Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Pete Townshend
Canonical path: /pete-townshend/commonwealth-boys
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
Commonwealth Boys
Read Commonwealth Boys lyrics by Pete Townshend on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
Commonwealth Boys
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
Don't ever call me a man
I'll decide for myself to tell you what I am
Don't want to be called a boy know more
Cause boys fill the trenches in imperialist war
Don't ever call me a queen
Victoria and values just ain't the scene
Don't want to be held responsible for you
To blame you for the future and the history too.
We are the Commonwealth boys
South African village Jamaican toys
Born to create but trained to destroy
And I am a Commonwealth boy.
Don't ask if I'm a respectable force
I'm a ineffectual, intellectual of course
You would not up stand a really pretentious fool
I became aware in the care of a waitresses' school
Don't even call me a friend of the post
The fox holes have fallen and the cemeteries closed
And I've been slaving down on charity farm
Living like a socialist with blood on my arm
We are the Commonwealth youths
From Tunder and Turnside were looking for jobs
Born to create but doomed to destroy
I am a Commonwealth boy.
Don't ever call me a man
I'll decide for myself to tell you what I am
Don't want to be called a boy know more
Cause boys fill the trenches in imperialist war
Don't ever call me a queen
Victoria and values just ain't my scene
Don't want to be responsible for you
We blame you for the future and the history too.
Don't ever call me a man
I'll decide when my life ends
I'm a boy I'm a boy don't you tell the fairies
I'm a boy I'm a boy but my mother would not admit it.
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "Commonwealth Boys"?
Pete Townshend performs "Commonwealth Boys", and this lyric page sits inside the Pete Townshend catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Commonwealth Boys"?
Yes. The related section below points to The Sea Refuses No River and Anyway Anyhow Anywhere with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Pete Townshend?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Pete Townshend's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on Commonwealth Boys yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.