Street Dogs were an American punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, for… Read Full Bio ↴Street Dogs were an American punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 2002 by former Dropkick Murphys singer Mike McColgan. The band disbanded in early 2020 after 17 years together.

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)

Moder Day Labor Anthem
Street Dogs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some people will go for years, without ever finding their place
Not us we are the lucky ones, for we know who we truly are
Not privy to abstract thinking, reality's a trusted friend
Not giving in to idealism, we'll stay real 'til the end

PUNCH THE CLOCK!

I don't ascribe to things, being tougher these days than the days before

People have been getting by for years, on mental toughness and the grit

Hey we're just workers, confident and realistic, we know where we stand
Hey we're just workers, not going crazy over events or current trends
Staying focussed on our duties, and good times 'til the end

Don't have any axes to grind, or agendas to seek
Accepted our place in life, got comfort in being meek
Don't have any axes to grind, any words to search
A total comfort in where and who we are since our birth

Today's organized worker is an endangered species.
For corporate terrorism is cloaked in the guise of fiscal downsizing
Amidst a company recording huge profits. For today's worker, fair
And humane treatment with adequate wages are now just old
Memories, nailed into an outdated history book. Which doesn't help
The current masses of mistreated workers, who are unable to
Organize because of fear of reprisals, from profit hungry greedsters
Ala Gordy Gecko. How do these CEO thugs and mobsters in good
Conscience export American jobs day after day?
How much is enough?
Or to these robber barons is there such a thing or a concept of enough?
How many cars do you need?
How many boats?
How many houses?
How many financed mistresses?
How do you look in the mirror?
How can you sleep at night?

Well just remember this, all that you self-righteously stand for...
WE WILL FIGHT!

Overall Meaning

The song "Modern Day Labor Anthem" by Street Dogs is about the working class and the struggles they face in modern times. The song starts off by talking about how some people struggle to find their place in the world, but the working class knows who they are and are confident in their reality. They are not idealistic and will remain true to themselves until the end. The phrase "PUNCH THE CLOCK!" reflects their attitude towards work, showing that they take their jobs seriously but also understand the need for work-life balance.

The lyrics also touch on the idea that things are not necessarily tougher these days, but people have always had to rely on mental toughness and grit to get by. The working class is realistic and confident in their abilities, not getting caught up in the chaos of current trends or events. They focus on their duties and good times until the end.

The song then takes a darker turn, acknowledging that the organized worker is an endangered species. Corporate downsizing is disguised as fiscal responsibility, and workers are treated unfairly with inadequate wages. The workers' fear of reprisals from greedy employers stops them from organizing, leaving them mistreated and without a voice. The song ends with a call to action, stating that the working class will fight back against the injustices they face.

Line by Line Meaning

Some people will go for years, without ever finding their place
There are individuals who cannot find their purpose even after several years

Not us we are the lucky ones, for we know who we truly are
We are fortunate to understand our real identity

Not privy to abstract thinking, reality's a trusted friend
We do not indulge in ambiguous thoughts and confide in practicality

Not giving in to idealism, we'll stay real 'til the end
We do not subscribe to idealism and stay true to ourselves until the end

PUNCH THE CLOCK!
An exclamation to encourage getting back to work

I don't ascribe to things, being tougher these days than the days before
I do not agree that things are more difficult now than in the past

People have been getting by for years, on mental toughness and the grit
Individuals have historically survived by having mental and physical resilience

Hey we're just workers, confident and realistic, we know where we stand
We are employees who are positive and pragmatic and understand our position

Hey we're just workers, not going crazy over events or current trends
We do not get overly excited or disturbed by recent incidents or trends

Staying focussed on our duties, and good times 'til the end
We concentrate on our responsibilities and enjoy life as it is

Don't have any axes to grind, or agendas to seek
We do not have any hidden motives or intentional plans

Accepted our place in life, got comfort in being meek
We are at ease with our modest lifestyle

Don't have any axes to grind, any words to search
We do not have ulterior motives or intentions to discover

A total comfort in where and who we are since our birth
We are entirely content with who and where we are from the time we were born

Today's organized worker is an endangered species.
Present-day coordinated workers are at risk of vanishing

For corporate terrorism is cloaked in the guise of fiscal downsizing
Companies use financial constraints as an excuse to instill fear and bring harm to the employees

Amidst a company recording huge profits. For today's worker, fair
Despite large profits made by the corporation, modern workers are not given fair

And humane treatment with adequate wages are now just old
Human treatment and appropriate payment are now age-old

Memories, nailed into an outdated history book. Which doesn't help
The remembrance of fair treatment in the past is now useless and irrelevant

The current masses of mistreated workers, who are unable to
The current workforce is mistreated by the companies and unable to

Organize because of fear of reprisals, from profit-hungry greedsters
Employees cannot unite due to concern about retaliation from profit-oriented individuals

Ala Gordy Gecko. How do these CEO thugs and mobsters in good
Similar to the character, Gordon Gekko, how do these malicious CEOs and criminals

Conscience export American jobs day after day?
Be untroubled by their conscience while taking American jobs to other countries regularly?

How much is enough?
How much wealth is sufficient?

Or to these robber barons is there such a thing or a concept of enough?
To these greedy businesspeople, is the notion of enough financially inexistent?

How many cars do you need?
How many automobiles does one require?

How many boats?
How many boats does one need?

How many houses?
How many homes does one require?

How many financed mistresses?
Does one demand an excessive number of sources of extramarital relationships?

How do you look in the mirror?
How do you feel looking at your own reflection?

How can you sleep at night?
How is it possible to have a peaceful night's sleep?

Well just remember this, all that you self-righteously stand for...
Remember, everything you ostentatiously believe in...

WE WILL FIGHT!
We will resist!

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS