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.
7 Ways to Sunday
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
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Seven separate ways to Sunday
But he did not know which one would save him
So he had to try every code and combination
On the road to his salvation
There were no two ways about it
He had seven ways to try
With seven ways to test
And there was nothing up above
So he put everything aside
He had so much invested
He probably should have rested
Seven ways he swore that every last one would be tried
What he was looking for is not much more
Than what we all are looking for
But nowadays it seems like there is precious little of
He looked high and he looked low
And there was nothing up above
He had to try all seven
So he tried them to high-heaven
From one end to the other
And then he turned around
He was thoroughly exhausted
And his faith had been accosted
He tried seven ways and wondered
Why it was he hadn't found
What he was looking for is not much more
Then what we all are looking for
But nowadays it seems like there is precious little of
Desperate and alone
He turned over every stone
He tried seven ways to Sunday
He was looking for love
He looked high and he looked low
And there was nothing up above
He'd been told where he could go
What he was looking for was love
He looked high and he looked low
And there was nothing up above
He looked high and he looked low
And there was nothing up above
He was told where he could go
What he was looking for is not much more
Then what we all are looking for
And nowadays it seems like there is precious little of
Desperate and alone he turned over every stone
He tried seven ways to Sunday he was looking for love
He looked high and he looked low
And there was nothing up above
And he'd been told where he could go
What he was looking for was love
The lyrics to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's "7 Ways to Sunday" describe the singer's desperate search for love and salvation through seven different means or methods, each of which he exhaustively tries to no avail. The chorus repeats the idea that what he is searching for is not much different from what we all seek, but nowadays it seems harder to find. The line "there was nothing up above" could refer to a lack of divine or spiritual guidance in his search, or simply to a feeling of emptiness and loneliness.
The themes of the song are universal and relatable - the search for love and meaning, the sense of desperation and exhaustion in the face of unyielding obstacles, and the idea that sometimes we have to try every option available to us in order to find what we are looking for. The use of the phrase "seven ways to Sunday" is a colloquialism that reinforces the idea of trying every possible option.
Line by Line Meaning
Seven ways to Sunday
There are seven different ways to achieve something, and all of them will be exhausted.
Seven separate ways to Sunday
Despite there being several ways to achieve something, they are all different and independent from one another.
But he did not know which one would save him
Without prior knowledge or experience, he was unsure which method would yield the desired result.
So he had to try every code and combination
To find the best way, he attempted each possible option and combination available.
On the road to his salvation
This process was crucial to reaching his objective.
There were no two ways about it
The task at hand was straightforward and required significant effort.
He had seven ways to try
He had a finite number of options to choose from.
With seven ways to test
Each method would be evaluated and compared with others.
He vowed that he would not rest
He was dedicated to finding the solution, and would not stop until he did.
And there was nothing up above
There was no divine intervention that could assist him.
So he put everything aside
He disregarded all other aspects of his life in pursuit of this goal.
He had so much invested
He had already dedicated significant time and energy into this task.
He probably should have rested
In retrospect, it might have been prudent to take a break and reassess his options.
Seven ways he swore that every last one would be tried
He promised to give each option his all.
What he was looking for is not much more
Than what we all are looking for
But nowadays it seems like there is precious little of
He was searching for something that we all desire, but it's becoming increasingly rare to find.
He looked high and he looked low
He searched everywhere, exhaustively.
He had to try all seven
So he tried them to high-heaven
He couldn't leave any stone unturned and meticulously attempted every possible option.
From one end to the other
And then he turned around
He searched from top to bottom, and then began the process again.
He was thoroughly exhausted
The search had taken its toll and left him emotionally and physically drained.
And his faith had been accosted
He had lost some of his previous faith and optimism regarding the outcome of his search.
Why it was he hadn't found
He was left questioning why the solution had eluded him.
Desperate and alone
He was left with nothing else to try and no one else to turn to.
He turned over every stone
He rigorously searched every possible option and avenue.
And he'd been told where he could go
He had received a suggestion on where to find the solution.
What he was looking for was love
Ultimately, he was seeking emotional fulfillment and companionship.
Contributed by Ava D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.