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)
Fatty
Street Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They torture and this shit's unkind
Everyone pointed and laughed
Growing up this kid in school was everybody's hatred tool
His suicidal thoughts would always pass
There's just one thing I want to know
When you have nowhere to go
Through thick and thin you made it through
While no one even cared for you
How many times did you want to die?
A new school was your second chance
But when she ripped your underpants
Your parents wonder why you're so withdrawn
They terrorized your neighborhood
You did everything you could
Still you got beat up on your front lawn
There's just one thing I want to know
When you have nowhere to go
How many times did you stand and cry?
Through thick and thin you made it through
While no one even cared for you
How many times did you want to die?
Do you remember back in high school
That kid we all picked on?
No one backed him, ever liked him
He carries that with him today
There's just one thing I want to know
When you have nowhere to go
How many times did you stand and cry?
Through thick and thin you made it through
While no one even cared for you
How many times did you want to die?
Tell me how many times did you want to die?
How many times did you stand and cry?
The Street Dogs's song Fatty tells the story of a child who is bullied in school and the lifelong impact it has on him. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the singer's painful experiences, from being constantly ridiculed and laughed at to experiencing physical violence. The song explores the deep psychological wounds that result from the constant mistreatment and abuse, causing shame and anger to fester inside the singer.
The song also delves into the idea of perseverance and survival, despite facing severe adversity. Despite the bullying and the desire to end his life, the character manages to make it through thick and thin. However, the haunting question remains: how many times did he want to die? It's a reminder of the lasting effects of bullying and how the damage can never be fully undone.
Overall, the song Fatty is a powerful commentary on the devastating effects of bullying on children and how it can leave scars that last a lifetime. It is a call to action for society to be more mindful of how we treat one another and to create a more compassionate and inclusive world.
Line by Line Meaning
Shame and anger in his mind
This kid constantly battled with the negative feelings within him.
They torture and this shit's unkind
The torment and abuse he faced were inhumane and cruel.
Everyone pointed and laughed
The bullying he faced wasn't just physical, but also verbal.
Growing up this kid in school was everybody's hatred tool
He was the target of everyone's hate and anger and was often used as a tool for their amusement.
His suicidal thoughts would always pass
Although he contemplated suicide frequently, he never went through with it.
There's just one thing I want to know
The singer wants to understand the extent of his suffering.
When you have nowhere to go
In situations where he had no escape.
Through thick and thin you made it through
Despite the hardships he faced, he still managed to pull through and overcome them.
While no one even cared for you
Throughout his struggles, he felt abandoned by those around him.
A new school was your second chance
He hoped that changing schools would bring about a new start for him.
But when she ripped your underpants
Even after moving to a new school, he continued to face bullying and humiliation.
Your parents wonder why you're so withdrawn
His parents couldn't understand why he was so distant and quiet.
They terrorized your neighborhood
Not only did he face abuse in school, but also in his own community.
You did everything you could
Despite his best efforts, he couldn't escape the bullying and abuse.
Still you got beat up on your front lawn
He became a victim of physical assault even in his own home.
Do you remember back in high school
The artist reflects on the past and wonders if others recall a similar situation.
That kid we all picked on?
Referring to the kid who was bullied, the artist acknowledges their mistake in picking on him.
No one backed him, ever liked him
The kid was alone and unsupported, which only intensified his suffering.
He carries that with him today
The impact of the bullying stayed with him long after he left high school.
Tell me how many times did you want to die?
The artist once again seeks to understand the extent of the kid's suffering, in terms of his suicidal thoughts.
How many times did you stand and cry?
The artist is curious about just how much the kid went through and the frequency of his emotional breakdowns.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
evan boss McElwee
Shame and anger in his mind
They torture and this shit's unkind
Everyone pointed and laughed
Growing up this kid in school was everybody's hatred tool
His suicidal thoughts would always pass
There's just one thing I want to know
When you had nowhere to go
How many times did you stand and cry?
Through thick and thin you made it through
While no one even cared for you
How many times did you want to die?
A new school was your second chance
A wedgie rips your underpants
Your parents wonder why you're so withdrawn
They terrorized your neighborhood
You did everything you could
Still you got beat up on your front lawn
There's just one thing I want to know
When you had nowhere to go
How many times did you stand and cry?
Through thick and thin you made it through
While no one even cared for you
How many times did you want to die?
Do you remember back in high school
That kid we all picked on?
No one backed him, ever liked him
He carries that with him today
There's just one thing I want to know
When you had nowhere to go
How many times did you stand and cry?
Through thick and thin you made it through
While no one even cared for you
How many times did you want to die?
Tell me how many times did you want to die?
How many times did you stand and cry?
CosmicDestroyer99
Reminds me of high school I wasn't fat but a punk and dealt with the same shit..Great song
mightykale
The first time I heard the song on the album, to my surprise, I was singing along with this song. Somewhere, I knew I heard it before. A look through some old music and realized that I heard this when Mung played it at the 2nd annual Hometown Throw Down in MA. Man, that took me back a few years
Regional Faction
Sweet track! Love this damn song..!
Jeremiah Lozada
Finally this great song is up on youtube, thanks
Chris B
why is this album not on itunes?
Summer LaVey
fucking love this song man
RAVEN Moon Tarot
I was a skinny bitch but I stood up for anyone being bullied, I had my Share real young, till I stood the fuck up! I love street dogs, dropkick is great, but better with mike.. my opinion"
Praise Omnissiah
Great song, really :) The lyrics are a bit over the top maybe, but I still like it a lot.
RAVEN Moon Tarot
No because honestly alot of kids went through this
Memetic Engineering
This song is not called Fatty, it's called The Ballad Of Fatty Arbuckle. Saw Mung do this live in 1991 and have loved it ever since.