I was scanning channels in the car and came across "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat. The video goes hand in hand with the song telling of a young gay man dealing with rejection, loneliness, and homophobia in British society in the mid 80's.
Something about this song always grabbed me. Maybe it's the electronic beat along with the repetition of the phrase "runaway" that really set the tone of needing to escape. The small piano coda helps create the loneliness felt.
The song has become somewhat of a gay anthem, yet pop culture/sportswriter Bill Simmons even respects the song and recommended using it as a song to preview a past NBA final. Still, for the average listener, most have forgotten about Broski Beat and the smalltown boy.
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I always liked this haunting song, too. But when I was a kid, it wasn't obvious to me what it was about!
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