Borstal Boys
Rod Stewart · Other Songs - Rod Stewart
Cell block five, how I hate bromide
With your coffee in the morning makes you so sterile
The corner gang never made a man of me boy
You know the walls are tall and the inmates scheme
There's no one here that's more than seventeen
Bet your life there's a riot tonight in the mess hall
Listen
A letter from your home town makes you sad
You read it when the wardens had a second laugh
He said sentimental rubbish ain't got no place in here boy
See the years roll on by
Such a senseless waste of time
What a way to reform
Call out your number
Who's a nonconformer,
Not me baby, oh yeah
Shakey brown didn't hang around
When a molotow didn't do it's stuff
You went back in there and said it with a sawed-off shotgun
You know poker sam couldn't lose a hand
If he did you were hit by a downtown tram
Or crushed in the path of a moving elevator, elevator
See the years roll on by
Such a senseless waste of time
What a way to reform
Call out your number
Who's a nonconformer,
Not me baby, oh yeah
When I get out, I'll get straight
If this old world gives me half a break
But, if you see me in the corner with a chip on my shoulder
Don't blame me, don't blame me baby, no, no
Got to make a break for the county line
Borstal Boys
Rod Stewart's "Borstal Boys" stands as a defining track from his 1974 album *If We Fall in Love Tonight*, blending his signature rock and roll energy with a poignant narrative about youth incarceration. The song captures the raw emotion of leaving the Borstal system, a form of juvenile detention in the UK, reflecting on the loss of innocence and the harsh realities of the penal system. Stewart's vocal delivery combines grit with melody, characteristic of his work during the mid-1970s when he was transitioning from pure rock to a more storytelling-driven style. The recording remains a staple of his discography, illustrating his ability to address social themes while maintaining commercial appeal. It is often cited as an example of his capacity to weave personal and societal commentary into his music, cementing his status as a chronicler of the British experience.