Behind the Meaning of “Boys ‘Round Here” by Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton has no shortage of songs that speak to country living. One track that many fans from down south have taken ownership of is “Boys ‘Round Here.” Uncover the meaning behind this Shelton hit, below.

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Behind the Meaning of “Boys ‘Round Here” by Blake Shelton

Well the boys ’round here don’t listen to The Beatles
Run ole Bocephus through a jukebox needle
At a honky-tonk, where their boots stomp
All night; what?
Yeah, and what they call work, digging in the dirt
Gotta get it in the ground ‘fore the rain come down
To get paid, to get the girl
In your four wheel drive

Shelton, being a Oklahoma native, knows a thing or two about being a good ole’ country boy. He injected that experience into this track. Shelton lists many things that will be personal to listeners from Oklahoma and the surrounding states.

“I remember thinking to myself, I’m from Albany, Georgia,” songwriter Dallas Davidson once said of writing this track. “I didn’t really listen to The Beatles. No offense, The Beatles are one of the greatest bands of all time, but I didn’t listen to The Beatles. So I remember I blurted out, ‘Well the boys ’round here don’t listen to The Beatles/ Run Ol’ Bocephus through a jukebox needle at a honky-tonk, where their boots stomp all night,” and then Craig [Wiseman] goes, ‘That’s right,’ kind of in celebration of getting the song started, and then the rest is history. Everybody jumped in.”

Yeah the boys ’round here
Drinking that ice cold beer
Talkin’ ’bout girls, talkin’ ’bout trucks
Runnin’ them red dirt roads out, kicking up dust
The boys ’round here
Sending up a prayer to the man upstairs
Backwoods legit, don’t take no shi-
Chew tobacco, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit

The rest of the song follows a similar formula. The songwriters wrote from their own experiences–their religious backgrounds, musical tastes, truck affinities, and southern drawls. Though this is a personal song, it was relatable enough to become a hit.

Revisit this Shelton track, below.

Well the boys ’round here, they’re keeping it country
Ain’t a da** one know how to do the dougie
(You don’t do the dougie?) no, not in Kentucky
But these girls ’round here yep, they still love me
Yeah, the girls ’round here, they all deserve a whistle
Shakin’ that sugar, sweet as Dixie crystal
They like that y’all and southern drawl
And just can’t help it cause they just keep fallin’

(Photo by Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)