Smokin' in the Boys Room

"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^[3] and on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was later certified by the RIAA.

"Smokin' in the Boys Room"
One of side-A labels of US single
Single by Brownsville Station
from the album Yeah!
B-side	"Barefootin'"
Released	October 1973
Recorded	1973
Studio	Mediasound, New York City
Genre	Hard rock[1] boogie rock[2]
Length	2:58
Label	Big Tree
Songwriter(s)	Cub Koda, Michael Lutz
Producer(s)	Doug Morris, Brilliant Sun
Brownsville Station singles chronology
"Let Your Yeah Be Yeah" (1973) "Smokin' in the Boys Room" (1973) "Kings of the Party" (1974)

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

(1973–1974) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 9 Canada RPM Top Singles[5] 3 France[6] 7 UK[6] 27 US Billboard Hot 100 3 US Cash Box Top 100[7] 2

Year-end charts (1974) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 74 Canada [9] 54 US Billboard Hot 100[10] 44 US Cash Box [11] 47

Mötley Crüe version

"Smokin' in the Boys Room"
Single by Mötley Crüe
from the album Theatre of Pain
B-side	"Use it or Lose it"
Released	24 June 1985
Recorded	1985
Genre	Glam metal[2]
Length	3:22
Label	Elektra
Songwriter(s)	Cub Koda, Michael Lutz
Producer(s)	Tom Werman
Mötley Crüe singles chronology
"Too Young to Fall in Love" (1984) "Smokin' in the Boys Room" (1985) "Home Sweet Home" (1985)
Music videos
"Smokin' in the Boys Room" on YouTube

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.^[12] 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

Chart (1985)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[13]	61
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14]	19
UK Singles (OCC)[15]	71
US Billboard Hot 100[16]	16
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[17]	7

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.^[18]

The song is referenced in the television program King of the Hill in season 10, episode 10. Brownsville Station is the favorite band of the character Lucky (played by Tom Petty). The song "inspired him to smoke" and plays over the ending credits.^[19][20]