Discography
The Affectionate Punch (Fiction, 1980)
Fourth Drawer Down (Fiction, 1981)
Sulk (WEA, 1982)
Perhaps (WEA, 1985)
The Glamour Chase (WEA, 1988) - but unreleased until 2003
Wild And Lonely (Circa, 1990)
Popera: The Singles Collection (WEA East West, 1990)
The Radio One Sessions (Nighttracks, 1994)
Double Hipness (V2, 2000)
The Radio One Sessions Volume One 1981-1983 (Strange Fruit, 2003)
The Radio One Sessions Volume Two 1984-1985 (Strange Fruit, 2003)
Singles (Warners, 2004)
Country boy
The Associates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I must go far away, 'cause I know
Oh, my dear, I must live on my own
And so, I have to leave you
Country boy, country boy
Neither sad nor annoyed
But confused that it's wrong
Boy, go ahead
Don't look back, but don't forget
That you left Lemon Grange
To be free and strange
No, I'm aware I can't stay anymore
I must go far away, 'cause I know
Oh, my dear, I must live on my own
And so, I have to leave you
Party girls, sparkly girls
Stand around me in fake furs
Do I like them
Yes, I do
Pretty virgin, please make sure
I'm the prey and you're the lure
Does sound silly, but it's true
I am for you
No, I'm aware I can't stay anymore
I must go far away, 'cause I know
Oh, my dear, I must live on my own
And so, I have to leave you
No, I'm aware I can't stay anymore
I must go far away, 'cause I know
Oh, my dear, I must live on my own
And so, I have to leave you
Alone
The Associates' song "Country Boy" is a wistful, melancholic reflection on the classic trope of leaving home and striking out on your own. The lyrics, sung in Billy Mackenzie's signature soaring tenor, convey a sense of both determination and regret as the singer acknowledges that he must leave "my dear" behind in order to pursue his dreams of living independently.
The chorus, which repeats the phrase "country boy" over and over, is intriguing in its ambiguity. Is the singer addressing himself, embracing his rural upbringing and rejecting the flashy trappings of city life, or is he longing for a simpler time and place that he can never return to? The line "neither sad nor annoyed" suggests a certain degree of ambivalence, as though the decision to leave is a difficult but necessary one.
As the song progresses, the focus shifts from the broad theme of leaving home to the specifics of the singer's new life. He encounters "party girls" and "sparkly girls" who may or may not be genuine in their affections, and he imagines himself as a "prey" to a "pretty virgin" who is the "lure". These lyrics suggest a certain cynicism about the world outside of his hometown, and suggest that the singer may feel somewhat adrift in this new environment. However, he still feels that he must continue on this path, even if it brings him further away from his roots.
Line by Line Meaning
No, I'm aware I can't stay anymore
I understand that I cannot remain here any longer
I must go far away, 'cause I know
I need to embark on a journey to a distant place because it's necessary
Oh, my dear, I must live on my own
I am obliged to live independently without your companionship
And so, I have to leave you
Therefore, I must part ways with you
Country boy, country boy
Addressing the artist as a rural-living male
Neither sad nor annoyed
Not feeling sad or irritated
But confused that it's wrong
Nevertheless, feeling perplexed that leaving is the incorrect decision
Here to stay where you belong
Intending to remain in one's birthplace where their heart is
Boy, go ahead
Encouraging the artist to move forward
Don't look back, but don't forget
Don't reminisce about the past but keep the memories
That you left Lemon Grange
Remembering that they departed from the Lemon Grange
To be free and strange
To explore new opportunities and experience life in a distinct way
Party girls, sparkly girls
Women from social events who are adorned with glitzy accessories
Stand around me in fake furs
Surrounding me while pretending to wear luxurious animal fur attire
Do I like them
Am I fond of them?
Yes, I do
Yes, I am
Pretty virgin, please make sure
A call to an attractive, inexperienced woman to secure his trust
I'm the prey and you're the lure
Implying he's powerless and must be enticed by her seduction
Does sound silly, but it's true
Despite sounding absurd, it's accurate
I am for you
I am devoted to you
No, I'm aware I can't stay anymore
Repetitive line as the artist reminds himself once more about his situation
I must go far away, 'cause I know
Another reminder that he needs to embark on a long journey
Oh, my dear, I must live on my own
Acknowledging once again that he needs to be independent
And so, I have to leave you
Stating again that he'll have to separate from the woman he's addressing
Alone
Concluding with a word that emphasizes the isolation and separation he's experiencing.
Writer(s): Johnny R. Cash
Contributed by Skyler W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jontor11
This fantastic song actually had a lot of airplay here in Sweden at the time. I remember I was searching for the single like crazy, but couldn't find it. Years later it appeared on the compilation album Popera. And then another 10 went by until I finally got a copy of The Glamour Chase album. Such a shame it was never released back then.
Stein Leirvik
So genuine, so original. Even in 2020, and on..
machpodfan
Think of it like this--his talent outlived him. Nobody will come across anything Oasis did in twenty years and get the little chill up the spine that this song causes. Genius.
Gill Strachan
Love love love Billy singing this. 😍😍😍😍
Synth Universe
Nice words, gave me a teary eye. Poor Billy.
Apenas Edu
Amazing song
04opocin
Originally scheduled for release in December 1988.
Kevin Dean
i have a copy of the glamour chase which i shall gladly mail to true fans of the associates
MisAnnThorpe
Kevin, did anyone take you up on your kind offer?
feralpriest
It did get a release (UK anyway) along with the polished but still mad as fuck Perhaps on a 2cd thing a while back...try amazon/ebay etc. He was true to himself, sadly an unsellable "commodity" in the 90s where ignorant SCUM like Oasis were lauded as "great songwriters" hahahahahahaha i feel like crying. BM RIP.