Formed in 1985, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones started playing in Boston clubs in the mid-1980s. After a brief period of inactivity due to the schooling commitments of its members, they reformed and released their album Devil's Night Out on Taang! Records. The Bosstones toured relentlessly throughout the 1990s, playing hundreds of shows a year, releasing albums and spinning off the popular rock radio hit "Someday I Suppose". They were eventually signed to Mercury Records. The band appeared in the movie Clueless. In 1997, the success of their single "The Impression That I Get" and its follow up, "The Rascal King" earned them mainstream recognition. In 2000 they put out their critically acclaimed disk Pay Attention. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones released their last album on Side One Dummy Records. They officially went on hiatus in 2003, citing too much time on the road and desire to branch out and do different things. In 2007, the Bosstones announced that they were reforming. They played their 10th Hometown Throwdown in Boston and released a new album, Medium Rare, which consists of rare B-sides, and 3 new songs, including the single, "Don't Worry Desmond Dekker".
The band announced their split in early 2022.
08. Numbered Days
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
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He'll beat someone down for fun
He's got an ax to grind
And he'll target anyone
Brass knuckled in his pocket
Steel-toed shoes
Live of the party
When you factor in booze
He'll target anyone
He's got a group of friends
And they're all like minded guys
The fun never ends
And he didn't live through it
He's got a group of friends
They'll target anyone
Violence, when will they learn?
Time's running out
And the tables will turn
The days have been numbered
And your number's coming up
Senseless, when will they learn?
Time's running out
And the tables will turn
The days have been numbered
And your number's coming up
The charge what? homicide?
Alone he took the fall
His friends all testified
They weren't there at all
He cried like a baby
When his sentence was passed
For himself and not the victim
But this victim was his last
Still familiar with his kind
Too many of them left behind
Up to all that he once was
No other reason, just because
Too many incidents
None are isolated
Each coincidence
Is closely related
Familiar with his kind
He'll target anyone
The lyrics to "Numbered Days" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones encapsulate the disturbing reality of senseless violence that persists in society. The song describes a violent individual who derived pleasure from inflicting pain on others. The individual is described as having an “ax to grind,” brass knuckles in his pocket, and steel-toed shoes. His violent tendencies are exacerbated by alcohol and he targets anyone, making him a grave threat to society. The song goes on to describe the individual as having a group of friends who similarly enjoy violence and inflict pain on others. The song questions the futility of violence and asserts that the perpetrators will be brought to justice as their days are numbered.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's use of language is powerful and poignant; the metaphorical "number" implies that those who engage in violence will ultimately suffer for their actions. The song heightens the sense of shrewdness by emphasizing how violence begets violence through shared tendencies and continued isolation from society. The lyrics capture the essence of the bleak reality of violence in society and the desperate need for change. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones brings to attention the pervasive nature of violence and the urgent need for society to confront its root causes.
Line by Line Meaning
Familiar with his kind
The singer is familiar with this type of violent person
He'll beat someone down for fun
Violence is enjoyable for this person
He's got an ax to grind
This person has a deep-rooted grievance or grudge against others
And he'll target anyone
This person is not selective in their targets for violence
Brass knuckled in his pocket
This person is armed with brass knuckles
Steel-toed shoes
This person is wearing steel-toed shoes, signifying their readiness for violence
Live of the party
This person is fun to be around in social situations
When you factor in booze
But alcohol exacerbates their propensity for violence
He's got a group of friends
This person has a like-minded group of friends who are also violent
And they're all like minded guys
These friends share the same violent tendencies
The fun never ends
For this group, violence is a never-ending source of entertainment
And he didn't live through it
This person does not care about the harm they cause to others
Violence, when will they learn?
The singer is questioning when these violent people will learn that their behavior is wrong
Time's running out
The time for these people to change is running out
And the tables will turn
Eventually, these violent people will face consequences for their actions
The days have been numbered
The time for these people to change has already been limited
And your number's coming up
These people will eventually face the consequences of their actions
The charge what? homicide?
This person has been charged with homicide, likely due to their violent tendencies
Alone he took the fall
This person alone faced the consequences for a violent act, despite their friends' involvement
His friends all testified
These friends lied to protect themselves and did not take responsibility for their involvement in the violence
They weren't there at all
These friends did not show up to support the person facing charges
He cried like a baby
This person showed no remorse for their violent actions and only cared about their own punishment
When his sentence was passed
This person was given a sentence for their violent act
For himself and not the victim
This person was only concerned with how the sentence would impact their own life, rather than the harm they caused to the victim
But this victim was his last
This person's violent actions resulted in the death of their victim
Still familiar with his kind
The singer is still familiar with this type of violent person, even after this specific incident
Too many of them left behind
There are still too many violent people in the world who engage in this behavior
Up to all that he once was
Despite the consequences, this person still has the potential to engage in violent behavior
No other reason, just because
There is no real reason for this person to engage in violence, other than a desire to do so
Too many incidents
There have been too many instances of violence like this
None are isolated
These instances of violence are not unique or isolated incidents
Each coincidence
These instances of violence are not coincidences, but rather a pattern of violent behavior
Is closely related
These instances of violence are all closely connected and part of the same pattern of behavior
He'll target anyone
This person is willing to engage in violence with anyone, at any time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DICKY BARRETT, NATE ALBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind