The Kickovers were a pop punk band formed by Nate Albert, former guitarist … Read Full Bio ↴The Kickovers were a pop punk band formed by Nate Albert, former guitarist of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

After Nate left the Bosstones to go to Brown University, he started writing songs, which were not like his previous band. In 2001, he got a band together with Bosstones drummer Joe Sirois, short time Weezer bass player Mikey Welsh and another Boston, MA musician Johnny Rioux. They initially joined under the name The Brakes which they had to change because of a New Jersey band called The Break. That's when they took on the moniker The Kickovers.

They releasd their only album, Osaka, on April 23, 2002 on Fenway Recordings. Around the release of the album, Joe Sirois left because of the Bosstones schedule and new drummer Jamie Vavra took his place. They toured in support of their album opening for Local H.

They released a couple 7" vinyl singles through Fenway, Fake in Love and a split with The Damn Personals, whom the band toured with.

The Kickovers played their last show on April 14, 2003 in Cambridge, MA with Nerf Herder. The Kickovers members started working with Mike McColgan on his new band, the Street Dogs. Nate produced their album while Johnny played bass on it and original Kickovers drummer Joe played drums. Nate made a couple posts on the internet about the Kickovers recording a new EP, but that was never released and the band wasn't heard from again.

Black and Blue
The Kickovers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue
But what the fuck am I supposed to do?
I don't want to go home alone
To an empty house that ain't a home (Alright)

I'm buried alive in this 52nd Street
Broken down dive
And I sit and I drink in overdrive

It's one hundred degrees but I'm cold inside

Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue
But what the fuck am I supposed to do?
I don't want to go home alone
To an empty house that ain't a home

I'm buried alive in this 52nd Street
Broken down dive
And I steal and I come alive
It's one hundred degrees but I run and hide

Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue
But what the fuck am I supposed to do?
I don't want to go home alone
To an empty house that ain't a home

And there you are for me tonight
And now I've lost my will to fight
The feeling is coming over
It ties me up, it pulls me under
It rolls my head into a thunder
It's stops me from stopping
Or even from wondering why

Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue
But what the fuck am I supposed to do?
I don't want to go home alone
I don't want to go home alone
I don't want to go home alone

Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue
Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue
Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue
Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue

Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue
Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song Black & Blue by The Kickovers explore the singer’s predicament in a toxic relationship. The chorus ‘Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue, but what the fuck am I supposed to do?’ expresses the singer’s resignation to the abuse they face in the relationship, as they feel helpless to stop it. They acknowledge that though their partner constantly leaves them battered and bruised, they cannot imagine going home alone to an empty house that is not really a home. The verse ‘I'm buried alive in this 52nd Street, Broken down dive/ And I sit and I drink in overdrive, It's one hundred degrees but I'm cold inside’ reveals the singer’s state of mind as they drown their sorrows in alcohol to numb the pain of their situation. Though they appear to be physically present in a bar on 52nd Street, they feel suffocated and trapped, consumed by the emotional turmoil of their relationship.

In the bridge, however, the singer seems to find solace in the presence of their partner, despite the pain they inflict. They describe the intense rush of emotions that they feel when together, despite the potential for harm. The lines ‘The feeling is coming over, It ties me up, it pulls me under, It rolls my head into a thunder, It's stops me from stopping, Or even from wondering why’ reveal how the singer feels overwhelmed by the intensity of their relationship, unable to resist or understand the attraction to their abusive partner.

Overall, the song Black & Blue explores the complexity of abusive relationships and the difficulty that individuals face in leaving them. It highlights the emotions that accompany such dynamics and the sense of being trapped in the cycle of abuse.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue
I am aware that you hurt me both physically and emotionally.

But what the fuck am I supposed to do?
I am feeling helpless and unsure of how to handle the situation.

I don't want to go home alone
I am afraid of being alone with my thoughts and feelings.

To an empty house that ain't a home
I am feeling isolated and disconnected from my own living space.

I'm buried alive in this 52nd Street
I feel trapped and confined in my current surroundings.

Broken down dive
My environment is run-down and depressing.

And I sit and I drink in overdrive
I use alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with my pain and sadness.

It's one hundred degrees but I'm cold inside
I feel emotionally numb despite the intense heat around me.

And I steal and I come alive
I feel alive when I engage in reckless or illegal behavior.

It rolls my head into a thunder
My thoughts and emotions become overwhelming and chaotic.

It stops me from stopping
I am unable to break the cycle of self-destructive behavior.

Or even from wondering why
I don't even know why I continue to suffer through this relationship.

And there you are for me tonight
You are once again offering yourself as my only option for comfort.

And now I've lost my will to fight
I am too tired and defeated to resist your advances.

The feeling is coming over
I am overwhelmed with emotions and physical sensations.

It ties me up, it pulls me under
I am trapped and suffocated by my feelings for you.

It rolls my head into a thunder
My thoughts and emotions become overwhelming and chaotic.

It's stops me from stopping
I am unable to break the cycle of self-destructive behavior.

Or even from wondering why
I don't even know why I continue to suffer through this relationship.

I don't want to go home alone
I am afraid of being alone with my thoughts and feelings.

Yeah, I know you leave me black and blue
I am aware that you hurt me both physically and emotionally.

Lyrics © DistroKid, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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