"Smokin' in the Boys Room" is a song originally recorded by Brownsville Station in 1973 on their album '' Yeah!''. It reached number 3 in Canada and on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was later certified by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. The song is about students hoping to avoid being caught violating their school's smoking ban by smoking cigarettes in the boys' restroom. The song begins with a spoken recitation, and the verses and a part of the chorus, are mostly spoken, rather than sung.

Chart performance

Weekly Charts

Year-end charts

Mötley Crüe version

The song was covered in 1985 by Mötley Crüe. Released as a single, "Smokin' in the Boys Room" got to number 16 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and became Mötley Crüe's first Top 40 hit. Their version of the song appears in the 1986 film '' The Wraith'' directed by Chieffallo. A LeAnn Rimes version appeared on the album ''Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe''.

Music video

Crüe's version was accompanied by a conceptual music video featuring Michael Berryman as the school principal. The video focuses on a high school student named Jimmy who is mistreated and misunderstood in school. After he is paddled by the principal for (truthfully) claiming that a dog ran off with his homework, a frustrated Jimmy goes to the boys' bathroom where he sees Motley Crüe in the mirrors. The band pulls him through the mirror to join them, and Jimmy and Motley Crüe watch a dystopian vision of the school through a barred window. At the end of the music video, the principal apologizes to Jimmy and offers an A for his missing homework; Jimmy doesn't accept and rips up the homework. After Jimmy walks away, Nikki Sixx reaches out of the mirror and snatches the dumbfounded principal's toupée.

Charts

Personnel

* Vince Neil - Vocals * Mick Mars - Guitar * Nikki Sixx - Bass * Tommy Lee - Drums * Mickey Raphael - Harmonica

Other versions

In 1981, the song was translated to Hebrew and covered by T-Slam under the name "Me'ashnim Beyahad" (Smoking Together) on their debut album. The English-language version of the album, ''Loud Radio'' featured the original version of the song. The song is referenced in the television program ''

King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...

'' in season 10, episode 10. Brownsville Station is the favorite band of the character Lucky (played by

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

). The song "inspired him to smoke" and plays over the ending credits.

References

External links

* 1973 songs 1973 singles 1985 singles Big Tree Records singles Brownsville Station (band) songs Elektra Records singles Mötley Crüe songs Song recordings produced by Tom Werman Songs about school Songs about tobacco Music videos directed by Wayne Isham Blues rock songs {{1970s-single-stub