have fun, from their drink choices to their dance moves. The repetition of the chorus, "Boyz there - how many?", emphasizes the idea that there are always plenty of boys around to cause a scene.
The verses detail some of the specific activities that boys might engage in when they're having a good time. They ask how many tequilas or beers are in the place, how many boys are doing the dutty wine dance or taking shots without a chaser. They also acknowledge the potential downsides of this kind of behavior, asking how many boys have stumbled and fallen or gotten into fights.
The song's chorus morphs into a sort of mantra, encouraging listeners to join in the revelry and take part in the party. The final verse takes a different turn, as M.I.A. asks to escape the chaos and go on a quieter adventure with someone she cares about. This juxtaposition of wildness and intimacy shows that even amid all the noise and excitement, there can still be moments of connection and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
Na na na na na na na na
The singer is chanting and hyping up the audience.
Boyz there - how many?
The singer is asking how many boys are present.
Boyz there [3x]
Repeating the question of how many boys are present three times.
How many tequilas in the place?
The singer is asking how many tequilas are available to drink.
How many beers are in the case?
The singer is asking how many beers are available to drink.
How many dutty wine swing it away?
The singer is asking how many people are dancing to Caribbean music and moving their waist in a derogatory way.
How many shots without a chase?
The singer is asking how many people can drink alcohol without needing to chase it with something else.
How many mash up and in a haze?
The singer is asking how many people are heavily intoxicated and losing their senses.
How many wacky dip fall on their head?
The singer is asking how many people are dropping or collapsing on the ground while dancing inappropriately.
How many no money boyz are crazy?
The singer is asking how many boys are willing to do wild, dangerous, or reckless things despite not having money.
How many boyz are raw?
The singer is asking how many boys are authentic, unfiltered or rugged.
How many no money boyz are rowdy?
The singer is asking how many boys are disruptive, unruly or loud without having money.
How many start a war? [2x]
The singer is asking how many people are willing to start a fight or conflict.
Ooooow gosh!
The singer is expressing excitement or enthusiasm.
Hey now
The singer is trying to get someone's attention.
Let me go
The singer may be asking someone to release her from a situation or to stop holding her back.
Can we go riding up a dirty track up to Laventille?
The singer is asking to travel on a rough or unpaved road to a neighborhood in Trinidad and Tobago.
Could you show me for I make it back
The singer is asking if someone can guide her through the journey and help her return safely.
Somewhre I can chill
The singer is asking to be taken to a place where she can relax and enjoy herself.
Can we go riding on a motor bike up to Sugar Hill?
The singer is asking to travel on a motorcycle to a specific location in Trinidad and Tobago.
Cooking chicken on the wall
The singer is describing a popular street food in Trinidad and Tobago where chicken is cooked on a wall or grate using a smoky method.
With the system up on full
The singer is describing music playing loudly from a sound system.
What we do now?
The singer is asking what the plan or next activity is.
Duppa bounce
The singer is asking people to dance a particular bounce style, which is a popular dance style in Trinidad and Tobago.
Dem der
Slang term commonly used in Trinidad and Tobago to refer to people or things in a general or non-specific manner.
Duppa bounce[4x]
The singer is repeating the request to dance the 'duppa bounce.'
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE TAYLOR, WRITER UNKNOWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arvindputhige9358
what an amazing mixture of African samba beats and Tamil folk tune!! Way ahead of her time. A totally underrated artist!
@shags91
+Arvind Puthige and what on earth is African sAmba?? :O
@arvindputhige9358
go search it, buddy. Samba is not just for Brazil!!
@arvindputhige9358
Sagnik Sinha
go search it, buddy. Samba is not just for Brazil!!
@jahariswsw
Dancehall
@otaviorocha7213
Samba has its roots in Africa, but is surely only from Brazil!
@13Ghandi37
MIA most original musician of our time, what an artist.
@michaelm8
Completely fucking agree with you mate.
@alexchalmers2680
No just the only Indian styled,bollywoodesk promoted with tons of $$$$$backed by white hollywood execs. She's high on billboard because there are millions of people from her ethnicity /India, Shrilanka, Kashmir,etc. in western countries now to buy her stuff,heavily promoted there are no more women with Hindi rooted western style music for the younger generation of kids from imigrant parents to engrave there culture and embrace there new homeland,it's like when Korn came out with bagpipes in there sound for Scottish Americans,it's the same with M.I,A. but for Indians,she's the only one heavily promoted she is not origional,listen to westernized Indian/Bollywood music,all like this just not backed with millions.
@13Ghandi37
Alex Chalmers i dont think you have an idea what youre talking about buddy, shes a BRITISH recording artist, she took the time to research her own culture as well as others, i.e. jamaican and of course the oldschool and trueschool AND newschool rap styles. She shown that she learnt a lot from every culture but you know whats best? she didnt copy any of them. Her music was always oryginal, it wasnt made to fit into the conventional group genres, she wasnt backed by westerners you freak actually the university she applied for in london to study music refused her at first but after a while she received a scholarship. Please show me one artist that she copied for her songs, especially the ones that got her big, i.e galang and sunshowers, who had introduced those sounds, those visual and so on.