History
In 1997, McColgan left Dropkick Murphys "to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter for the Boston Fire Department." In 2002, McColgan decided he could no longer stay away from music and formed Street Dogs. They first recorded a seven song-demo, which feature McColgan along with his former Dropkick Murphys bandmate Jeff Erna on drums, Rob Guidotti on guitar and Bill Close on bass.[1] They signed with CrossCheck Records in 2003,[2] with Michelle Paulhus now on bass. By the time they started recording their first album, they yet again had someone else on bass, this time Johnny Rioux. Savin Hill (which was produced by former The Mighty Mighty Bosstones member Nate Albert[3] and featured guest appearances by Al Barr and Ken Casey from Dropkick Murphys) was a success and resulted in a supporting tour with Celtic punk band Flogging Molly.
The band underwent a complete shuffle in 2004 when McColgan took a leave of absence from his firefighting career to devote time to recording and promoting their second album Back to the World.The Street Dogs at this time enlisted Marcus Hollar on lead guitar, and expanded the range of their sound with the addition of rhythm guitarist Tobe Bean III. The drummer's spot was filled by Joe Sirois, formerly of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
Their second release, Back to the World, proved to be even more of a success for the band. It was hailed critically in the United States, Europe and Japan and opened the doors to touring with Social Distortion, Tiger Army, Bad Religion, Millencolin (in Europe), The Bouncing Souls (US And Japan) and The Briefs. The band also toured on the Vans Warped Tour in the summer of 2005 and embarked on their first headlining tours in the US and Europe.
2006 saw more shows, both headlining and opening for the likes of Rancid,[4] The Adolescents[5] and The Bouncing Souls.[6] Also in 2006, released their third album, Fading American Dream. It was recorded earlier in the year with producer Ted Hutt (Flogging Molly, Madcap, The Bouncing Souls).
While on tour opening for Flogging Molly on February 27, 2007 show at the Sokol Auditorium in Omaha, NE, bass player Johnny Rioux collapsed on stage due to an apparent seizure. McColgan stopped the show and called for paramedics. At the start of the Flogging Molly set, lead singer Dave King dedicated the show to Johnny and announced that he was all right and would be well enough to play the next night in St. Louis. Following that tour, more dates came headlining as well as European shows.
In February 2008, it was announced that the Street Dogs signed on to Hellcat Records. Their fourth album, State of Grace, for Hellcat, which they started recording in early February 2008, once again with Ted Hutt[7] was released on July 8, 2008.[8]
At recent shows, Street Dogs have been promoting Oxfam America, a humanitarian organization fighting poverty and hunger. McColgan spoke to the crowd mid-set at the Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey in May 2008 about the organization while wearing an Oxfam T-shirt. In support of State of Grace, the band toured at the Vans Warped Tour 2008 as a main stage act. Following their Warped tour stint, the group set out on their successful fall State Of Grace headlining tour and then went to Europe for the European Eastpak Antidote tour.
The band released their fifth album, Street Dogs, on August 31, 2010[9] on Hellcat Records.
On February 21, 2011, the band performed at an acoustic show with Tom Morello, Tim McIlrath, Wayne Kramer, and Ike Reilly in Madison, WI in support of the ongoing protests against Gov. Scott Walker's proposed Budget Repair Bill.
In March 2011, the Street Dogs announced a five-week stint on the 2011 Vans Warped Tour, from June 24 until July 30. This would be their third time on the tour, after 2005 and 2008. After the Warped Tour, the band planned a European festival tour in August, and then Australia and Japan in October.
The band embarked on the nine date Sham Rock-N-Roll Festival in September 2011 where they were the co-headlining act for the Dropkick Murphys. Other than appearances on various Warped Tour lineups, this was the first time McColgan toured with his former band since quitting thirteen years earlier. McColgan would even join the Dropkick Murphys onstage for performances of such songs as "Barroom Hero" and "Far Away Coast" from the Do or Die album.[10]
In an interview with AMP, Johnny Rioux was asked about a new album from the street dogs. Rioux said, "We want to do a labor standard solo record with Mike, release the large number of B-sides with the records they were recorded for, mix our live in Boston DVD and record, prepare for our first trip to Australia, return to Japan, get back into some Celtic festivals, and just be happy and grateful people are still loyal after almost 10 years."
On November 26, 2012, McColgan wrote on the band's Facebook account that starting January 1, 2013, Street Dogs would be taking a break from recording and touring, but he assured fans that the band was not breaking up.[11] Later that day, Tobe Bean announced that he would no longer be a touring member of Street Dogs, but he will "always be a Street Dog".[12] In February 2013, it was announced that McColgan and Rioux would form a side project with original Dropkick Murphys member Rick Barton called FM359. In March, it was announced their break from touring would be ending in July when they tour Europe.[13] In March, McColgan mentioned that the band would exclusively work with the Pirates Press Records label in the future, and they planned to release a 7-inch single, a live album, and a DVD. He also mentioned that the band was hoping to get Lenny Lashley from Darkbuster to replace Bean on guitar, and on April 9 the Street Dogs Facebook page announced that Lashley had officially joined the group. They also announced their next single, "Crooked Drunken Sons", a song named after their annual tour, which will be released on Record Store Day 2013. Another single, "Rustbelt Nation", followed a month later.[14] Later in the year, Hollar was replaced by Matt Pruitt (Have Nots).
