"Boys Next Door" was formed in 1973 by Nick Cave, … Read Full Bio ↴1)The Boys Next Door
"Boys Next Door" was formed in 1973 by Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, and Phill Calvert and others while they were attending Caulfield Grammar School outside of Melbourne, Australia. They were later joined by Tracy Pew on bass in 1975, and Rowland S. Howard in 1978 on guitar, thereby solidifying the line-up that would be the Birthday Party, to which they changed their name in 1980.
2) Boys Next Door
Known to some as "the Beach Boys of the Midwest, ", The Boys Next Door were among the relatively few competent emulators of the Beach Boys/Jan Dean vocal/hot rod/surf sound, and certainly among the very few competent emulators to emerge from outside of California. Formed in Indianapolis, they issued a few singles in 1964-67, the first of these billed to the Four Wheels before they reverted to the name
The Boys Next Door (which they'd been known as before making their recording debut). They were made up of James Adams, Steve Lester, Jim Koss and Steve Drybread. The group had an extremely clean-cut image and sound, right down to the circa-1964 Beach Boys pinstripe shirts seen in some photos.
Actually, however, their recordings were pretty good and energetic, with melodic harmonies and a fairly kinetic drive. The early Four Wheels singles were convincing SoCal hot-rod pastiches, and singles such as "Mandy" were respectable approximations of the Beach Boys sound circa 1964-65 that could have fit in well as tracks on Beach Boys LPs of the period. The Boys Next Door were also no producer's concoction, writing much of their material and gigging frequently in the midwest, opening for stars like Herman's Hermits, the Hollies, Jerry Lee Lewis, and of course the Beach Boys.
The Boys Next Door were briefly produced by Bobby Goldsboro, who also wrote a few songs for them. They remained little known outside of Indianapolis, however, and split in late 1967 in disputes over musical direction, lead singer Steve Kester wanting to move into West Coast psychedelia, drummer Jim Koss and keyboardist Skeet Bushor wanting to play RB. A comprehensive CD collection, including the Four Wheels sides, Girls Next Door singles, and a bunch of unissued material, was released in 1999. Richie Unterberger - All Music Guide
3) http://www.discogs.com/artist/604266-Boys-Next-Door-2
The Voice
The Boys Next Door Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For there is no one there at all
You have a choice you can be black or white
You are not trapped, you can rise or you can fall
It's not up to me
I've been cauterized
I am no Houdini
By sights and sounds
The voice, the voice
It's calling you
Calling you
I feel a spy he's in my house
I see his prints upon my door
I hang my paintings up so high
That I don't appear so tall
It's up to you
Your lips taste of wine
And they cut me closer
I got to touch your mind
Oh, could this be true
The voice, the voice
It's calling you
It's not that I feel insecure
There's not a spa tread in my room
Oh no, no, no
It's just that I need to be reassured
Like any other fool
Oh no, no, no
Sunday is here, let's make the break
Let's pretend, put down your books
Pick up your friends
There's no time to lose
There's no time at all
There's no time to lose
There's no time
Could this be you?
The voice, the voice
It's calling you (x4)
The Boys Next Door's song "The Voice" is a hauntingly beautiful composition, seemingly about inner struggles and the power of a mysterious voice that calls out to the singer. The lyrics suggest that the voice troubles the singer, and yet, it has the power to offer a choice between black or white, a chance to rise or fall. The song is about choices and the duality of human nature, and the voice represents that guiding force that can show the way or lead astray.
The lines "I've been cauterized, I am no Houdini, I've been mesmerized by sights and sounds" evoke a sense of helplessness and confusion, as if the singer is under a spell and unable to escape. The voice seems to be calling out to the singer, urging them to break out of this spell and take control of their life. The lyrics "I feel a spy he's in my house, I see his prints upon my door" create a sense of paranoia and distrust, as if the singer is being watched and hunted by an unseen force.
The song is filled with imagery and symbolism, like the painting hung up high to make the singer appear smaller and the lips that taste of wine that cut deeper. The chorus repeats "The voice, the voice, it's calling you," creating a hauntingly beautiful and memorable refrain that captures the essence of the song. Ultimately, "The Voice" is a song about choices and the power of the human voice to guide and steer us towards our destiny.
Line by Line Meaning
The voice, the voice it troubles you
The singer is claiming that you are deeply disturbed by "the voice", but it is not clear what that voice is
For there is no one there at all
The singer is saying that there is no one actually speaking, but that doesn't mean the voice is not real
You have a choice you can be black or white
The singer is asserting that you have the power to make choices, even about things that might seem set in stone like race
You are not trapped, you can rise or you can fall
The artist is emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility and choice in your life
It's not up to me
The artist is distancing themselves from responsibility for whatever is happening
I've been cauterized
The singer feels numbed or desensitized to something, possibly a painful experience
I am no Houdini
The singer is acknowledging that they are not capable of magic, trickery or escape
I've been mesmerized
The artist has been hypnotized or entranced somehow
By sights and sounds
The source of the artist's enchantment is unspecified, but it appears to be sensory in nature
The voice, the voice, It's calling you
The artist is returning to the refrain of the song which emphasizes the power of the voice to influence you
I feel a spy he's in my house
The singer has the sensation that they are being watched, possibly by someone who is seeking to harm them
I see his prints upon my door
The artist has physical evidence that someone has been in their house
I hang my paintings up so high
The singer is trying to create a protective barrier in their home
That I don't appear so tall
The singer is attempting to make themselves seem smaller and less noticeable
It's up to you
The singer is handing over control to someone else, leaving the decision in their hands
Your lips taste of wine
The artist is physically attracted to the person they are addressing
And they cut me closer
The artist feels that this person is causing them pain, either emotional or physical
I got to touch your mind
The singer desires a deep understanding of the person they are addressing
Oh, could this be true
The singer is questioning whether their feelings are real and whether they should trust them
It's not that I feel insecure
The artist is trying to clarify that they are not dealing with feelings of self-doubt, but something else entirely
There's not a spa tread in my room
The artist is indicating that they feel safe in their own space
Oh no, no, no
The artist is protesting, perhaps because they feel misunderstood
It's just that I need to be reassured
The singer is trying to explain that they need someone to be there for them and help them feel secure
Like any other fool
The artist is admitting they may be acting foolishly by admitting their need for reassurance
Sunday is here, let's make the break
The singer is suggesting that Sunday is an opportunity to change their situation and do something different
Let's pretend, put down your books, Pick up your friends
The singer is advocating for socializing and having fun instead of focusing on work or responsibilities
There's no time to lose
The singer is urging urgency, as if they need to take immediate action
Could this be you?
The artist is asking the listener to wonder whether they are also influenced by an internal or external voice
The voice, the voice, It's calling you
The artist is ending the song with a repetition of the chorus to emphasize the continued presence and influence of "the voice"
Contributed by Aaron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Ducatirati
I remember the day I got this album , I loved it then and I still love it , it's just a little piece of Melbourne early 80s. Trick
@filippo_random_phil
Great song
@gregbowen617
Groundbreaking.....
@jamessidneyreynolds354
hi ho nic
@d_walsh
sounds like what nick cave & the bad seeds became after the birthday party
@Ducatirati
But this precedes the birthday party , I'm sure , used to see them doing Shivers written by Rolland S Howard ,and he says every time he sing it , he feels like he's doing a cover , HAHA