“The Boys of Summer” is a song by Don Henley, with lyrics written by Henley and music composed by Henley and Mike Campbell, longtime guitarist for Tom Petty. It is the lead track and first single from Henley’s 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. The song appears to be about the passing of youth and entering middle age, with the obvious theme of ‘summer love’ apparent in the choruses, and of reminiscence of a past relationship.
In 2003, the rock band The Ataris covered “The Boys of Summer” for their album So Long, Astoria. The song became their second single when a radio station began to play it. The Ataris’ version of the song replaced the ‘Deadhead sticker’ reference with one more appropriate to the age group of their fans, namely a ‘Black Flag sticker’, in honor of the ’80s punk band.
and here is the original version: