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Song Details
Duration: 4:32 
Release Date: 1998  (Tim P. Ryan) 
Lyrics By: Frank Hayes (Tim P. Ryan) 
Music By: Frank Hayes (Tim P. Ryan) 
Produced By: The Farm Studios (Tim P. Ryan) 
Released By: Dodeka Records (Tim P. Ryan) 
Published By:
Licensing:
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Facts:
  • The song was about 15 months old when it was recorded, yet the audience sung along, including the punch-lines. (Tim P. Ryan)
  • From Steve's "Reap The Wind" album (Tim P. Ryan)
  • Song Lyrics:
    When I was a boy, our Nintendo
    Was carved from an old Apple tree
    And we used garden hose to connect it
    To our steam-powered color TV.

    But it still beat that ancient Atari
    'Cuz I almost went blind, don'tcha know,
    Playing Breakout and Pong on a video game
    Hooked up to the radio.

    And we walked twenty miles to the schoolhouse
    Barefoot, uphill both ways,
    Through blizzards in summer and winter
    Back in the good old days.
    Back when Fortran was not even Three-tran
    And the PC was only a toy
    And we did our computing by gaslight
    When I was a boy.

    When I was a boy, all our networks
    Were for hauling in fish from the sea--
    Our bawd rate was eight bits an hour (and she was worth it!),
    And our IP address was just 3.

    And you kids who complain that the World Wide Web
    Is too slow oughtta cut out your bitchin',
    'Cuz when I was a boy, every packet
    Was delivered by carrier pigeon

    And we walked twenty miles to the schoolhouse
    Barefoot, uphill both ways,
    Through blizzards in summer and winter
    Back in the good old days.
    Back when Fortran was not even Two-tran
    And the mainframe was only a toy
    And we did our computing by torchlight
    When I was a boy.

    When I was a boy, our IS shop
    Built relational tables from wood,
    And we wrappered our data in oilcloth
    To preserve it the best that we could.

    And we carried our bits in a bucket,
    And our mainframe weighed 900 tons,
    And we programmed in ones and in zeros
    And sometimes we ran out of ones.

    And we walked twenty miles to the schoolhouse
    Barefoot, uphill both ways,
    Through blizzards in summer and winter
    Back in the good old days.
    Back when Fortran was not even One-tran
    And the abacus? Only a toy!
    And we did our computing in primordial darkness
    When I was a boy.
    (Hatman)
    HyperLink  
    Current Rating 8.2 (3 votes)
    Played on 1 show:
    03-13-07, #MMS-69
    = Show you can listen to online
    Song Images:
    Messages about the song: "When I Was A Boy"
     
     
    cosumel   Offline  -  Member  -  03-23-10 04:38 PM  -  14 years ago
    fiogf49gjkf0d
    With a new computer, I finally heard it. "Things haven't changed much."
    trdsf   Offline  -  Member  -  07-11-09 07:00 PM  -  14 years ago
    fiogf49gjkf0d
    This was most likely recorded at Ohio Valley Filk Fest, since he references being in Ohio during the second chorus, which would mean October of '96 or '97. I was there both years, but I don't have any specific recollection of this particular performance. Ah, creeping senility... :D
    cosumel   Offline  -  Member  -  07-13-08 08:45 PM  -  15 years ago
    fiogf49gjkf0d
    Will someone PLEASE tell me what is said in the audience at the end of the song that he replies, "Damn smart alec kids."
    Even with my sound plugged all the way up, I can not make it out.
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    Song samples are provided for information purposes only and are intended to enable the users to sample the music (as they are in very low quality) before they take the decision of purchasing the music. This right is expressly permitted under "Fair Use" as nonprofit educational purposes only. The ownership of the copyright of the songs rests with the respective owners.

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