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)
Up The Union
Street Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A movement of people that want to defend
Human rights, a fair wage
A quick return to decent days
Equality is in play
Workers should organize without haste
Have the vote in your workplace
Lookout, it's starting again
The change, a new labor age
Support the E-F-C-A
Let's go and start it again
Here is a shot at the Walmart
Pay your workers or have you forgot?
Fair treatment, decency
Or your dedication to corporate greed?
All your gains, low, low price
At the expense of human rights
Still knocking your door with labor might
Picket at every Walmart site
Lookout, it's starting again
The change, a new labor age
Support the E-F-C-A
Let's go and start it again
Up the union, up the union, up the union
Sing with the band
E-F-C-A, Employee Free Choice Act
Up the union
Lookout, it's starting again
The change, a new labor age
Support the E-F-C-A
Let's go and start it again
CEO's get their perks
With legal protection they go to work
What about the workers and their hard work
Who stands up for their net worth
The pay up top is way too high
While those in the middle barely get by
E-F-C-A is higher pay, vote for it today
Street Dogs's song Up The Union is a powerful call to action, encouraging people to stand up for their rights in the workplace and calling attention to the importance of unions. The song begins by acknowledging that a movement is growing, made up of people who want to "defend human rights" and bring about a "quick return to decent days." The lyrics emphasize the need for workers to organize and to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives. They specifically call for the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would make it easier for employees to form and join unions.
The song also takes aim at corporations like Walmart, questioning their commitment to fairness and decency. The lyrics suggest that these companies put profits above the well-being of their workers, and they call on people to speak out and demand better treatment. This message is particularly relevant in today's world, where labor rights are under attack and income inequality is growing.
Overall, Up The Union is a rousing anthem that encourages people to stand up for their rights and demand justice in the workplace. It reminds us that we are all stronger together and that, when we fight together, we can achieve real change.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it's starting again, a turnaround friend
It's a new movement beginning, my friend
A movement of people that want to defend
A group of people who want to stand up for workers' rights
Human rights, a fair wage
Everyone deserves basic human rights and decent pay
A quick return to decent days
We want to bring back the good old days when workers were treated fairly
Equality is in play
We want equality for all workers
Workers should organize without haste
Workers should come together and form a union as soon as possible
Have the vote in your workplace
Vote on union formation at your workplace
Work with your manager face to face
Engage in productive conversations with your manager
Lookout, it's starting again
Be aware, a new labor movement is underway
The change, a new labor age
We need to bring about a new era of fair labor practices
Support the E-F-C-A
Support the Employee Free Choice Act
Let's go and start it again
Let's start the labor movement once more
Here is a shot at the Walmart
Let's focus on Walmart for a moment
Pay your workers or have you forgot?
Don't forget to pay your workers fairly, Walmart
Fair treatment, decency
Workers deserve to be treated with respect and decency
Or your dedication to corporate greed?
Do you care more about making money than treating your workers right, Walmart?
All your gains, low, low price
All your low prices come at the expense of workers' rights
At the expense of human rights
Human rights should not be sacrificed for corporate profits
Still knocking your door with labor might
We will continue to fight for workers' rights
Picket at every Walmart site
We will protest at every Walmart location
CEO's get their perks
CEOs enjoy numerous benefits
With legal protection they go to work
CEOs have legal protection while they work
What about the workers and their hard work
What about the workers who work hard every day?
Who stands up for their net worth
Who will protect workers' financial worth?
The pay up top is way too high
CEOs are paid excessively high salaries
While those in the middle barely get by
Meanwhile, workers in the middle barely make enough to get by
E-F-C-A is higher pay, vote for it today
The Employee Free Choice Act will lead to higher pay, so support it now
Up the union, up the union, up the union
Support the labor movement
Sing with the band
Sing along with the song
E-F-C-A, Employee Free Choice Act
Support the Employee Free Choice Act
Let's go and start it again
Let's start the labor movement once more
Contributed by Mila O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.