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)
Savin Hill
Street Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down the beach with a few beers
Didn't know what life had in for us
Starting out at St. Margaret's,
Up there on that lonely hill
I got my start in 1970
Moved on down to Motley school,
Down to St. Willie's from there
Sister Robad, Ms. Coughlin the teachers and their authority
I put my fist up to them at every turn
Savin Hill it was my start
Beginning of a lifetime
I still remember those days clearly
Cannot forget my roots,
Or when it really started
Savin Hill down by the beach
Grades one to eight were nuts,
Hijinx, pranks and stunts pulled out
Me and my cousin were the terrible two
Danny, Joey, Bobby, Saxon and Victoria,
Many a long necked bottle cracked down there
Savin Hill it was my start
From the courts back to the park
The weekend time seemed so damn free
If you had my back I took yours,
Our obligatory creed
Savin Hill down by the beach
Do you remember the tennis courts?
The bungalo, or harpo's bench?
Do you remember jumping that bridge?
The risks we took, and our chances?
GO!
The later years brought on alcohol nights,
Coupled with petty arguements and barroom fights
We never broke apart and we stood our ground,
If a cohort was lost he was found
If things got hot Dorchester stayed cool,
No other townies came towards us fools,
Savin Hill down by the beach, it's these memories I'll go preach
Savin Hill down by the beach, it's these memories I'll go preach
Savin Hill is where it all began
The lyrics of the song Savin Hill by the Street Dogs is an autobiographical account of lead singer Mike McColgan's life growing up in the Savin Hill neighborhood of Dorchester, a historic neighborhood in Boston. The song chronicles McColgan's experiences growing up in the neighborhood and attending St. Margaret's, Motley School, and St. Willie's Catholic School. The song also highlights the various landmarks of the neighborhood such as the beach, the tennis courts, and the various bars.
The lyrics also touch on the rebellious nature of McColgan and his friends as they "put fists up" to the authority of the Catholic school and engage in hijinks, pranks, and stunts in their youth. The lyrics suggest a sense of camaraderie and loyalty among the neighborhood inhabitants exemplified in the line "If you had my back I took yours, our obligatory creed." The latter part of the song reflects on the later years of drinking, arguments, barroom fights but emphasizes the sense of unity among the members of the neighborhood.
The song is a nostalgic reflection on the singer's youth and the neighborhood's people and places that shaped and influenced his life. The song highlights the importance of roots and where one comes from despite the challenges and obstacles that may arise.
Line by Line Meaning
Savin Hill my starting point,
Savin Hill was the origin of my journey, my genesis.
Down the beach with a few beers
I was drinking beer with my friends at the beach.
Didn't know what life had in for us
We were unaware of what lay ahead of us in life.
Starting out at St. Margaret's,
I began at St. Margaret's school.
Up there on that lonely hill
St. Margaret's was situated on a hill.
I got my start in 1970
My education began in 1970.
Moved on down to Motley school,
Later I studied at Motley school.
Down to St. Willie's from there
From there I went to St. Willie's school.
The catholic golden rule got hooks in me
I was influenced by the Catholic golden rule.
Sister Robad, Ms. Coughlin the teachers and their authority
The teachers, especially Sister Robad and Ms. Coughlin, were in positions of authority.
I put my fist up to them at every turn
I challenged their authority at every opportunity.
Savin Hill it was my start
Savin Hill was where I started my journey.
Beginning of a lifetime
It was the beginning of a lifetime of memories.
I still remember those days clearly
I still remember those days very vividly.
Cannot forget my roots,
I cannot forget where I came from.
Or when it really started
I remember exactly when it all began.
Grades one to eight were nuts,
Grades one to eight were a little crazy.
Hijinx, pranks and stunts pulled out
We often played practical jokes and did crazy things.
Me and my cousin were the terrible two
My cousin and I were well-known for getting into mischief.
Danny, Joey, Bobby, Saxon and Victoria,
These were some of my friends.
Many a long necked bottle cracked down there
We often drank beer together.
From the courts back to the park
We often played sports and hung out in the park.
The weekend time seemed so damn free
Weekends felt like they lasted forever.
If you had my back I took yours,
We were loyal to each other.
Our obligatory creed
Our motto was to look out for each other.
Do you remember the tennis courts?
Do you remember the tennis courts we used to play on?
The bungalo, or harpo's bench?
Do you remember the bungalow or Harpo's bench we used to sit on?
Do you remember jumping that bridge?
Do you remember when we jumped off that bridge together?
The risks we took, and our chances?
We took risks and were lucky to get away with it.
The later years brought on alcohol nights,
As we got older, we started drinking more.
Coupled with petty arguements and barroom fights
This often led to arguments and fights in bars.
We never broke apart and we stood our ground,
We always stuck together and were strong.
If a cohort was lost he was found
If someone was lost, we would help them find their way back.
If things got hot Dorchester stayed cool,
We remained calm in tough situations.
No other townies came towards us fools,
Outsiders knew not to mess with us.
Savin Hill down by the beach, it's these memories I'll go preach
I will always cherish the memories of Savin Hill by the beach.
Savin Hill is where it all began
Everything started at Savin Hill.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Mike McColgan, Robert Guidotti
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind