▁child hood ▁friends ▁whose ▁lives ▁take ▁them ▁very ▁different ▁places . ▁However , ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁friends ▁are ▁uns atisf ied ▁with ▁their ▁new ▁lives . ▁The ▁closing ▁song ▁ends ▁the ▁story ▁on ▁a ▁cl iff h anger ; ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁the ▁three ▁friends ▁ever ▁reun ite ▁is ▁never ▁revealed . ▁ ▁Production ▁Three ▁Fri ends ▁was ▁the ▁band ' s ▁first ▁self - produ ced ▁album . ▁The ▁two ▁former ▁albums ▁were ▁produced ▁by ▁David ▁B owie ▁and ▁T . R ex ▁producer ▁Tony ▁Vis cont i . ▁ ▁Gary ▁Green ' s ▁guitar ▁solo ▁on ▁" Pe el ▁the ▁P aint " ▁uses ▁an ▁e ch ople x ▁belonging ▁to ▁Mike ▁Rat ledge ▁that ▁Green ' s ▁brother ▁Jeff , ▁a ▁road ie ▁with ▁Rat ledge ' s ▁band ▁So ft ▁Machine , ▁had ▁borrow ed . ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁" S cho old ays " ▁starts ▁off ▁with ▁the ▁sounds ▁of ▁a ▁school yard ▁play ground ▁in ▁England . ▁Ray ▁Sh ul man ▁told ▁Song fact s ▁about ▁the ▁song : ▁" We ▁started ▁off ▁using ▁the ▁sound ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁school yard ▁so ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁very ▁nost alg ic , ▁and ▁that ' s ▁a ▁whole ▁song ▁about ▁being ▁at ▁school ▁together , ▁and ▁how ▁these ▁friends ▁went ▁their ▁own ▁different ▁ways . ▁One ▁goes ▁into ▁manual ▁labour , ▁one ▁goes ▁into ▁white - col lar ▁work , ▁and ▁one ▁is ▁an ▁artist ." ▁ ▁U . S . ▁and ▁Canadian ▁LP ▁release ▁For ▁the ▁U