Blondie nostalgia for the 1970s

English Boys

When I was 17
I saw a magazine
It had those English boys
who had long hair

When I was on my own
they moved into my town
and I just called ‘em up
and they’d be there

In 1969
I had a lousy time
I listened to the songs
read letters sent from Nam

Now peace and love were gone
the tired soldiers home
Ideal society
gunned down the 70′s

Does it feel the same to you?
Why do you act the way you do?
Pack it up or pack it in
There’s no excuse

Could the hands of time reverse?
Would we wake or take the ride
and again speak with one voice?

We knew each other well
although we never met
Messages passed to tell
equal respect

Coincidence recurred
I had to laugh a lot
One week hung up superb
Said maybe not

– Music by Chris Stein, lyrics by Deborah Harry

Notes
This song is from Blondie’s flopped 1982 album Hunter, which I’ve been pulling off the shelf regularly for listening ever since I got it in the mid-80s. It contains a collection of widely diverse songs, including the playful calypso “Island of Lost Souls,” a rap precursor (“The Beast”) and the classic “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game,” all of which are quite original in their own right and some of which are considerably more thoughtful and thought-provoking than the hits that brought Blondie success.
Another excellent number from this album – “For your eyes only” – was written for the 1981 James Bond movie but never used (Sheena Easton had a hit with the title song chosen over Blondie’s composition).
Wikipedia has a thorough article on Blondie.