Jet Boy

{{Infobox song

|name = Jet Boy

|cover = JetBoySingle.jpg

|alt =

|type = single

|artist = New York Dolls

|album = New York Dolls

|B-side = Vietnamese Baby

|released = 1973

|recorded = April 1973

|studio = Record Plant

|venue =

|genre = Hard rock, glam rock,{{cite book|last=Fletcher|first=Tony|author-link=Tony Fletcher|year=2009|title=All Hopped Up and Ready to Go: Music from the Streets of New York 1927–77|url=https://archive.org/details/allhoppedupready00fletc|url-access=registration|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=978-0393334838|page=[https://archive.org/details/allhoppedupready00fletc/page/319 319]|quote=...the addition of piano and backing vocals helping turn such songs as 'Personality Crisis,' 'Jet Boy,' and 'Trash' into instant glitter rock anthems.}} proto-punk

|length = 4:42

|label = Mercury Records

|writer = David Johansen and Johnny Thunders

|producer = Todd Rundgren

|prev_title = Trash'" b/w "Personality Crisis

|prev_year = 1973

|next_title = Stranded In The Jungle

|next_year = 1974

|misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|Cbd-BcuPvLA|New York Dolls performing "Jet Boy" on The Old Grey Whistle Test}}}}

}}

"Jet Boy" is the closing track and second single from the New York Dolls' self titled debut album. It was written by Dolls lead singer David Johansen and guitarist Johnny Thunders.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/380407-New-York-Dolls-New-York-Dolls|title=New York Dolls – New York Dolls|website=Discogs|date=1973}}

The lyrics are simply about a jet boy who stole his baby.{{cite web|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/new-york-dolls-six-best-songs/|author=Atreyi Banerji|title=Six definitive songs: The ultimate beginner's to New York Dolls|website=aroutmagazine.co.uk|date=26 January 2021 }} There is little explanation as to what a jet boy is other than to say that he flies around New York City. Tony Glover of Rolling Stone described the song as "Marvel Comics meets the Lower East Side."{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/new-york-dolls-19730913|author=Tony Glover|date=September 13, 1973|title=New York Dolls (Review)|newspaper=Rolling Stone|access-date=September 1, 2017|archive-date=April 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414175635/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/new-york-dolls-19730913|url-status=dead}}

The New York Dolls famously performed "Jet Boy" on The Old Grey Whistle Test on 27 November 1973. Shortly before hitting the stage, Johansen told "Whispering" Bob Harris, host of the programme, that he had "bunny teeth". After the performance, Harris laughingly referred to it as "mock rock."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/14/new-york-dolls-mock-rock|author=Stevie Chick|date=13 June 2011|title=The New York Dolls play 'mock rock' on British TV|newspaper=The Guardian}}

The original B-side to "Jet Boy" was the love song "Vietnamese Baby," written by David Johansen.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1929765-New-York-Dolls-Jet-Boy|title=New York Dolls – Jet Boy|website=Discogs|date=1973}} According to journalist Steve Taylor, "Vietnamese Baby" dealt with the impact of the Vietnam War at the time on everyday activities for people, whose fun was undermined by thoughts of collective guilt.{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Steve |title=The A to X of Alternative Music |isbn=0-8264-8217-1 |publisher=Continuum |year=2006 |page=163}} (Sample lyrics: "Catch me your slaves, shot at/Every rifle on the way and I gotta/Show you more mustard gas than any girl ever seen/Since I been blasted, I've been blown, I've been backing away/You've got to back it away/You've got to take a search of values/Yeah, But I've got a concert out to play") Album producer Todd Rundgren played synthesizers on the track.{{CN|date=September 2023}}

"Jet Boy" b/w "Babylon" and "Who Are the Mystery Girls" (both from Too Much Too Soon) were released by Mercury Records in the UK in 1977.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2163989-New-York-Dolls-Jet-Boy|title=New York Dolls – Jet Boy|website=Discogs|date=1977}}

San Francisco-based hard rock band Jetboy is named after the song.