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)
You Alone
Street Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You take a life worth nothing and turn it around
You stand alone, yeah that's the deal
You have yourself to count on cause no one really cares
Another rainy New England night
At your wit's end with no hope in sight
You turn on Costello it's welcome to the working week
On your shoulders the hardship falls
Yet something inside you stirs and you begin to smile
Faced with few options you look to yourself
And begin to decide that
You alone must stand your ground
You take a life worth nothing and turn it around
You stand alone, yeah that's the deal
You have yourself to count on cause no one really cares
Now the other side of the coin now hits
Optimism runs partner with it
The pendulum swings into your favor now
Cash in pocket you earn your keep
With security you now sleep
Your mandate never quit sustaining you
Got more options hit your stride and continue the fight
You alone must stand your ground
You take a life worth nothing and turn it around
You stand alone, yeah that's the deal
You have yourself to count on cause no one really cares
You alone
You alone
I've seen many people get lost in the fight
You alone
Seen any others just get pushed right out of sight
You alone must stand your ground
You take a life worth nothing and turn it around
You stand alone, yeah that's the deal
You have yourself to count on cause no one really cares
The song "You Alone" by Street Dogs is about taking control of your life and standing strong in the face of adversity. The lyrics speak of being alone and facing hardship, but also of finding the strength within oneself to turn things around.
The opening line, "You alone must stand your ground," sets the tone for the entire song. The lyrics are a call to action, urging the listener to take control of their own life and not rely on anyone else to do it for them. The rest of the lyrics describe a person who is struggling, but who finds the motivation and determination to overcome their obstacles and make something of themselves.
The song also touches on themes of resilience and optimism. In the face of hardship, the singer of the song finds a reason to smile and continues to fight for their goals. Through hard work and determination, they are able to improve their situation and achieve success.
Overall, "You Alone" is a song about taking control of your life, persevering through difficult times, and standing strong in the face of adversity. It is a powerful and motivational anthem that resonates with anyone who has faced challenges and come out stronger on the other side.
Line by Line Meaning
You alone must stand your ground
It's up to you to be strong and not give up.
You take a life worth nothing and turn it around
You take a negative situation and make it positive.
You stand alone, yeah that's the deal
You have to rely on yourself, because others won't always be there.
You have yourself to count on cause no one really cares
You can only rely on yourself because others may not be there for you.
Another rainy New England night
It's a dark and gloomy night, setting the tone for the struggles to come.
At your wit's end with no hope in sight
You're feeling hopeless and at your lowest point.
You turn on Costello it's welcome to the working week
Listening to music helps you connect and find inspiration.
You're broke and cornered no one to call
You're financially and emotionally struggling with nowhere to go for help.
On your shoulders the hardship falls
You're carrying all the burden and difficulty in your life.
Yet something inside you stirs and you begin to smile
You start to feel a sense of hope and positivity.
Faced with few options you look to yourself
With limited choices, you have to rely on your own abilities and resources.
Now the other side of the coin now hits
Things start to look up and the situation improves.
Optimism runs partner with it
You feel hopeful and positive.
The pendulum swings into your favor now
Things start to go your way.
Cash in pocket you earn your keep
You start to earn money and sustain yourself.
With security you now sleep
You can finally rest easy and feel safe and secure.
Your mandate never quit sustaining you
Your motivation to never give up keeps you going.
Got more options hit your stride and continue the fight
With more opportunities, keep going and never give up.
I've seen many people get lost in the fight
Others have struggled and lost their way in life.
Seen any others just get pushed right out of sight
Some people have disappeared and lost opportunities in life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDE RAND, BUCK RAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@punkindrublic1635
You alone must stand your ground
You take a life worth nothing and turn it around
You stand alone, yeah that's the deal
You have yourself to count on cause no one really cares
Another rainy New England night
At your wit's end with no hope in sight
You turn on Costello it's welcome to the working week
You're broke and cornered no one to call
On your shoulders the hardship falls
Yet something inside you stirs and you begin to smile
Faced with few options you look to yourself
And begin to decide that
[Chorus]
Now the other side of the coin now hits
Optimism runs partner with it
The pendulum swings into your favor now
Cash in pocket you earn your keep
With security you now sleep
Your mandate never quit sustaining you
Got more options hit your stride and continue the fight
[Chorus]
You alone...
You alone...
I've seen many people get lost in the fight
You alone...
Seen any others just get pushed right out of sight
[Chorus]
There were others who were not as fortunate as us
Taken without warning all over from life to dust
Hey Greg Riley
This song is yours
Never forget you...
@statickevin
this was my comeback song that helped me keep my motivation getting out of depression and drug addiction. still makes me teary-eyed. thanks, guys.
@SantaMonicaCAFE
AnarKevin I've got those songs too. Good job pulling yourself from the rabbit hole. It's very hard to change and leave that lifestyle completely
@masonomasono
Kenton Collins another brother in arms here. I made it out of that shit stained hole, still washing myself off but I will make it with music and the brothers I meet from around the world traveling in the same boat.
@shaneippolito
Feel you.. Need to work thru shit now use wasted years by maden..
@daniegrl72
THESE GUYS ARE JUST PHENOMENAL & ABSOLUTE GENTLEMEN..HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO SEE THEM MANY TIMES & HOPE TO MANY MANY MORE!
@thorsteneisenacker2626
The very best moments of my life are related to the Street Dogs!
@bryantrudy568
RIP boys!
It was a fun run.
@thorsteneisenacker2626
They have been part of the best time in my life!
@billobrien2599
Saw them in Rochester, NY in 2011. After the show, Mike was at the door shaking hands and thanking people for coming out. How many bands would do that?
@kristinludlowUX
Doesn't get any better than Mike McColgan. Proud to be from Boston.