Commentary: Being an ardent fan of The Ataris' earlier albums, especially Blue Skies, Broken Hearts… Next 12 Exits, I was chagrined that their biggest hit, "The Boys of Summer," was a cover of another musician's composition. Chagrined, that is, 'til the profound lineup change that took place after So Long, Astoria, culminating in the regrettable but otherwise forgettable Welcome the Night. After that, "The Boys of Summer" became much more bittersweet, almost a farewell to The Ataris themselves, which makes it an appropriate way to farewell this waning summer.
"Nobody on the road,
Nobody on the beach.
I feel it in the air,
The summer's out of reach.
Empty lake, empty streets,
The sun goes down alone…
"Out on the road today
I saw a Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac,
A little voice inside my head said,
'Don't look back. You can never look back.'
I thought I knew what love was.
What did I know?
Those days are gone forever,
I should just let 'em go, but—…"
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