The Undertones – Teenage Kicks (1978)

This video was John Peel’s favourite record. The first time he played it on his Radio 1 show, he played it twice!! The song was played at his funeral service and lyrics “Teenage Dreams So Hard To Beat” are on the great mans headstone. Peel died 10 years ago on October 25th 2004. So what better record to celebrate the greatest radio DJ of all time.

Teenage Kicks was the debut single by Northern Irish punk rock/new wave band The Undertones on the independent Irish label Good Vibrations. It was a four track EP, tracks being Teenage Kicks, True Confessions, Smarter Than U, Emergency Cases. The band were then signed by Sire records, who bought the rights for the original and reissued it with a different sleeve. This was when the single made it into the British Top 40 chart, peaking at number 31.

The Undertones – Teenage Kicks (Lyrics)

Are teenage dreams so hard to beat
Everytime she walks down the street
Another girl in the neighbourhood
Wish she was mine, she looks so good

I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night

I’m gonna call her on the telephone
Have her over cos I’m all alone
I need excitement oh I need it bad
And it’s the best, I’ve ever had

I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night

Are teenage dreams so hard to beat
Everytime she walks down the street
Another girl in the neighbourhood
Wish she was mine, she looks so good

I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night

I’m gonna call her on the telephone
Have her over cos I’m all alone
I need excitement oh I need it bad
And it’s the best, I’ve ever had

I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night