Peak
13
Weeks
38
Score
3,421
Chart Year
1986
///
This is the only hit song was know of with a chorus that is simply a Tarzan-like jungle cry. It's about being free and doing what you want. No hustle and bustle of the city, just the freedom of the jungle. Baltimora, named after a 1978 album by Nina Simone, is the Italian pop producer Maurizio Bassi, although for the music video and TV appearances, Jimmy McShane from Londonderry, Northern Ireland, lip-synched the song and served as the face of the group. According to McShane, he started as a dancer, then moved to England where he studied acting and music. Moving to Italy, he met Bassi, who wrote "Tarzan Boy" with the lyricist Naimy Hackett. McShane donned leopard skins to perform the song, which was a hit in 1985, first in Europe, then in America. Baltimora put together a six-song album called Living In The Background that included the song. The title track was the follow-up single, and it stiffed, reaching just #87 in the US. Baltimora released another album in 1987, but few noticed. McShane died of AIDS in 1995 at age 37. "Tarzan Boy" was re-released in 1993 after it was featured in a commercial for Listerine mouthwash that featured the jungle chorus of the song under an animated bottle of Listerine swinging from vines. This time, it hit #51 in the US. That same year, it was featured in the movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3; in 1996, it showed up in Beverly Hills Ninja. In 2022, it appeared in an episode of the '80s-set TV series Stranger Things, "Chapter Two: Vecna's Curse." The AEW wrestler Jungle Boy uses this as his theme song.
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Jungle life I'm far away from nowhere On my own like Tarzan boy Hide and seek I play alone while rushing 'cross the forest Monkey business on a sunny afternoon Jungle life I'm living in the open Native beat that carries on Burning bright A fire blows the signal to the sky I sit and wonder, does the message get to you? Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Night to night Gimme the other, gimme the other Chance tonight Gimme the other, gimme the other Night to night Gimme the other, gimme the other world Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Jungle life You're far away from nothing It's all right You won't miss home Take a chance Leave everything behind you Come and join me, won't be sorry It's easy to survive Jungle life We're living in the open All alone like Tarzans boy Hide and seek We play alone while rushing 'cross the forest Monkey business on a sunny afternoon Night to night Gimme the other, gimme the other Chance tonight, oh yeah Night to night Gimme the other, gimme the other Night to night You won't play Night to night Gimme the other, gimme the other Chance tonight, oh yeah Night to night, night to night Gimme the other, gimme the other Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 19, 1985 | 80 | 46 |
| 2 | Oct 26, 1985 | 72 | 54 |
| 3 | Nov 2, 1985 | 67 | 59 |
| 4 | Nov 9, 1985 | 64 | 62 |
| 5 | Nov 16, 1985 | 62 | 64 |
| 6 | Nov 23, 1985 | 62 | 64 |
| 7 | Nov 30, 1985 | 62 | 64 |
| 8 | Dec 7, 1985 | 58 | 68 |
| 9 | Dec 14, 1985 | 56 | 70 |
| 10 | Dec 21, 1985 | 52 | 74 |
| 11 | Dec 28, 1985 | 45 | 81 |
| 12 | Jan 4, 1986 | 45 | 81 |
| 13 | Jan 11, 1986 | 40 | 86 |
| 14 | Jan 18, 1986 | 38 | 88 |
| 15 | Jan 25, 1986 | 34 | 92 |
| 16 | Feb 1, 1986 | 27 | 99 |
| 17 | Feb 8, 1986 | 23 | 103 |
| 18 | Feb 15, 1986 | 17 | 109 |
| 19 | Feb 22, 1986 | 16 | 110 |
| 20 | Mar 1, 1986 | 13 | 113 |