The band put out a series of EPs and was signed by Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong's label Hellcat Records. In 1998, the Dropkick Murphys released their first full-length album, Do Or Die. Lead singer Mike McColgan, who left the band later that year, was replaced by The Bruisers lead singer Al Barr. In 1999, they released their followup album, The Gang's All Here. In 2001, they released their third album, Sing Loud, Sing Proud. The album showcased the group’s developing sound and included collaborations with The Pogues' frontman Shane MacGowan and Cock Sparrer's Colin McFaull. It also marked a significant lineup change for the band. Original guitarist Rick Barton was replaced by former The Ducky Boys' guitarists James Lynch and Marc Orrell; instruments were added and played by new members Ryan Foltz and Spicy McHaggis.
The Dropkick Murphys' next album, Blackout, was released in 2003. The new album included the radio hit "Walk Away," as well as the songs "Fields of Athenry" and "The Dirty Glass." The latter features female vocals by Stephanie Dougherty (Deadly Sins). Around the same time, the band released a re-working of the Boston Red Sox anthem "Tessie," which then became the official song of the team's 2004 World Series run. "Tessie" was also used throughout the major motion picture Fever Pitch and was included on the EA Sports MVP Baseball 2005 soundtrack. In 2005, the Dropkick Murphys released Singles Collection Volume 2, featuring covers, B-sides, and other material that didn't make it onto previous albums, and the band contributed a recording of "We Got the Power" to Rock Against Bush, Volume 2.
The Dropkick Murphys' fifth studio album, The Warrior's Code, was released on June 21, 2005. It features the singles "Sunshine Highway," "The Walking Dead," "The Warrior's Code," as well as the bonus track "Tessie." It also includes a song that was inspired by a Woody Guthrie poem, which the group named "I'm Shipping Up to Boston." The song was featured in Martin Scorsese's 2006 film The Departed. Scorsese mentioned the band in an interview after winning his first Oscar.
The Dropkick Murphys released their sixth studio album, The Meanest of Times, on September 18, 2007. It was their first release not on the Hellcat Records label but instead on the label Born & Bred.
In early 2008, Marc Orrell left the band. Thereupon Tim Brennan, who had been playing mandolin, accordion, banjo, tin whistle, and guitar for the band since 2004, replaced Orrell on lead guitar. Tim's previous musical duties were taken over by Jeff DaRosa, former member of The Vigilante and Pinkerton Thugs.
In September of 2022, This Machine Still Kills Fascists was released. It's an acoustic album with unused words and lyrics written by Woody Guthrie, selected and given to the band to use by Guthrie's daughter Nora. It did not feature Al Barr, who was on hiatus for family matters.
The band will release their twelfth album, Okemah Rising, on May 12, 2023. The album was recorded during the same sessions for This Machine Still Kills Facists and like that album will feature songs using the unused lyrics by Woody Guthrie. The album was preceded by the singles "I Know How it Feels" on March 1, 2023, and "Gotta Get to Peekskill" (featuring Violent Femmes) on March 30, 2023.
Studio albums
Do or Die (1998)
The Gang's All Here (1999)
Sing Loud, Sing Proud! (2001)
Blackout (2003)
The Warrior's Code (2005)
The Meanest of Times (2007)
Going Out in Style (2011)
Signed and Sealed in Blood (2013)
11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory (2017)
Turn Up That Dial (2021)
This Machine Still Kills Fascists (2022)
Okemah Rising (2023)
Caps and Bottles
Dropkick Murphys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
couldn't wait to grow up just to drink with the crew put my name on the map and have a social few
I recall when I was small I thought I'd be legend soon
but that was then and this is now a harder road cannot be found don't get me wrong,
good times were had sometimes the fun outweighed the bad but all in all,
now said and done I can recall more bad than fun
I'm half the man I thought I'd be it's killing me
it's taken years but now I see I'm not the man I thought I'd be
I'd fight them all, big or small angel dust and Bud tall collars up and fists the same
protect your friends and family name had my lumps,
received a few but not near what I deserved
some say this life's my punishment some say this life's my just deserves
The lyrics of Dropkick Murphys's Caps and Bottles speaks to the nostalgia and regrets of the singer. The lyrics chronicle the singer's younger years where he idolized the older guys who spent their time at the local bar drinking, smoking and fighting. He longed for the day when he would be old enough to join them, make a name for himself and have a social life. However, as he grew older, he realized that the life he thought would make him feel like a legend has taken a toll on him. The singer confesses that he has not turned out to be the man he thought he would be and although he has had some fun times, the bad outweighs the good memories.
The chorus of the song, "It's killing me - the answer's here, it's plain to see it's taken me. I'm half the man I thought I'd be it's killing me, it's taken years but now I see I'm not the man I thought I'd be," speaks to the weight of the singer's experiences on his life. He has come to the realization that he has lost a lot of himself along the way and that his choices have not led him to the life he thought he would have.
Overall, Caps and Bottles is a poignant reflection on how the choices we make impact our lives. It's a sobering reminder that sometimes the things we want when we're young may not be what we actually need in life.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was thirteen, I bought a scally cap looked up to the older guys who drank at the rat
As a young teenager, the singer intentionally emulated older men who hung out at the bar and idolized their drinking behavior by purchasing a specific type of hat.
couldn't wait to grow up just to drink with the crew put my name on the map and have a social few
The singer eagerly looked forward to the day when he could drink with the group he idolized, and imagined that doing so would increase his social status.
I recall when I was small I thought I'd be legend soon but that was then and this is now a harder road cannot be found don't get me wrong, good times were had sometimes the fun outweighed the bad but all in all, now said and done I can recall more bad than fun
As a child, the singer dreamed of achieving greatness, but the reality of his life has proven much more challenging than he anticipated. Though he did have some good times, they were often overshadowed by difficult experiences which he now remembers more clearly than the happy moments.
It's killing me - the answer's here, it's plain to see it's taken me I'm half the man I thought I'd be it's killing me it's taken years but now I see I'm not the man I thought I'd be
The artist is struggling with the realization that he has not lived up to his own expectations, and that he feels that he is not the person he thought he would be. This realization is causing him great emotional pain and has taken him a long time to accept.
I'd fight them all, big or small angel dust and Bud tall collars up and fists the same protect your friends and family name had my lumps, received a few but not near what I deserved some say this life's my punishment some say this life's my just deserves
The artist has faced many challenges in his life, but has always been willing to fight to protect his loved ones and his reputation. He feels that he has been punished more harshly than he deserves by the events of his life, but acknowledges that some people may feel differently.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALEXANDER MARTIN BARR, KENNETH WILLIAM CASEY, MATHEW EDWARD KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Flagpies2010
New Jersey devils for the Stanley cup champs 2023
RoastBeefQueefSniffer
Disgusting where is the original.
Jason Harshman
It's on the Boys on the Docks EP where it always has been