Dexys Midnight Runners

Songwriter: Jim Paterson Kevin Rowland

I'll show you them now, those boys without cares
Who'd swapped dirty pictures and talked during prayers
They grew up with wisdom they'd stored from "those days"
Nobody told them to get in they must change
I'll show you them now. Come with me and
I'll show you them now
The teachers laughed with them class idiot style
After all they weren't their kids so why should they mind
Boyish good looks held the wrath back a while
Then they were drummed in and thumped in and soon left behind
Alcoholics, child molesters, nervous wrecks and prima donnas
Jilted lovers, office clerks, petty thieves, hard drug pursuers
Lonely tramps, awkward misfits, oh anyone of these
Mortgaged up families looked at first too mundane
But it's funny how with help all the lucky ones changed
Some of them couldn't, there had to be more
Music, I dunno, films, something special perhaps
I'll show you them now, come with me
And I'll show you them now
It's so hard to picture dirty tramps as young boys
But if you see a man crying, hold his hand, he's my friend
If these words sound corny, switch this off, I don't care
Nearby he's still crying, I won't smile while he's there
Nearby he's still crying. I won't smile while he's there

Dexys Midnight Runners (currently officially Dexys, their common nickname; sometimes styled with and sometimes without an apostrophe) are an English pop band with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid-1980s. They are best known in the UK for their songs “Come On Eileen” and “Geno”, both of which peaked at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as six other top-20 singles.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dexys went through numerous personnel changes over the course of three albums and thirteen singles, with only singer/songwriter/co-founder Kevin Rowland remaining in the band through all of the transitions and only Rowland and “Big” Jim Paterson (trombone) appearing on all of the albums. By 1985, the band consisted only of Rowland and long-standing members Helen O'Hara (violin) and Billy Adams (guitar). The band broke up in 1987, with Rowland becoming a solo artist. After two failed restart attempts, Dexys was reformed by Rowland in 2003 with new members, as well as a few returning members from the band’s original lineup (known as Dexys Mark I). Dexys released their fourth album in 2012 and a fifth followed in 2016.

more tracks from the album

Too-Rye-Ay

From the album

Too-Rye-Ay (1982)

Dexys Midnight Runners popular songs

I’ll Show YouDexys Midnight Runners

Dexys Midnight Runners

Too-Rye-Ay