Hey You - The Start , 1980

 
 

That kid quit school today, ya know
To join a Rock ‘n Roll band
His parents gave him the boot, ya know
His Dad even kicked him off his land
It only goes to show
You got to be a fool to like that Rock ‘n Roll
Hey – I hear the kid’s got a record out
I think this is it playing on the radio...

Hey you, crawl out of your hole
You’re gettin’ too old
You better start rockin’ it, and not knockin’ it
Ya you, what ya tryin’ to do
You’re tryin’ to play it cool
Ya better start rockin’ it and not mockin’ it

Hey you, you think you’re so sweet
You’re shufflin’ your feet
You better start rockin’ it and not knockin’ it
Ya you, you really think you’re neat
You’re cuttin’ up that beat
You better start rockin’ it and not knockin’ it

You You You
Hey you, crawl out of your hole
You’re gettin’ too old
You better start rockin’ it, and not knockin’ it
Ya you, who ya tryin’ ta fool
You’re tryin’ to play it cool
You better start rockin’ it, and not mockin’ it

Hey you (and you and you and you), you think you’re so sweet
You’re shufflin’ your feet
You better start rockin’ it and not knockin’ it
Ya you (whoa you)
You really think you’re neat (you really think you’re neat)
You’re cuttin’ up that beat (you just cut up that beat)
You better start rockin’ it, and not mockin’ it

Hey you (hey you)
Crawl out of your hole (crawl out of your hole)
You’re gettin’ too old (you’re gettin’ to old)
You better start rockin’ it and not knockin’ it

Ya you (crawl out of your hole)
What ya tryin’ to do
You’re tryin’ to play it cool
You better start rockin’ it, and not mockin’ it
Hey you, crawl out of your hole

 
---
 

 

In 1979, Andrew St. George, Richard Rudolph, Tony Blaise and Mark Valdez formed a band in St. George's Toronto basement. Through an ad in the Toronto Star, they added Simon Slinger as the lead vocalist, and The Start was in business. After a few shows at Lee's Palace, The Horseshoe, The Edge and Larry's Hideaway, they were noticed by Capital Records and offered an album deal. In 1980, Hey You was released as an album and a single. The recording was engineered by Daniel Lanois.
 
The Start received airplay on CFNY, and shared the stage with the likes of The Pretenders, The B52s, Teenage Head and Elvis Costello at Toronto's outdoor festival, Heatwave. But as all loyal fans all remember, The Start's claim to fame was having their single Hey You being adopted as the theme song for the All Night Show on CFMT-TV. Chuck the Security Guard (Chas Lawther), used to dance and sing along throughout the summer of 1980.
 
Unfortunately, the song, the band and the show were relatively short-lived, and are now but pleasant memories of a long-gone era.