The Boy Next Door (song)

"The Boy Next Door" is a popular song originally composed by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin. It was written for the 1944 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film Meet Me in St. Louis, where it was introduced by Judy Garland. The song is a ballad about a young woman's idealized infatuation with the seemingly unattainable boy living nearby.

The lyrics depict a simple, almost naive, romantic longing, focusing on the object of affection being close by yet emotionally distant. The melody is gentle and sentimental, contributing to the song's wistful atmosphere.

"The Boy Next Door" quickly became a standard, and has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, solidifying its place in the Great American Songbook. Different interpretations of the song often highlight varying aspects of the original's themes, from its innocent yearning to its bittersweet acknowledgement of unrequited love.