Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) Pat Travers Band

Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)
Live 1979
by The Pat Traver's Band

Patrick Henry Travers (born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career in the mid-1970s.
Travers was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Soon after picking up the guitar at age 12, he saw Jimi Hendrix perform in Ottawa. Travers began playing in bands early in his teens; his first bands were the Music Machine (not to be confused with the Californian psychedelic/garage band of the same name), Red Hot, and Merge, which played in clubs in the Quebec area.

Studio and live versions of "Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)" were recorded by Pat Travers, both uptempo with some fine axework, and, one might think, this was a happy sort of song. In fact it has a somewhat dark origin. Written by harmonica player Stan Lewis, it was recorded by another harmonica player, Little Walter, on Chess Records in 1957. Little Walter (real name Marion Walter Jacobs, 1930-'68) was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2008.

Listening to the song with a bit of nous reveals that it is actually about a taboo subject: spousal abuse. The boom is the punch, and out go the young lady's lights. Oops!
Pat Travers, a Canadian guitar slinger, first released this song on his debut album in 1976, replacing Little Walter's harmonica-heavy arrangement with guitar and piano. It became a favorite in his live repertoire as Travers would summon up a call-and-response, with the crowd answering "Out go the lights!" after his "Boom boom."

He released a 5-minute-long live recording (two minutes longer than the studio version) on his 1979 album Live! Go for What You Know in 1979, where he distances himself from the lyric by introducing it as a "party song." This version got some airplay on Rock radio and survived as a deep cut years later on some Classic Rock stations.

We're gonna do a little party tune for ya here
This is an old rhythm-and-blues boogie-woogie number
Called Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)
Alright, 'ey

Okay now, there's an opportunity in this song
For us all to to a little shoutin' out here, okay?
When I sing, Boom boom
I want you all to answer me back with
Out go the lights
Right?
Boom boom, and you sing, Out go the lights
Let me see those hands up above your heads
Way up high, way up high
Way up high, way up high, above your
Heads
Yeah, all the way to the back
Come on now, let's seem 'em
Let's see them

Yeah
A-one
Two
Boom
One two, one two three four

No kiddin', I'm ready to fight
I've been lookin' for my baby all night
If I get her in my sight
Boom boom, right here (Out go the lights)

No kiddin', I'm ready to go
If I find her, boy don't you know?
If I get her in my sight
Boom boom, what is it? (Out go the lights)
Yeah

Well, I thought I treated my baby fair
But I just found out she don't want me here
If I get her in my sight
Boom boom, come on (Out go the lights)
Yeah
Well, I missed her before
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Well, I never felt this mad before
But I just found out she don't want me no more
If I get her in my sight
Boom boom, come on (Out go the lights)

No kiddin', I'm ready to fight
I've been lookin' for my baby all night
If I get her in my sight
Boom boom, one more (Out go the lights)

Take it home

Hey, yes