'On the Outside' by Oingo Boingo

One of the rather fabulous benefits of the explosion of internet culture is the way that old music and books now are resurfacing, whether in the form of e-texts, 'You Tube' videos or other more traditional media. There was a time when an old song had to be considered lost forever once the record or cassette no longer played. No longer is that the case. Albums that never enjoyed mainstream success sometimes can be found now in some form through the power of the internet.

For any one who ever felt alienated by contemporary society, Oingo Boingo's song 'On the Outside' represented a cri de coeur of sorts. The group was led by Danny Elfman, who later attained universal fame for writing songs for film and television, including the track for 'The Simpsons'. His old group 'Oingo Boingo' continued to produce albums, but are not as well known as Elfman himself. 'Only A Lad', produced in 1981, contained some of Oingo Boingo's earliest hits, including 'On the Outside' and the song for which the album was named.

For every individual I've known who didn't quite fit in with the mainstream, I would like to share some of the lyrics of 'On the Outside':

'They laugh at me aloud
They say I'm just a clown
That I ain't got no pride
I'm on the outside
The girls look really cute
They really make it work
They think I'm just a jerk
I'm on the outside.
I never could sit still
I never was too hip
I never caught the ride
I'm on the outside

I'm on the outside I'm on the outside now
This is where it all begins
right here
On the outside lookin' in, I'm on the outside...


This is where it all begins on the outside
Looking in

Looking in
At you
I'm just an alien through and through
Tryin' to make believe I'm you
Just a stranger on the outside lookin' in.'

I truly believe that every human being experiences moments when he/she feels utterly alien, no matter how popular or how 'accepted' he or she may be by society or loved ones. Alienation is the human condition. It definitely is the 'adolescent human condition', haunting individuals throughout that crucial period of self-discovery and self-development. For the artist, it may be both his/her greatest strength and greatest weakness. It is our sense of alienation that forces us to strive to communicate our experiences and emotions to others and yet, it is our sense of alienation that makes us forever insecure to some extent, tormenting us in the dark hours of the night...

Like all the other songs on the album, 'On the Outside' was sung with a sort of exuberance and upbeat attitude, despite its rather tragic message. The other song on the album that I found equally unforgettable was 'Only a Lad'. Unlike 'On the Outside', 'Only a Lad' does not resonate with me as much on the personal level, but it is a very clever and biting piece of social satire, sung in Oingo Boingo's early cocky, rather devil-may-care style.

ONLY A LAD

'Johnny was bad, even as a child everybody could tell
Every one said if you don't get straight
You'll surely go to hell
But Johnny didn't care
He was an outlaw by the time that he was
Ten years old
He didn't wanna do what he was told
Just a prankster, juvenile gangster

His teachers didn't understand
They kicked him out of school
At a tender early age
Just because he didn't want to learn things
(Had other interests)
He liked to burn things.

The lady down the block
She had a radio
that Johnny wanted oh so bad
So he took it the first chance he had
Then he shot her in the leg
And this is what she said

Only a lad
You really can't blame him
Only a lad
society made him
Only a lad
He's our responsibility
Only a lad
He really couldn't help it
Only a lad
He didn't want to do it
Only a lad
He's underprivileged and abused
Perhaps a little bit confused

His parents gave up They couldn't influence
his attitude
No body could help
The little man had no gratitude

And when he stole the car
Nobody dreamed that he would
Try to take it so far
He didn't mean to kill the poor man
Who had to go and die
It made the judge cry

Only a lad
You really can't blame him
Only a lad
society made him
Only a lad
He's our responsibility
Only a lad
He really couldn't help it
Only a lad
He didn't want to do it
Only a lad
He's underprivileged and abused
Perhaps a little bit confused
It's not his fault that he can't behave
Society made him go astray
Perhaps if we're nice he'll go away
He'll go away

Hey there Johnny
You really don't fool me
You get away with murder
And you think it's funny
You don't give a damn if we live or if we die
Hey there Johnny boy
I hope you fry!'

Evidently 'Only a Lad' was included in a video game, 'Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s'. This video is taken from the game and was posted by a fan on 'You Tube'. It is not as good as the original track from the album and the game activity is a little distracting, but even so, it provides the opportunity to hear a very amusing song: