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.
A Dollar And A Dream
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
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Safe in my pocket, I'll try to hold fast
Hey! it might be my last
I know what I've got, folded safe in its spot
I earned a dollar, it's not here to share
I've got a dollar and that's all I've got
A million more is just a single grain
A small amount might make the difference these days
A dollar and a dream is all I can raise
I had a dream, I had all the answers
To all the questions, I've ever been asked
And in my dream, I had all the answers
To all the questions, I've ever asked myself
Man what a dream, it sure felt great
Took to the streets, 'cause I couldn't wait
To freely give wisdom and share what I knew
I had a dream and that's all I had
A million here, lay down in pain every night
A million there, to stay alive must fight
I'm sure my numbers underestimate
A dollar and a dream, I swear it's not too late
I had a dollar, I wanted to save
Keep in my pocket, I held fast
A dollar bill, that I would take to my grave
Deep in my pocket like it was my last
Look for the dollar, now it's not there
Even the pants are a different pair
I earned the dollar, I had to share
I had a dollar and that's all I had
A million more, is just a star in the sky
Tip of the iceberg, but we've all got to try
Our works cut out, and there's work to be done
A dollar and a dream, is step number, step number one
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ “A Dollar And A Dream” is a song that reflects on the value of a dollar and what it means to different people. The song begins with the lines, “I’ve got a dollar, that I want to save / Safe in my pocket, I’ll try to hold fast / Hey! it might be my last”. The singer emphasizes the importance of holding onto one’s resources tightly, as it may be all they have. The next line, “I know what I’ve got, folded safe in its spot”, supports the idea of the singer holding onto something valuable, possibly as a form of instinctual self-preservation.
The song, however, shifts from emphasizing the importance of holding onto one’s resources towards the value of having a dream. The singer throws in a line about “A million here, lay down in pain every night / A million there, to stay alive must fight” which serves as a reminder that there are people who are struggling to get by with very little. In this context, the dream is not just a wishful thought, but an attainable goal, as emphasized by the song’s chorus: “A small amount might make the difference these days / A dollar and a dream is all I can raise / I had a dream, I had all the answers / To all the questions, I’ve ever been asked”.
The song's message seems to be one of perseverance in the face of hardship. The singer encourages listeners to hold on to their dreams and persevere, even if it feels like they don’t have much to go on. The line “A dollar and a dream, I swear it’s not too late” serves as a call to action, reminding us that small beginnings can lead to big things. Ultimately, the song suggests that holding tight to what we have while keeping our dreams in sight is the key to success.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a dollar, that I want to save
I have a dollar which I want to keep safe for the future.
Safe in my pocket, I'll try to hold fast
I plan to keep the dollar in my pocket and not spend it.
Hey! it might be my last
This dollar might be the only one I have left.
I know what I've got, folded safe in its spot
I am aware of the value of the dollar and I have kept it safe.
I earned a dollar, it's not here to share
This dollar was earned by me and I don't want to give it away to anyone else.
I've got a dollar and that's all I've got
I only have this one dollar and nothing else.
A million more is just a single grain
A million dollars is insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
A grain of sand, or just one drop of rain
It's like a small particle of earth or a small amount of water.
A small amount might make the difference these days
Even a small amount of money could make a difference in current times.
A dollar and a dream is all I can raise
I can only gather a small amount of money and some hope for the future.
I had a dream, I had all the answers
In my imagination, I had solutions to all my problems.
To all the questions, I've ever been asked
I was able to find the answers to all my questions.
And in my dream, I had all the answers
In my vision, I was able to solve all my problems and overcome all struggles.
To all the questions, I've ever asked myself
I was able to answer all the personal questions that I had in my dream.
Man what a dream, it sure felt great
The dream I had was amazing and it made me feel happy.
Took to the streets, 'cause I couldn't wait
I was so excited that I had to go out and share my wisdom with everyone.
To freely give wisdom and share what I knew
I wanted to share my knowledge with others without any hesitation.
I had a dream and that's all I had
The only thing I had in my dream was a vision of a better tomorrow.
A million here, lay down in pain every night
There are so many people in this world who suffer each and every day.
A million there, to stay alive must fight
There are also people who struggle and fight to stay alive every day.
I'm sure my numbers underestimate
I believe that the number of people suffering is even greater than what I estimated.
A dollar and a dream, I swear it's not too late
Even if I have only a small amount of money and hope left, it's not too late to make a difference.
Keep in my pocket, I held fast
I kept the dollar safe in my pocket and didn't spend it.
A dollar bill, that I would take to my grave
This dollar was so important to me that I wanted to keep it until the end of my life.
Deep in my pocket like it was my last
I kept the dollar in my pocket as if it was the only money I had.
Look for the dollar, now it's not there
I couldn't find the dollar anymore, it seems to have disappeared.
Even the pants are a different pair
I am now wearing different pants which might explain why the dollar is gone.
I earned the dollar, I had to share
I realized that I had to share the money I earned with others in need.
A million more, is just a star in the sky
Even if I had a million more dollars, it would still be a small thing compared to the vastness of the universe.
Tip of the iceberg, but we've all got to try
There are many more problems and struggles beneath what we can see, but we still need to try and make a difference.
Our works cut out, and there's work to be done
There is a lot of work that needs to be done to make this world a better place.
A dollar and a dream, is step number, step number one
Even if we have very little to start with, we need to take the first step and try to make a change.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind