Dropkick Murphys is a punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, Unite… Read Full Bio ↴Dropkick Murphys is a punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, United States in 1996. First playing together in the basement of a friend's barbershop, the band made a name for itself because of its relentless touring and for its annual St. Patrick's Day weekend shows in Boston. The band's songs often deal with Celtic influences, and the working-class environment in which the band members grew up.

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)

Road of the Righteous
Dropkick Murphys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now I saw a man stand up one day and fight to save his life
Just a common worker, supporting his kids and his wife
Put a plug in his jug, things looked up for sure
But the whole damn thing of it was there is no blasted cure.

Now I saw a man stand up one day and fight to save his life
Just a common worker, supporting his kids and his wife
Put a plug in his jug, things looked up for sure

But the whole damn thing of it was there is no blasted cure.

I've seen a few men go "The Road of the Righteous"
And just a few have traveled "This Old Lonely Path"
I've seen a few men go "The Road of the Righteous"
By God I'm sure I'll see some more "Go Their Blessed Way."

Hey it's gonna, take some foot work to get you on your way
They'll be pit-falls and some cat-calls but hard you must persist
Cause life is so precious and we have only got one shot,
You move along and you stay God strong all the treasures will be got.

I've seen a few men go "The Road of the Righteous"
And just a few have traveled "This Old Lonely Path"
I've seen a few men go "The Road of the Righteous"
By God I'm sure I'll see some more "Go Their Blessed Way."

I've seen a few men go "The Road of the Righteous"
And just a few have traveled "This Old Lonely Path"
I've seen a few men go "The Road of the Righteous"
By God I'm sure I'll see some more "Go Their Blessed Way."

Now I saw a man stand up one day and fight to save his life
Just a common worker, supporting his kids and his wife
Put a plug in his jug things looked up for sure
But the whole damn thing of it was there is no blasted cure.

I've seen a few men go "The Road of the Righteous"
And just a few have traveled "This Old Lonely Path"

I've seen a few men go "The Road of the Righteous"
By God I'm sure I'll see some more "Go Their Blessed Way."

Overall Meaning

The song “Road of the Righteous” by Dropkick Murphys is a tribute to those who brave the difficult path of self-improvement. The song opens with the story of a common worker who successfully overcomes his addiction to alcohol. However, despite the man’s determination to improve his life, the sobering reality is that there is no easy cure for addiction. The repetitions of this opening verse emphasize the difficulty of overcoming personal demons and the need for persistence.

The chorus then expresses admiration for those who have succeeded in walking the “Road of the Righteous,” and encouragement for those still fighting their battles. The encouraging words “Hey it’s gonna, take some foot work to get you on your way / They'll be pit-falls and some cat-calls but hard you must persist” are a reminder of the importance of perseverance in achieving one’s goals. The final line of the chorus “By God I'm sure I'll see some more 'Go Their Blessed Way.'” conveys a sense of unwavering faith in the power of human resilience.

Overall, the song encourages us to stay strong and to keep fighting towards our goals, no matter how difficult the road may be. It reminds us that even in the face of hardship, we must always strive for personal growth and improvement.

Line by Line Meaning

Now I saw a man stand up one day and fight to save his life
A man fought to save himself from a difficult situation.

Just a common worker, supporting his kids and his wife
This man was an ordinary person with responsibilities.

Put a plug in his jug, things looked up for sure
He made some positive changes in his life.

But the whole damn thing of it was there is no blasted cure.
However, there was no easy solution to his problems.

I've seen a few men go "The Road of the Righteous"
The artist has seen some people take the path of righteousness.

And just a few have traveled "This Old Lonely Path"
But few have gone down this difficult path.

By God I'm sure I'll see some more "Go Their Blessed Way."
The singer believes more people will take the righteous path.

Hey it's gonna, take some foot work to get you on your way
Taking the righteous path requires effort and hard work.

They'll be pit-falls and some cat-calls but hard you must persist
There will be obstacles and criticism, but one must persevere.

Cause life is so precious and we have only got one shot,
Life is valuable and we only have one chance at it.

You move along and you stay God strong all the treasures will be got.
By remaining strong in one's faith, they will attain their goals.