Members Mike McColgan, Johnny Rioux and Pete Sosa started a side project called FM359 with former Dropkick Murphys guitarist Rick Barton, Street Dogs collaborator Hugh Morrison and Halston Luna. The group, which has an Americana sound, released their debut album Truth, Love and Liberty in January 2014. In April, on Record Store Day 2014, they released a split EP with Noi!se.
On June 22, 2018, the band released their sixth album, the first in eight years, Stand For Something Or Die For Nothing. McColgan said of the album, " "The dumbing down of America is a reason to write songs in 2018. The theme is wake the fuck up and the working class needs to unite across all colors, creeds, nationalities, genders and realize that we are being pitted against each other by snake oil salesmen and autocrats."[15]
On February 13, 2020, via the band's Facebook page, McColgan and Rioux announced the group was disbanding after 17 years. The final round of shows was expected to include a small St. Patrick's Day tour with Flogging Molly and Mad Caddies as well as two headlining shows, one in Long Beach, CA on March 16, and their final show to be announced in their hometown of Boston, MA. However on March 12, the band announced the cancellation of the Long Beach show alongside Flogging Molly's cancellation of their tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16][17]
Former members
Mike McColgan – lead vocals (2002–2020)
Johnny Rioux – bass (2003–2020)
Pete Sosa – drums (2012–2020)
Matt Pruitt – lead guitar (2013–2020)
Lenny Lashley – rhythm guitar (2013–2020)
Jeff Erna – drums (2002–2004)
Rob Guidotti – guitars (2002–2004)
Bill Close – bass (2002)
Michelle Paulhus – bass (2002–2003)
Marcus Hollar – lead guitar (2004–2013)
Joe Sirois – drums (2004–2007)
Tobe Bean III – guitars (2005–2012)
Paul Rucker – drums (2007–2012)
Declaration
Street Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the cover of a Rolling Stone was another dumb young blonde
While the icons of our day all slowly fade away
Paving way for a new crop of garbage clones with nothing new to say
And if you want to shout about the madness of these days
Throw your fists into the air, turn off your TV and sing this song with me
Come together, rise up all young women and young men - our generation
Nothing new on the evening news, more fear and anxiety
Another war, another sick, sick sign of our corrupt society
How many soldiers march and die under the blanket of democracy
While the rich mans sons conveniently go to Ivy League University
You can't just stand by friend and do nothing cause
Your chance to act has come, rise up and make the difference
In the song "Declaration" by the band Street Dogs, the lyrics describe a sense of dissatisfaction with the current state of society, politics, and media. The song begins with the singer waking up and feeling disconnected from the world around them. They express their frustration with the current state of media, where the focus seems to be on shallow and unimportant things.
As the song progresses, the lyrics touch on topics like the corrupt nature of modern society, the futility of war, and the privilege enjoyed by the wealthy. The singer encourages listeners to take action and make a difference, rather than simply watching things happen from the sidelines.
The chorus of the song serves as a call to action, urging young people to come together and make a change. The lyrics suggest that this is "our generation's call to make a stand", and that it's up to us to "rise up and make the difference." In this way, "Declaration" is a song of protest, a plea for young people to rise up and demand change.
Overall, the lyrics of "Declaration" express a sense of frustration and disillusionment with the status quo, along with a call to action for young people to come together and make a change.
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up this morning, wondered what planet I was on
Feeling disconnected and disillusioned with the current state of the world.
On the cover of a Rolling Stone was another dumb young blonde
The media often prioritizes and trivializes superficial and shallow aspects of society.
While the icons of our day all slowly fade away
Current role models and influential figures are becoming less relevant and impactful.
Paving way for a new crop of garbage clones with nothing new to say
These outdated icons are being replaced by uninspired and unoriginal imitators, further contributing to the decline of society.
And if you want to shout about the madness of these days
Encouraging people to speak out against the chaos and injustice of modern times.
Throw your fists into the air, turn off your TV and sing this song with me
Rejecting passive consumption of information and urging active participation and engagement.
This is our generation's call to make a stand - a declaration
Empowering the youth to take a stand and make a difference in society.
Come together, rise up all young women and young men - our generation
Encouraging unity and solidarity among the youth to effect change as a collective group.
Nothing new on the evening news, more fear and anxiety
The constant negativity and sensationalism of the news perpetuates fear and unease in society.
Another war, another sick, sick sign of our corrupt society
Highlighting the destructive and corrupt nature of society, specifically in relation to war and conflict.
How many soldiers march and die under the blanket of democracy
Questioning the true meaning of democracy and how it is taken advantage of for personal agendas.
While the rich mans sons conveniently go to Ivy League University
The unfair privilege and advantage given to those born into wealth and luxury.
You can't just stand by friend and do nothing cause
Stressing the importance of taking action and responsibility in the face of injustice and corruption.
Your chance to act has come, rise up and make the difference
Encouraging individuals to make a positive impact and effect change in their immediate surroundings and beyond.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind