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)
The Outcast
Dropkick Murphys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then I can break a law
If I can break a law
Will the law break me?
It comes tumbling down again
I can't comprehend
Is it destiny?
Are you a refugee?
No place to call your home
Forever walk alone
As the world goes on
Forgotten by the ones you know
And all the words you gave me
I lost on bended knee
But you can't stop these cravings
Just by praying they would cease
If I can make a life
Then I can take a life
If I can save a life
Will this life save me?
Time after time
I still seem to find
You're looking out for me
So wrap your arms around me
Hold me close and don't let go
Let me lean on you as I think things through
If I don't we'll never know
And all the words you gave me
I lost on bended knee
But you can't stop these cravings
Just by praying they would cease
And all the words you gave me
I lost on bended knee
But you can't stop these cravings
Just by praying they would cease
Will your faith save me?
Will I find this place where I belong?
(Find this place where I belong)
Can you protect me from my troubles?
Keep me safe from harm?
Will you help me carry on?
And all the words you gave me
I lost on bended knee
But you can't stop these cravings
Just by praying they would cease
And all the words you gave me
I lost on bended knee
But you can't stop these cravings
Just by praying they would cease
If they can make a law
Then they can break a law
If I can break a law
Will the law break me?
It comes tumbling down again
I can't comprehend
Is it destiny?
A nomadic state
Are you a refugee?
No place to call your home
Forever walk alone
As the world goes on
Forgotten by the ones you know
The Dropkick Murphys’ song “The Outcast” is a track that reflects on the isolation, struggle and defiance of those who are regarded as outcasts by society, often because of their non-conformist beliefs, lifestyles, or personal circumstances. The song opens with a rumination on the power struggles between the governed and the governing: “If they can make a law, then I can break a law. If I can break a law, will the law break me?” This stark confrontation with the realities of power, authority, and law is a theme that recurs throughout the song. The lyrics suggest that breaking a law can be an empowering act of resistance when the law is oppressive or unjust. The motif also raises questions about the role of law in maintaining social and political order, as well as the consequences of challenging this order.
The second stanza depicts the state of being an outcast, a nomadic refugee, without a place to call home or the possibility of belonging: “No place to call your home, forever walk alone. As the world goes on, forgotten by the ones you know.” Here, the image of a barren and desolate landscape is employed to convey the emotional and social isolation that the outcast may experience. The refrain that follows, “And all the words you gave me I lost on bended knee”, speaks of the difficulties of maintaining faith and belief in the face of such adversity. In the final stanza, the singer turns to the listener for solace, asking for protection and hope in troubled times. The repetition of the chorus, “And all the words you gave me, I lost on bended knee, but you can’t stop these cravings just by praying they would cease”, underscores the theme of searching for meaning and redemption in a world that is unforgiving to those who are different.
Line by Line Meaning
If they can make a law
The singer acknowledges the existence of authority figures in society
Then I can break a law
The singer thinks that if there are rules, then there are ways to break them
If I can break a law
The singer admits to the possibility of him or her breaking the law
Will the law break me?
The artist wonders whether or not breaking the law will have a negative impact on his or her life
It comes tumbling down again
The artist is experiencing a recurring problem or difficulty
I can't comprehend
The singer is having trouble fully understanding the situation
Is it destiny?
The singer questions whether this is something that was meant to happen
A nomadic state
The artist is describing a person who does not have a fixed home
Are you a refugee?
The artist is asking if this person is fleeing from their country due to persecution or war
No place to call your home
The artist is describing a person who is homeless because they do not have a place where they feel they belong
Forever walk alone
The singer is expressing how lonely this person must feel without having anyone by their side
As the world goes on
The artist is pointing out that while the rest of the world continues, this person is stuck in their situation
Forgotten by the ones you know
The singer is acknowledging that this person has been abandoned or ignored by those who were supposed to support them
And all the words you gave me
The singer is referring to the advice or guidance they received from someone else
I lost on bended knee
The singer is expressing regret for not following through with the advice or guidance they received
But you can't stop these cravings
The artist is acknowledging that they have an urge or desire for something that cannot easily be controlled
Just by praying they would cease
The artist is saying that they cannot simply wish away their desires with prayer
If I can make a life
The singer acknowledges their ability to create a life for themselves
Then I can take a life
The singer admits to the ability to take someone else's life
If I can save a life
The artist recognizes their ability to help or rescue someone else
Will this life save me?
The artist wonders if their actions will have a positive impact on their own life
Time after time
The artist is describing a recurring pattern of behavior or events
I still seem to find
The singer is saying that even after all this time they have not found a solution or way out of their situation
You're looking out for me
The artist is addressing someone who has been supportive or caring towards them
So wrap your arms around me
The singer asks for physical comfort from the person they are addressing
Hold me close and don't let go
The singer wants to feel safe and protected by this person
Let me lean on you as I think things through
The singer wants emotional support from the person they are addressing as they try to sort through their problems
If I don't we'll never know
The artist wants to take action and try something because if they don't, they will never know if it could have helped them
Will your faith save me?
The artist is asking if the other person's religious beliefs can offer them salvation or help in their situation
Will I find this place where I belong?
The singer is expressing a desire to find a place where they feel they fit in and belong
Can you protect me from my troubles?
The singer is asking the other person for protection from the difficulties they are experiencing
Keep me safe from harm?
The artist is asking the other person to keep them out of danger or away from harm
Will you help me carry on?
The artist is asking the other person for continued support and assistance as they face their problems
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alexander Barr, James P. Lynch, Kenneth W. Casey, Marc John Orrell, Mathew E. Kelly
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Perry Gastineau
Every day I get older these words become truer.
C. D.
I fought the law
Isaac Moto
Then you are my brother in arms. Cheers!
C. D.
Think !!! 🙈🙉🙊
Killer Penguin
How did that go?