My Boyfriend's Back

Album

My Boo

Label

Smash Records

Genre

-Pop

Composer(s)

Bob Feldman;Gerald Goldstein;Richard Gottehrer

Entered Chart

Aug 3, 1963

Peak Date

Aug 31, 1963

Released

July 1963

Recorded

1963

Catalog #

Smash 1834

B-Side

(Love Me) Now

The songwriting/production trio of Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer wrote this song and produced it. Bob Feldman was inspired to write this song after witnessing an altercation between a girl and a tough-looking boy who wore a leather jacket. The girl yelled at him for telling lies about her at school and actually said the two phrases that would become lyrics to the song, "My boyfriend's back and you're gonna be in trouble... you're gonna be sorry you were ever born." Feldman told Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer about the incident that night and they came up with one of the most legendary songs in the history of rock. >> The version of this song universally played on Oldies radio is not the version that was a hit. There is an instrumental interlude in this version that was not present on the hit single. On the current version, "My boyfriend's back, he's gonna save my reputation" is heard twice - once before and once after the break. On the hit version, the ending section comes in immediately after the "hey la"s that follow "If I were you I'd take a permanent vacation." The Angels, in addition to having hits of their own, were much in demand as background vocalists on others' records. Perhaps their most famous outing in this regard is on Lou Christie's "Lightnin' Strikes," which featured Angel Peggy Santiglia. >> This was one of the last hits that followed the traditional model of a New York-based songwriting team creating a song for a girl group that would then record it based on a demo created for them. The Beatles, along with the other British invasion bands, wrote their own songs and shook up the established supply chain when it came to songs. The songwriters Feldman, Goldstein and Gottehrer found an interesting way to adapt: they started recording their own songs. Calling themselves The Strangeloves, they pretended to be a savage Australian act, as it made for a much better story. The result was hit songs "I Want Candy," "Night Time," and "Cara-lin." In Stephen King's 11/22/63, the protagonist wakes up to this tune playing on the radio after a romantic evening. This shares its name with a 1993 zombie comedy about a teenage boy (Andrew Lowery) who returns from the dead to pursue the girl (Traci Lind) he loves. The song doesn't appear in the movie. This was used in these TV shows: The Office ("Angry Andy" - 2012) - sung by Ed Helms and Ellie Kemper as "His Girlfriend's Back." The Vampire Diaries ("Unpleasantville" - 2010) Will & Grace ("Hey La, Hey La, My Ex-Boyfriend's Back" - 2000) Quantum Leap ("A Song for the Soul - April 7, 1963" - 1992), ("Maybe Baby - March 11, 1963" - 1990). Northern Exposure ("Animals R Us" - 1991) The Facts Of Life ("Doo-Wah" - 1985) And in these movies: Jersey Boys (2014) Matinee (1993) The Crossing (1990) Under The Gun (1988) Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) In a 2009 interview with the Jersey Boys Blog, Peggy Santiglia admitted her fellow Angels were more confident in the song than she was. "Bibs [Barbara Allbut] and Jiggs [Phyllis Allbut] both truly believed it was going to be a huge hit and they were right. I have to admit I liked some of our other recordings more than 'Boyfriend,' but looking back I'm thrilled they were right. Most of the others ended up on our My Boyfriend's Back album. I was vacationing at the Jersey Shore with my parents when they called to say, 'Peggy, you'd better come back - 'Boyfriend' is all over the radio and we have to go on the road now!' That song, the way we sang it, the touring we did all over the world and the people we met almost instantly changed my life."

He went away and you hung around
And bothered me, every night
And when I wouldn't go out with you
You said things that weren't very nice

My boyfriend's back and you're gonna be in trouble
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
You see him comin' better cut out on the double
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
You been spreading lies that I was untrue
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
So look out now 'cause he's comin' after you

(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
(Hey, he knows that you been tryin')
(And he knows that you been lyin')

He's been gone for such a long time
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
Now he's back and things'll be fine
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
You're gonna be sorry you were ever born
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
'Cause he's kinda big and he's awful strong
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)

(Hey he knows I wasn't cheatin'!)
(Now you're gonna get a beatin'!)

(What made you think he'd believe all your lies?)
(You're a big man now but he'll cut you down to size
(Wait and see)

My boyfriend's back he's gonna save my reputation
(Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back)
If I were you I'd take a permanent vacation
(Hey-la, hey-la, my boyfriend's back)

Yeah, my boyfriend's back (La-day-la, my boyfriend's back)
Look out now, yeah, my boyfriend's back (La-day-la, my boyfriend's back)
I could see him comin' so you better get a runnin' alright now (La-day-la, my boyfriend's back)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (La-day-la, my boyfriends's back)
My boyfriend's back now (La-day-la, my boyfriend's back)
Know he's comin' after you because he knows I've been true now (La-day-la, my boyfriend's back)