"Let's Hear It For The Boy" Is An... Interesting Music Video
Is "interesting" just my way of saying... you'll get it.
I loved this song so much as a child that it didn’t matter where I would be. If this song came on I’d bust out sick breakdance moves to it. There was something about the 1984 classic by Deniece Williams that would touch me even back then.
In this song, Deniece would sing about this boy she knew. He didn’t talk sweet, he watched all of his dimes, but he loved her so much she just had to make a song congratulating him. Back then, I felt like I was that boy. Maybe thought that maybe I was no a Romeo, but I could be a one man show once I met a woman like Deniece Williams, so let’s hear it for me!
No lie… I think this is a good way to describe my life.
There was something so special in the track that it is still played on soul stations today. Maybe it’s the 80s funk in the beats or maybe it’s Ms. Williams’ lilting voice over the chords. There’s something special in it that will even make you want to breakdance when you hear it too. Plus it was on the soundtrack for Footloose at a time when movie soundtracks were quickly becoming the best thing to buy to get all the music you wanted in a single package.
So one day, while minding my own business, I managed to see this video they made for that song. What I found out makes it kind of interesting masterpiece.
Let’s Hear It For “Let’s Hear It For The Boy”
Act: 1
The video opens but doesn’t start with 80s star Deniece Williams. Instead, it starts with a little boy with a fidgeting problem who’s wearing a tall ass DUNCE cap and sitting under a board where he’s written: I will not fidget.
From there, we get introduced to the singer on this track, Deniece Williams. I don’t know how tall she was but Deniece towers over this kid.
It doesn’t matter because he’s so excited to see her! She hands him a top hat and before you know it this kid is hitting with some Shirley Temple dance moves as if nothing can stop this kid!
After all that, the kid lays a kiss on Ms. Williams. And you watch that kiss happen in 1984 and wonder what that white kid’s parents must have thought about it. To be fair, it was very sweet.
Then it kind of changes.
Let’s Hear It For The Boy: Act 2
So the kid uses his top hat to change the scene and as soon as he does that, you see a much older “The Boy” playing a piano.
While talking about how rich this kid is not, Deniece (who really looks like Myra from Family Matters) rolls up on him and takes his glasses off. I’m still giving her the benefit of the doubt, but she sexily takes his glasses off.
Then she keeps dancing around this kid and picks up a record she puts in his face.
But she’s not done yet! After putting the record on the hi-fi, Deniece returns and The Boy has changed clothes. Mommy I mean… Deniece sits down next to him. Apparently, he’s cool now!
So The Boy does what anyone would do with their newfound coolness. He gets on his piano, starts kicking pictures on the floor, and starts dancing.
Let’s Hear It For The Boy Act 3 & 4
When we come back to Mommy and her loving Boy, we see him on a football field. He’s pumping his arms to the beat. Luckily, he’s not there alone.
Deniece isn’t on the team. She’s not a football player. I don’t think it’s ok to smack him on the butt unless she’s trying to tell him something… Unfortunately, The Boy can’t stick around as he has to line up across from someone.
Maybe The Boy forgot the snap count, but that someone seems to knock him down before he’s ready.
Mommy… I mean Deniece tells him to get up at first, but once she sees his thumbs up, she lilts a “Woo-hoo” to herself.
To win this fight, The Boy goes back to what he knows best… Dancing.
I used to be one, and if football players are afraid of anything it’s dance fighting. If you ever get cornered by any footballers at school, pull out some dancefighting to freak them out and they will run away.
Deneice is so proud though!
Feeling this story is over soon, Deniece starts to do her vocal runs and bang out the hook for us over and over again. We’re all having fun now!
Suddenly, every guise that The Boy has taken in this video comes out and dances like it’s the 1980’s (cause it is).
You know it’s over once Mac Daddy McJheri Curl partner dances with Deniece Williams.
More breakdancing.
More group dancing.
Lifting weights with a guy who wants to sleep with the star.
A martial artist.
A fire twirler.
More group dancing. Now with Mac Daddy McJheri Curl
And then the end of song!
Oh wait. A guy turns a back flip after the song is over.
The Finest of Videos
Look… If you didn’t make Let’s Hear It For The Boy or W.A.P. or that Fell In Love With a Girl by the White Stripes, any of Michael Jackson’s stuff, or Space Me Baby by Mike Dynamo, what are you even doing with your life? Making a masterpiece is hard work but it’s hard work we should all try to accomplish.
If you want to be the best and make a weird, sexy all-ages video that doesn’t seem like one, study Deniece Williams. No more banging into people while walking down the street. No more looking at the camera and rapping the lyrics. No more bull caca. Do something incredible like our videos did.