The first band members were skinheads (although not white power skinheads). After a few years and lineup changes, the band and their style changed slightly. By 1996, Al Barr was the only remaining original member of The Bruisers. One notable release by the band was a 7" split with Barr's future band Dropkick Murphys in 1997. After 10 years, the band broke up in 1998. The Bruisers had a reunion concert on September 14, 2005 at The Roxy in Boston. The bill included local acts The Ducky Boys and Tommy & The Terrors, as well as The Casualties from New York City.[1] The Bruisers played a second reunion show on August 31, 2012 headlining the first night of the 2000 Tons of TNT Fest at the Webster Theater in Hartford, CT.
Forty Miles Of Bad Road
The Bruisers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I'm too tough to be around
Just walk right on by and don't look back
There's a lonely man with eyes of stone
He's seen more trouble than you'll ever know
A piece of him got left behind just walk on by
Cause it's 40 miles of bad road
It's 40 miles of bad road
And you ain't got the time so walk on by
When you catch me feeling low
Don't ask unless you wanna know
When you see it in my eyes just turn and go
Thinking bout driving through the desert tonight
Don't know if it'll help but it just might
I'm a million miles away just walk on by
Cause it's 40 miles of bad road
And I got troubles on my mind
It's 40 miles of bad road
And you ain't got the time so walk on by
Do you wanna take drive
Is that what it takes to make you feel alive
You got your own problems and brother I got mine
Cause we all know that's the way it goes
And we all know that it's a long bad road
And sometimes I think t hat's all we'll ever know
Cause it's 40 miles of bad road
And I got troubles on my mind
It's 40 miles of bad road
And you ain't got the time so walk on by
The lyrics to the song "Forty Miles of Bad Road" by The Bruisers speak of a man who is going through a tough time and is struggling to deal with his troubles. The first stanza talks about how the man doesn't want to bring anyone down with him and that they should just walk on by. He warns that he has seen more trouble than you'll ever know, and he is metaphorically referring to the road of life as forty miles of bad road.
The second stanza talks about how the man is feeling low, and he doesn't want anyone probing him into discussing his problems. He mentions driving through the desert, which could imply running away from his problems, but he's not quite sure if it would help. The third stanza clarifies that we all have our problems, and life is like a long road with many struggles. Therefore, the singer suggests that it's better to walk on by instead of indulging in each other's problems.
Interestingly, the song "Forty Miles of Bad Road" was originally an instrumental tune performed by Duane Eddy in 1959. However, The Bruisers covered it and wrote their lyrics, turning it into an entirely new song. Moreover, the title of the song "Forty Miles of Bad Road" is a euphemism for the difficulties and struggles that one experiences in life, and it suggests that things might get difficult or challenging on this path.
Furthermore, The Bruisers were a street punk band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Former members of the band were also involved in other punk bands like Gang Green, The Freeze, Lemonheads, and Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The band released numerous songs throughout the 90s and appeared on many punk-rock compilations.
Chords:
Unfortunately, the chords for this song could not be retrieved at the time of writing.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't let me bring you down
Please don't let my problems affect your mood as well.
When I'm too tough to be around
When I am being difficult, just avoid me.
Just walk right on by and don't look back
Don't feel like you have to engage with me, just continue on your way.
There's a lonely man with eyes of stone
I am feeling isolated and sad right now.
He's seen more trouble than you'll ever know
I have faced many difficulties and challenges in my life that you may not be able to understand.
A piece of him got left behind just walk on by
There are parts of myself that I am still trying to come to terms with, so it's better if you just keep going.
Cause it's 40 miles of bad road
My life has been difficult and tumultuous.
And I got troubles on my mind
I am currently dealing with a lot of stress and issues.
It's 40 miles of bad road
My troubles are not temporary, they are long-lasting and persistent.
And you ain't got the time so walk on by
I don't want to waste your time with my problems, so it's better if you just leave me be.
When you catch me feeling low
If you notice that I am sad or upset,
Don't ask unless you wanna know
please only inquire if you are genuinely interested in what's going on with me.
When you see it in my eyes just turn and go
If you can sense my sadness just leave me alone.
Thinking bout driving through the desert tonight
I am considering going for a drive to clear my head and get away from my problems.
Don't know if it'll help but it just might
I am not sure if driving will be beneficial, but it's worth a try.
I'm a million miles away just walk on by
Mentally, I am distracting myself from reality, so you should just leave me alone.
Do you wanna take drive
Would you like to come with me on my drive?
Is that what it takes to make you feel alive
Is going on an adventure what you need to feel better about yourself?
You got your own problems and brother I got mine
We both have our own issues that we need to deal with separately.
Cause we all know that's the way it goes
Life is full of challenges and difficulties, and we just have to find ways to deal with them.
And we all know that it's a long bad road
It's a fact of life that the path we follow can be hard and unforgiving.
And sometimes I think that's all we'll ever know
Sometimes it feels like life is nothing but hardship and struggle.
Contributed by Kennedy H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.