The Queers are a pop-punk/punk rock band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, fo… Read Full Bio ↴The Queers are a pop-punk/punk rock band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, formed in 1982. Singer/Guitarist/Songwriter Joe King has been the principal member of the group, with a vast number of musicians cycling in and out of the band over the years. Supposedly, the band name 'Queers' was used simply to poke fun at what he called the "Art Fag" community in NH. That same brand of humor and inanity has become a staple of The Queers music, who have produced songs such as "Can't Stop Farting", "Born To Do Dishes", and "I Didn't Get Invited To The Prom" in their own Ramones-esque style. While some punk rock bands attempt to use their music to impart a social or political message, King has made it clear that The Queers exist simply to play punk rock for the fun of it.

The Queers play a Ramones style of pop punk with songs about girls and beer. King has often collaborated with Ben Weasel, from Screeching Weasel. The band begun with a notoriety primarily in their own backyard, but with the release of Love Songs for the Retarded, recorded by legendary punk producer Mass Giorgini, their following grew to international proportions. They have collaborated with Mass Giorgini several times since.

Along with his casual acquaintance Ben Weasel, Joe King has criticized the re-emergence of the street punk scene and what he sees as the glorification of violence and class warfare by certain bands. The song, "Little Rich Working Class Oi Boy" from the album Beyond the Valley of the Assfuckers takes aim at the working class pretensions and bellicose attitudes of some members of the Oi! scene. In a 2005 post to The Queers official website, King criticizes the effect of Boston punk band, the Dropkick Murphys. Writes King, "With all this stupid fucking Irish/Dropkick BS these days the whole punk scene (what's left of it) is full of assholes that just wanna fight."

Teenage Bonehead
The Queers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My folks had me committed just two weeks ago
My best friend ran off with my girl - those two damn bozos
Oh and don't you know it hurts
But hey she ain't the first
She ain't the first
I was a teenage bonehead - Yes it's true
I was a teenage bonehead - A-wah-hoo-ooh
I was a teenage bonehead just because of you

My parents kicked me out, now I sit here wondering
My girlfriend sent me a postcard saying "Glad that you're not here"
Oh and don't you know it hurts
But hey she ain't the first
She ain't the first
CHORUS
She never said goodbye to me
Now I sit here wondering
Where she is and what she's eating
Oh and don't you know it hurts
But hey she ain't the first

She ain't the first
CHORUS

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Queers' song Teenage Bonehead narrate the story of a young man who has recently been committed to a psychiatric institution by his parents. While still trying to recover from this shock, he finds out that his best friend has run off with his girlfriend. The singer is clearly hurt by this double betrayal, but he tries to play it cool by acknowledging that he has been a "teenage bonehead" because of his infatuation with his now ex-girlfriend. Throughout the song, he questions the whereabouts and intentions of his former girlfriend, wondering why she never said goodbye to him.

The lyrics of Teenage Bonehead suggest a young man who is struggling to make sense of the chaotic and painful reality he is facing. His sense of isolation is reinforced by the fact that his parents have kicked him out, and he is left wondering what his next steps should be. At the same time, his hurt feelings and the sensation of being betrayed by his closest friends and family are conveyed in a rather lighthearted tone, as if the singer is aware of the absurdity of his situation.

Overall, the song captures the teenage angst and heartache that many young people go through as they navigate the complexities of relationships and growing up.

Line by Line Meaning

My folks had me committed just two weeks ago
My parents put me in a psychiatric hospital only a couple weeks ago

My best friend ran off with my girl - those two damn bozos
My friend and girlfriend left me for each other, making me feel betrayed

Oh and don't you know it hurts
I'm really hurting because of what happened

But hey she ain't the first
Although this hurts, it's not the first time it's happened to me

She ain't the first
I've been through this before

I was a teenage bonehead - Yes it's true
I admit that I was foolish when I was younger

I was a teenage bonehead - A-wah-hoo-ooh
I was a real idiot back then

I was a teenage bonehead just because of you
I made some really bad decisions because of you

My parents kicked me out, now I sit here wondering
My parents kicked me out of the house and I'm here, alone and wondering about my life

My girlfriend sent me a postcard saying "Glad that you're not here"
My ex-girlfriend sent me a postcard expressing how happy she is that I'm not around

She never said goodbye to me
My ex-girlfriend never bothered to say goodbye

Where she is and what she's eating
I'm curious about where my ex-girlfriend is and what she's doing now

CHORUS
Refrain

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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