The single was not included upon the original May 1979 release of the band's debut album The Undertones; however, the October 1979 re-release of this debut album included both "Teenage Kicks" and the Undertones' second single, "Get Over You".
Influential BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel is known to have opined "Teenage Kicks" to be his all-time favourite song from 1978 until his death in 2004.
"Teenage Kicks" was acoustically covered by Snow Patrol in tribute to John Peel, and was played at his funeral. Bands that have performed this song also include Razorlight, Ash, Skunk Anansie, The Pink Spiders, Busted, Groovie Ghoulies, Sahara Hotnights, The Saw Doctors, Therapy?, Buzzcocks, Nouvelle Vague, Green Day, Boom Boom Kid, Thee Headcoatees, Franz Ferdinand, Supergrass, The Young Fresh Fellows, Snow Patrol, KT Tunstall, The Coral, The Raconteurs, Violent Delight, Criminal Mischief, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Beatsteaks, Seabear, Maroon, Every Dirty Street and Pelucas Rosas.
The riff for "Teenage Kicks" is almost identical to the riff for "Some Kinda Hate" by The Misfits. Both songs were recorded in the same year, 1978.
In 1978, John Peel played the song twice in a row on his Radio 1 show. Peel often rated new bands' songs with 1 to 5 stars. He liked "Teenage Kicks" so much he awarded 28 stars.
In 2001 Peel had written in The Guardian that apart from his name all he wanted on his gravestone were the words, "Teenage dreams, so hard to beat", from the lyrics of "Teenage Kicks". In February 2008, a headstone engraved with the line was placed on his grave in Great Finborough, Suffolk.
In May and June 2007, Irish radio station Today FM, acknowledging the Undertones original as the best version, held a competition to find "the second best version." The winner was the band Prison Love, who won with a bluegrass version.
In December 2008, radio2XS listeners voted the song the best all-time rock single. The station allowed votes for any rock track from 1956 to 2008, except Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody', DJ Jeff Cooper claiming that "no-one in their right mind would ever want to hear that pretentious twaddle again"!
Fans of Derry City F.C. regularly sing the song during the team's games.
Teenage Kicks - The Undertones is a 2001 documentary film directed by Tom Collins.
Teenage Kicks
The Undertones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time she walks down the street
Another girl in the neighbourhood
Wish she was mine, she looks so good
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night
Have her over 'cause I'm all alone
I need excitement, oh, I need it bad
And it's the best I've ever had
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night, alright
A teenage dream's so hard to beat
Every time she walks down the street
Another girl in the neighbourhood
Wish she was mine, she looks so good
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night
I'm gonna call her on the telephone
Have her over 'cause I'm all alone
I need excitement, oh, I need it bad
And it's the best I've ever had
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night, alright
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night, alright
The Undertones' song "Teenage Kicks" is a simple, upbeat tune about teenage infatuation and longing for a utopian relationship. The lyrics tell the story of a teenage boy who is enamored with a girl in his neighborhood. He praises her every time she walks down the street, and wishes he could be with her. He wants to hold her tight, and experience the feeling of "teenage kicks" with her throughout the night.
The song's upbeat tempo and simple melody perfectly match its playful and optimistic tone. The lyrics capture the hopes and dreams of adolescents who long for excitement, love, and adventure. Its positive message and catchy tune have made it a beloved classic rock anthem, and it remains popular to this day.
The success of the "Teenage Kicks" has been attributed to its simplicity, raw energy, and catchy chorus. The song is considered a timeless classic, revered by musicians and fans alike. It has been covered by numerous artists, including The Foo Fighters, Green Day, and The Vaccines. Interestingly, it was famously recorded as a tribute by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who described it as his all-time favorite song.
Line by Line Meaning
A teenage dream's so hard to beat
Being in love as a teenager is an unbeatable feeling
Every time she walks down the street
Seeing the girl he loves walk down the street fills him with excitement
Another girl in the neighborhood
There are other attractive girls around but none compare
Wish she was mine, she looks so good
He wishes he could be with the girl because she looks amazing to him
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
He wants to physically express his love for her by holding her tightly
Get teenage kicks right through the night
Being with her gives him a thrilling feeling that lasts through the night
I'm gonna call her on the telephone
He will do anything to reach out to her, even if it is just a phone call
Have her over 'cause I'm all alone
He is longing for her company, especially when he is alone
I need excitement, oh, I need it bad
His desire for excitement and adventure is overwhelming
And it's the best I've ever had
Being with her is fulfilling his need for excitement better than anything else has before
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Expressing his love physically is very important to him
Get teenage kicks right through the night, alright
Being with her gives him a thrilling feeling that lasts through the night and he is happy about it
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Repeating his desire for physical expression of love
Get teenage kicks right through the night, alright
Repeating the feeling of being with her gives him a thrilling sensation that he loves
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Joseph O'Neill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Saopoyginsab
Are teenage dreams so hard to beat?
Everytime she walks down the street
Another girl in the neighbourhood
Wish she was mine, she looks so good
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night
I'm gonna call her on the telephone
Have her over 'cause I'm all alone
I need excitement, oh, I need it bad
And it's the best I've ever had
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night, all right
Are teenage dreams so hard to beat?
Everytime she walks down the street
Another girl in the neighbourhood
Wish she was mine, she looks so good
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night, all right
I'm gonna call her on the telephone
Have her over 'cause I'm all alone
I need excitement, oh, I need it bad
And it's the best I've ever had
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night, all right
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night, all right
@gimmepeace7113
56 years old and reliving my teenage kicks in 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣🎉❤
@paulineprice3674
Brilliant...me too. Norn Irn's true national anthem 😂
@davidthompson180
Me too at 65 😃
@rolandpalatino5934
Me too !!😉
@chisoxfan708
that has got to be the happiest drummer i have ever seen!
@snausagesrgood
Or the drummer from madness/voice of the beehive.
@themidwife1624
Or mick fleetwood
@emilypound
lol
@devintariel3769
Peter Criss definitely looks happy too
@minners71
Nickolas mcbrain from Iron Maiden looks like he has way more fun playing drums. Awesome song by the way.