The Hold Steady "You Can Make Him Like You" (17.8 MB) from Boys and Girls in America Orpheum Stagedoor Madison, WI May 18, 2007

This was my favorite song on Boys and Girls -- one of my top favorites of 2006, in fact -- and judging by the audience reaction I suspect I'm not alone. At the beginning, Craig Finn roots the song in rock's fantasy nature, which I'd never really thought about before, but it fits the song in a heartbreaking way. The one spot in the chorus where they replace "There's always other boys" with "There's always other scenes" particularly sticks out that way, since, for Finn's characters, there are plenty of other boys, but there are never any other scenes. As much as the "you" in that song is stuck in a bad relationship, she's even more stuck in the scene.