Formed in 1985, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones started playing in Boston clubs in the mid-1980s. After a brief period of inactivity due to the schooling commitments of its members, they reformed and released their album Devil's Night Out on Taang! Records. The Bosstones toured relentlessly throughout the 1990s, playing hundreds of shows a year, releasing albums and spinning off the popular rock radio hit "Someday I Suppose". They were eventually signed to Mercury Records. The band appeared in the movie Clueless. In 1997, the success of their single "The Impression That I Get" and its follow up, "The Rascal King" earned them mainstream recognition. In 2000 they put out their critically acclaimed disk Pay Attention. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones released their last album on Side One Dummy Records. They officially went on hiatus in 2003, citing too much time on the road and desire to branch out and do different things. In 2007, the Bosstones announced that they were reforming. They played their 10th Hometown Throwdown in Boston and released a new album, Medium Rare, which consists of rare B-sides, and 3 new songs, including the single, "Don't Worry Desmond Dekker".
The band announced their split in early 2022.
Awfully Quiet
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
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I like the noise and confusion of a traffic jam.
I like the sound of a jet as it's shakin' my dwellin'
I like ragin', rampagin' and screamin' and yellin'
Sound of a fire engine headed for a fire.
Emotions so high they can't get any higher
Goin' out of control in an outta hand crowd
I like noise and it's gotta be loud.
Awfully quiet, Awfully quiet, Awfully quiet
It was awfully quiet on the streets yesterday
People on the streets had little to say
Well I walked the streets and barely heard a sound
It was awfully quiet on the streets downtown.
Sometimes quiet's okay, sometimes quiet's alright.
Given the choice, I like noise, morning, noon, and night.
It was awfully quiet and on the trains last night.
People on the trains kept the conversation light.
I rode the trains and barely heard a word
Quietest train I ever heard.
Sometimes quiet's okay, sometimes quiet's alright.
Given the choice, I like noise, morning, noon, and night.
Awfully quiet, Awfully quiet, Awfully quiet
It was awfully quiet and I needed some noise
I got on the blower called up the boys
I was doing so bad I could barely hack it
They came to my house and they kicked up a racket
Ooh-ah
Ooh-ah
They turned my place on its ear ooh
The boy's began to riot ah
It felt so good to hear ooh
On a day that was so quiet ah
I screamed and cheered them on ooh
And I helped out where I could ah
And when they all were gone ooh
I was feeling good!
I like noise that's why I'm livin' where I am.
I like the noise and confusion of a traffic jam.
I like the sound of a jet as it's shakin' my dwellin'
I like ragin' rampagin' and screamin' and yellin'
Sound of a fire engine headed for a fire.
Emotions so high they can't get any higher
Goin' out of control in an outta hand crowd
I like noise and it's gotta be loud.
Yeah it's gotta be loud
Oh yeah its gotta be loud
Come on its gotta be loud
From now on its gonna be loud oh yeah
In "Awfully Quiet," The Mighty Mighty Bosstones express their love for noise and chaos. The song is about the band feeling uncomfortable in the silence of the city and needing some sort of noise to exist. Lead singer Dicky Barrett delivers his lines with a sense of urgency and desperation, as if the silence is suffocating him. He describes his love for the sounds of a traffic jam, a jet engine, and a fire engine headed for a fire. Barrett also loves the chaos of an out of control crowd, describing it as "ragin', rampagin', and screamin' and yellin'."
Line by Line Meaning
I like noise, that's why I'm livin' where I am.
I prefer a noisy living environment to a quiet one.
I like the noise and confusion of a traffic jam.
I enjoy the chaotic sounds of a traffic jam.
I like the sound of a jet as it's shakin' my dwellin'
I find it exciting when a plane's noise rattles my home.
I like ragin', rampagin' and screamin' and yellin'
I enjoy the energy and excitement of loud and aggressive behavior.
Sound of a fire engine headed for a fire.
I appreciate the loud sirens of emergency vehicles headed to an urgent situation.
Emotions so high they can't get any higher
Strong emotional reactions that cannot be heightened any further.
Goin' out of control in an outta hand crowd
Losing control in a wild and chaotic group of people.
It was awfully quiet on the streets yesterday
The streets were unusually quieter than usual yesterday.
People on the streets had little to say
The people on the streets seemed uncharacteristically quiet.
Well I walked the streets and barely heard a sound
I walked around and it was difficult to hear anything due to the silence.
Sometimes quiet's okay, sometimes quiet's alright.
Occasionally, a quiet environment is acceptable and satisfactory.
It was awfully quiet and on the trains last night.
The trains were extremely quiet last night.
People on the trains kept the conversation light.
The people on the trains were not engaging in deep or lively conversation.
I rode the trains and barely heard a word
I took the train and it was nearly silent with only whispered or soft-spoken conversation.
Quietest train I ever heard.
The train was exceptionally silent to the point where it was surprising.
It was awfully quiet and I needed some noise
The silence was difficult for me to bear and I desired some excitement and noise.
I got on the blower called up the boys
I made a phone call to my friends.
I was doing so bad I could barely hack it
I was not doing well and struggled to cope with the quiet.
They came to my house and they kicked up a racket
My friends came over and created a loud and festive commotion.
They turned my place on its ear ooh
My friends transformed my home into a wild and raucous space.
The boy's began to riot ah
My male friends started creating a sense of chaos and excitement.
It felt so good to hear ooh
The noise and action brought me immense pleasure.
On a day that was so quiet ah
On a day where there was unusual silence.
I screamed and cheered them on ooh
I encouraged my friends with my own shouts and elation.
And I helped out where I could ah
I contributed to the revelry and assisted in creating noise and excitement.
And when they all were gone ooh
When my friends departed my home.
I was feeling good!
I was in a positive and uplifted mental state.
Yeah it's gotta be loud
Asserting that noise must be loud.
Oh yeah its gotta be loud
Reiterating that noise must be loud.
Come on its gotta be loud
Encouraging and demanding that noise should be loud.
From now on its gonna be loud oh yeah
In the future, I will make sure that there is always loud noise.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DICKY BARRETT, JOE GITTLEMAN, NATE ALBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind