A while back I wrote about Ted Leo And The Pharmacists’ wonderful song Bottled In Cork from their 2010 album The Brutalist Bricks. I wrote that the man was obviously some sort of songwriting genius and that’s why he and his band simply must be featured here again.

Where Have All The Rudeboys Gone? from their splendid 2003 album Hearts Of Oak is just as catchy, if not more catchy, if that even is possible, as Bottled In Cork. The song is a eulogy over the British 2 Tone ska band The Specials but begins like a straightforward indie punk pub rock song. Soon his pop manners start to shine through as he wails:

People are acting foo-awoo-awoo-awoo-awoo-LESH!

Thanks to Rob Mitchum at Pitchfork for that texting of Leo’s howling and yes, that’s foolish that Leo is trying to pronounce but he’s way to excited. As a listener you just sit in awe at how brilliant a songwriter Leo is.

And just as you thought that this is the hook of the song and eagerly await the next section where it might pop up the band goes into a whole new section where Leo in an elegant falsetto sings:

Oooh, but it’s easy to see!
Oooh, we could dance and be free!
Oooh, to that 2-tone beat!
But it looks like it’s gone, gone, gone, gone…

And as a listener you’re like ”did that dude just drop an even catchier hook? He’s insane!”. Damn right he did. The song then returns to its pub punk riffing for the second verse just to return to the chorus and those two hooks again.

After the second chorus the band drops down into a pleasant pop groove where this song delivers another brilliant hook with Leo singing:

I asked Jerry, he told Terry, Terry sang a song just for me,
Lynvall gave a message to me,
Rhoda screamed and then she asked me,
”where have all the rude boys gone?”

Three awesome hooks in the same song, fused together seamlessly is what makes this one of the most loveable and catchy pop songs I’ve ever heard. Ted Leo is not just a talented songwriter he’s also a charming and instantly likeable character and very skilled performer. This charming man leaves me asking:

Where have all the songwriting geniuses gone?

Listen to Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone? on Spotify!

And watch the music video below! Though you probably want to give the full song a listen since the video version is one minute shorter than the original.