Poor Boy
Split Enz and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Lyrics
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She speaks to me, with ultra-high frequencies
Radio band of gold
Gonna listen til I grow old
Oo hoo hoo
what more can a poor boy do? Oo hoo hoo
what more can a poor boy do? Oo hoo hoo hoo
The crackle of the radio
A message in the evening sky
You're looking at an interplanetary Romeo
I'll never see her face
between us there's too much space
Oo hoo hoo
what more can a poor boy do? Oo hoo hoo
what more can a poor boy do? Oo hoo hoo hoo... yeah?!
Keep losing you...Ooh hoo hoo
what more can a poor boy do? Ooh hoo hoo...
what more can a poor boy do? Ooh hoo hoo...
What more, what more...
What more, what more
What more can a poor boy do?
The lyrics of Split Enz's song Poor Boy tell the story of a lonely and isolated character who has found love in the form of an alien. The singer describes how he met this mysterious lover by chance, and how she speaks to him in ultrahigh frequencies that only he can hear. The radio band of gold they share is a symbol of their connection, and the singer vows to listen to it until he grows old.
However, the distance between them is too great, and the singer laments that he will never see her face or be able to touch her. Despite this, he remains committed to his love for her, and asks in despair, "What more can a poor boy do?" This line echoes throughout the song, underscoring the sense of hopelessness and desperation that the singer feels in his pursuit of his alien love.
The use of the radio and interplanetary imagery in the song is evocative of the sci-fi and outer space obsessions of the late 70s and early 80s, which were reflected in popular culture through films, TV shows, and music. Poor Boy can be seen as a melancholic reflection of the cultural zeitgeist: a longing for something beyond the limits of earthbound existence, a sense of isolation and dislocation in the face of the universe's vastness, and a yearning for connection even in the strangest and most unlikely of places.
Line by Line Meaning
My love is alien, I picked her up by chance
I met my partner by chance, she's so different from me
She speaks to me, with ultra-high frequencies
We communicate in a way that no one else can understand
Radio band of gold
Our relationship is special and valuable
Gonna listen til I grow old
I'll cherish our love for as long as I live
Oo hoo hoo
Expressing emotions
what more can a poor boy do? Oo hoo hoo
There's nothing else that I can offer in this relationship
The crackle of the radio
Moments of disruption in our relationship
A message in the evening sky
Something is wrong, but it's hard to decipher
You're looking at an interplanetary Romeo
I'm in love with someone different and unique
I'll never see her face
Our love is distant and disconnected
between us there's too much space
Despite being together, there's still some distance between us
what more can a poor boy do? Oo hoo hoo
Even with our issues, I can't do more in this relationship
Keep losing you...Ooh hoo hoo
I'm losing our connection and I don't know why
what more can a poor boy do? Ooh hoo hoo...
Despite my efforts, our love is slipping away
What more, what more...
Expressing the frustration and desperation of a failing relationship
What more, what more
Continuing to ask what else can be done to save the relationship
What more can a poor boy do?
Acknowledging the helplessness and lack of control in the situation
Lyrics © PFIVE Entertainment Mexico, MUSHROOM MUSIC PTY LTD
Written by: BRIAN TIMOTHY FINN, EDWARD RAYNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@klarakrass9160
Wow <3<3
All sehends Hertz
Atem der Seele
Bittersüß,
fließender schmerz
Dein Funke trifft ,
Und spricht mich
Ins lyrisch' Angesicht
Wir lieben uns
Und schweben
In Wellen
Werden Wasser des Lebens
@debbiemathieson2766
Got my gorgeous brother Davey the enzo cd years ago for a xmas gift, we played it all day
@klarakrass9160
Wow <3<3
All sehends Hertz
Atem der Seele
Bittersüß,
fließender schmerz
Dein Funke trifft ,
Und spricht mich
Ins lyrisch' Angesicht
Wir lieben uns
Und schweben
In Wellen
Werden Wasser des Lebens
@juliedurlak
Thx for uploading brings back memories when I went x
@Tonzeff
This is still legendary and will always be.. Dec 29 2022
@camdflage
70 likes? Wow?!?! Only 70? Holy shut Bro. Its a shame to live in a world starved of this beauty.
@antheaewhite
ong.. Neil looks so young. He's just turned 60! One of my fav humans on earth
@MeDzoDzo
I cannot thank you enough! I wore out 3 cds of Enzso, it's fantastic to finally be able to see it here in the US.
@murraylogan7849
I was at this concert. Cant believe it was 20 years ago.
@alittlebitoflight
Me too. 15. Alternative music all the rage. None of my friends would go with me haha. Their loss.
@j9andphoenix
The only band who makes me cry and smile at the same time. There is nothing quite so real as the touch of Split Enz.