I Know What Boys Like

"I Know What Boys Like"
Single by The Waitresses
from the album Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?
B-side"No Guilt"
Released
  • 1980
  • 1982
GenreNew wave[1]
Label
Songwriter(s)Chris Butler
Producer(s)
  • Chris Butler
  • Kurt Munkacsi
The Waitresses singles chronology
"In 'Short Stack'"
(1978) 		"I Know What Boys Like"
(1980) 		"Christmas Wrapping"
(1981)

"I Know What Boys Like" is a song by the Waitresses, written by guitarist Chris Butler in 1978, while he was still a member of the rock band Tin Huey.[2]

It was recorded by Butler and released as a single in 1980, but beyond some club success, it did not appear on any charts. When he formed the band The Waitresses, with Patty Donahue as lead vocalist, the band recorded the song for its debut album, Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?, released by Polydor Records in 1982.[3]

Charts

"I Know What Boys Like" was released as a single from the album[4] and peaked at number 62 the week of May 29, 1982 on the Billboard Hot 100.[5]

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 14
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 62
US Billboard Top Tracks[7] 23
US Cash Box[8] 74

Appearances in pop culture

The Waitresses' version of the song appeared on the soundtrack of the 1987 film I Was a Teenage Zombie.[9]

The song was used for the opening of the episode entitled "Monster" (S1 E10) that was the season and series finale of Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil.[10]

VH1 named the song the 82nd greatest one-hit wonder of all-time in 2002[11] as well as the 34th greatest one-hit wonder of the 1980s in 2009.[12]

The Waitresses' version of the song appeared on the soundtrack of the films The Last American Virgin (1982)[citation needed] and Thanksgiving (2023).

In the Family Guy episode "Boys Do Cry", Herbert sings this song while auditioning to be the new church organist, the lyrics doubling as a reference to him being a pedophile.

Cover versions

The Party covered the song for their EP, In The Meantime, In Between Time.

A version by British female pop duo Shampoo reached No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1996.[13]

References

  1. ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (October 1, 2013). "I Know What Girls Like: The Waitresses and the Limits of the "Female-Fronted" Band". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  2. ^ Michaels, Randolph (2005). Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited. iUniverse. pp. 205–207. ISBN 0595370071.
  3. ^ Talevski, Nick (2010). Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-8571-2117-2.
  4. ^ Popoff, Martin (September 2, 2010). Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1948–1991. Krause. p. 1233. ISBN 978-1440216213.
  5. ^ a b "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. May 29, 1982. p. 66. ISSN 0006-2510.
  6. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. August 7, 1982. p. 61. ISSN 0006-2510.
  7. ^ "Rock Albums & Top Tracks". Billboard. February 20, 1982. p. 30. ISSN 0006-2510.
  8. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 29, 1982". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 21, 2012.
  9. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Original Soundtrack – I Was a Teenage Zombie". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  10. ^ "Lucy, Daughter of the Devil – The Music: Episode 10". Quick Stop Entertainment. 2007-12-03. Archived from the original on 2008-02-04.
  11. ^ "Los Del Rio's Dance Smash 'Macarena' Tops the List Of VH1's All-Time '100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders'" (Press release). PR Newswire. 2002-05-01. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-07-29.
  12. ^ "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s". VH1. Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2015-07-29.
  13. ^ "I Know What Boys Like | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com.