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)
Patrick
Street Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You loomed larger than most
Owned scholastic and academic achievements
All which you did boast
The world was in the palm of your hand
When you went backdoor on school and friends
Drink, drugs, fighting fast lane life
Grew big chips on those imposing shoulders
[Chorus]
Take it back Patrick
Where is the kid that I once knew
Such a young sick kid
Where is this lifestyle taking you
Look at what booze did
The insanity breaking you
Take it back Patrick
Put in choice dry out spots
But you always broke out
Claimed they didn't know your reality
Loaded with self doubt
Jump back on the pain train
The ride will be different this time
Denial express closes to a stop
Your death, the end of the ride
[Chorus]
You can claim ignorance
Once the reaper comes
Because you got told about the cure by your drink doctor
Go back on the bright, straighten up your life
To you we do implore a second shot at this tonight
Saw you lying there, beaten at town field
With an unshakeable angry frown and requisite bottle
That won't happen to you, you were once the ace
A field's corner kid that the booze just knocked right out of place
Take it back Patrick
Lazarus runs out of time
Such a young sick kid
Without reason or a rhyme
Look at what booze did
A family left beyond the wake
Take it back Patrick
The song "Patrick" by Street Dogs expresses the story of a person named Patrick, who once had a promising future, but his life spiraled out of control due to his addiction to drugs and alcohol. The lyrics describe Patrick's downfall, including how he left school and his friends, and got involved in a fast-paced and dangerous lifestyle, leaving him with a heavy burden on his shoulders. The song's narrator reminisces about the Patrick he once knew and encourages him to take a step back and recover the younger version of himself.
The chorus urges Patrick to take back his life from the grips of addiction and remember the young, hopeful boy he once was. Street Dogs ask Patrick to reflect on where his lifestyle has taken him and to understand that his addiction is breaking him. They implore him to return to "dry-out spots" and resist the "pain train," knowing that this time, the ride will be different. The song ultimately reveals a heartbreaking reality of the effects of addiction and how it can take even the most promising of lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Neponset neighborhood landscape
The setting of the song is in the Neponset neighborhood and it sets the stage for the story about to be told.
You loomed larger than most
The singer of the song was someone who stood out and was noticeable in the community.
Owned scholastic and academic achievements
The singer was intelligent and had accomplishments in school.
All which you did boast
The artist was proud of their academic successes and did not hesitate to talk about them.
The world was in the palm of your hand
The artist had a bright future ahead of them and had many opportunities available to them.
When you went backdoor on school and friends
The singer began to engage in negative behavior such as skipping school and distancing themselves from their friends.
Drink, drugs, fighting fast lane life
The singer began to live a reckless life, engaging in heavy drinking, drug use, and getting into fights.
Grew big chips on those imposing shoulders
The artist became arrogant and developed a sense of superiority due to their past successes and their current lifestyle.
[Chorus]
Take it back Patrick
Where is the kid that I once knew
Such a young sick kid
Where is this lifestyle taking you
Look at what booze did
The insanity breaking you
Take it back Patrick
The chorus serves as a plea for the artist to take control of their life and return to the person they used to be. It highlights the negative consequences of their current lifestyle.
Put in choice dry out spots
But you always broke out
The artist had been through rehabilitation programs to help them stop their negative behavior, but they were not successful and continued to relapse.
Claimed they didn't know your reality
Loaded with self doubt
The singer believed that the people who tried to help them did not understand them, which contributed to their lack of success in stopping their negative behavior. They also had low self-confidence.
Jump back on the pain train
The ride will be different this time
The artist decides to try to get their life back on track again, but acknowledges that it will not be easy. They hope that things will be different this time around.
Denial express closes to a stop
Your death, the end of the ride
The singer's denial about the severity of their problems is coming to an end. If they do not change their lifestyle, it will lead to their death.
[Chorus]
You can claim ignorance
Once the reaper comes
Because you got told about the cure by your drink doctor
Go back on the bright, straighten up your life
To you we do implore a second shot at this tonight
The chorus repeats, emphasizing that the singer can no longer deny the consequences of their actions. The song also offers them an opportunity to make things right and warns them that they cannot claim ignorance if they continue to engage in their negative behavior.
Saw you lying there, beaten at town field
With an unshakeable angry frown and requisite bottle
The singer has been beaten up due to their negative lifestyle and is still refusing to admit that they have a problem. They are angry and still drinking alcohol.
That won't happen to you, you were once the ace
A field's corner kid that the booze just knocked right out of place
The song offers a message of hope and encouragement to the artist, reminding them that they were once a successful and accomplished individual. Their negative behavior has caused them to lose their way, but they can still turn things around.
[Chorus]
Take it back Patrick
Lazarus runs out of time
Such a young sick kid
Without reason or a rhyme
Look at what booze did
A family left beyond the wake
Take it back Patrick
The chorus is repeated again, emphasizing that the artist must take control of their life before it is too late. Their negative behavior has affected not only themselves but also their family. The song ends with a final plea for the artist to take responsibility for their actions and turn their life around.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind