Come On Boys Let’s Do That Messin’ Around (Take 2)

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone trying to shake off the blues with a call to action. The repeated invitation, "Come on, boys, let's have some fun," acts as a desperate plea to distract from personal sorrow. Despite the upbeat plea, the narrator admits to feeling "blue, lowdown as I can be" and later reveals the cause: "My gal quit me and I got the blues." This sets up a central tension between the desire for carefree revelry and the persistent sting of heartbreak. The most striking aspect is the contradictory command in the third verse: "Come on, gal, bob it up and down / But don't let me catch you messin' 'round." This suggests a complex emotional state where the narrator simultaneously craves companionship and is deeply suspicious, perhaps projecting their own recent experience of being left. The phrase "messin' 'round" takes on a double meaning, referring both to the general fun the narrator wants and the infidelity that caused their pain. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their raw, almost childlike expression of conflicting desires. The insistent repetition of "Come on, boys, let's have some fun" feels like a mantra against sadness, while the specific detail of the gal leaving grounds the emotion in a relatable disappointment. The song captures that moment when you try to force happiness, even when your heart isn't in it.