"The Boys of Summer" is a song released in 1984 by Eagles vocalist and drummer Don Henley, with lyrics written by Henley and music composed by Henley and Mike Campbell. It is the lead track and first single from Henley's 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast and reached the top five in the United States as well as the top position on the Top Rock Tracks chart and number 12 in the UK Singles Chart. It re-charted at number 93 in August 2013. The song's music video won many awards. "The Boys of Summer" was also performed live by Henley with the reunited Eagles; such a version is included on the group's 2005 Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne DVD. "The Boys of Summer" depicts a revelation of hope in the middle of hopelessness. The narrator tells the story of a broken relationship in which the woman has gone off to find fresh love with the "Boys of Summer" and the man is saying he will wait as he is still in love. "And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong, after the boys of summer have gone" The song mean is simple - A self realisation or inward seeing that fills the person with hope for the future. The kind of inward revelation that Peter has albeit in different circumstances.
Nobody on the road
Nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air
The summer's out of reach
Empty lake, empty streets
The sun goes down alone
I'm driving by your house
Though I know you're not home
But I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
I never will forget those nights
I wonder if it was a dream
Remember how you made me crazy?
Remember how I made you scream
Now I don't understand what happened to our love
But babe, I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna show you what I'm made of
I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
I see you walking real slow and you're smilin' at everyone
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
Out on the road today, I saw a DEADHEAD sticker on a Cadillac
A little voice inside my head said, "Don't look back. You can never look back"
I thought I knew what love was
What did I know?
Those days are gone forever
I should just let them go but-
I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got that top pulled down and that radio on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
How did you become a passionate disciple of Jesus? Was it the family you were born into? Did God reveal himself to you in "signs and wonders" that transformed your life? Did God change your stoney heart and reveal that soft flesh that allows Jesus in? What turns a halfhearted Christian into a person driven for God? Initially, the apostle Peter was one such lukewarm disciple. It wasn't until he looked deep inside that he caved into to himself and opened up to the light of Christ. It was not until he had an inner revelation of the sort that Don Henley sings about in "The Boys Of Summer" a revelation that sees through the mist and despite all to the contrary believes regardless. The passage in this mornings devotion does just that.
In the miracle of a large catch of fish described in the early part of the gospel of Luke we find Jesus teaching the crowds near Capernaum along the Sea of Galilee. Nearby, some fishermen were present taking care of their nets, who we discover are none other than Simon Peter and the Zebedee brothers, James and John. At first, they all seem more interested in their nets than Jesus. What changed this? What caused Peter (who was still known as Simon) in particular to become the diehard disciple we know him to be.
There's something else important we already know about Peter. He had already met Jesus. He had seen him casting out demons and healing the sick. In fact, Peter was already compelled enough by what he saw to call on Jesus to heal his mother-in-law. In Luke 4 we read, "Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them."
Can we add to that "and Peter and his friends then went back to their boats to go fishing"? I suppose Peter thanked Jesus for healing his mother-in-law, but he wasn't yet awestruck and dumbfounded to the point of fervent discipleship. What would it take for him to take that next step of discipleship? But Jesus wasn't done with Peter yet, not by a long shot. As we come to understand in the miracle of a large catch of fish, Jesus requested to teach specifically from Peter's boat. Jesus had Peter take him just offshore so he could teach the crowds from the water. Why did he choose Peter's boat? Some of the ancient fathers of the Church believed this symbolized the importance of the 'Barque of Peter', the Church with the leadership of Peter. Augustine believed that the waters of the sea often represented the choppy waters of aimless humanity.
With certainty we can say that the boat symbolized the Church, like the Noah's ark and the Ark of the Covenant pointed to as well. The boat from which Jesus taught from was not a grand ship. It was a humble fisherman's boat. A boat of simplicity and utility. How have we strayed from that image in our churches! So, Jesus finished speaking to the crowds from Peter's boat, but he wasn't done teaching. He told Peter to row out to deep water and put his nets out, probably in the same area he and his friends had been fishing earlier and had caught nothing. Peter obeyed. Once again we find obedience to be that special supernatural law that was the efficient cause of so many of Jesus' miracles.
We learn that the Peter did in fact catch an enormous number of fish. Now Peter was awestruck. Now he knows who Jesus is. But did Peter's conversion have anything to do with this miracle? I think we are being taught that it was not the miracle itself that transformed Peter. Peter had previously witnessed other miraculous healings and still went about his old business. If it wasn't the signs and wonders which enabled Jesus to catch Peter, what was it?
Peter falls on his knees and exclaims, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For some reason, through this miracle and through the presence of Christ in his boat, Peter discovered the depth of his sin. We can only speculate why he discovered this reality about himself. And in his discovery, he also uncovered the great expanse of grace and mercy our Lord Jesus showers upon us. Jesus simply replies, "Don't be afraid, from now on you will be a fisher of men."
Peter sees despite his present circumstances. He sees beyond the miracle. He discovers who this Jesus really is. He has an inward revelation that will alter his whole life. There is hope in this discovery and it is hope that drives us to better things. "Boys of Summer" is filled with hope too. May you know the hope of God in your lives today. May you discover more about Jesus and may you too be transformed by his power and presence.
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