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 Jackknife to a Swan
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was doused with gasoline
And just a few miles off the avenue
A lighter flashed into a puff of smoke
For thirty years Walter worked right there
Five days out of every week
That's where he watched his hometown fade
The last came fast and furious
Stutter step for one split second
Faster through the intersection
A jackknife to a swan...and he was gone.
When Walter's shift was over
He'd head out to catch the red line home
Two stops away his family slept
He'd be there when they got out of bed
Destination subway station
Someone yelled so he looked back
Five guys were heading his way
He ran to catch that last train home, step...
Oh Walter ran--did they kill Evelyn?
He had his token in his hand
But he jumped over the turnstile
And he ran down the platform
They were hot on his heels
An outbound was bearing down on him
Walter jumped in front of it, just step...
The lyrics of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones's song "A Jackknife to a Swan" are quite enigmatic and may be open to interpretation. However, a possible understanding of the song is that it talks about the fragility of life and how quick it can end. The song starts with a reference to a woman named Evelyn who was doused with gasoline and likely burned to death. The next lines describe a lighter being flashed, which suggests a possible arson case or similar crime. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the suddenness of death and how life can be extinguished in just a moment.
The song then transitions to Walter, who watched his hometown fade away over thirty years of working there. The next lines describe Walter's sudden death, caused by a "jackknife to a swan." This phrase, which gives the song its name, could be referring to a fatal injury, such as a stabbing, or possibly a reference to the swan song, a metaphor for a final theatrical or dramatic effort before death. Whatever the meaning, the suddenness of Walter's death is emphasised as he is gone in just a split second.
The second half of the song describes Walter's desperation to get home to his family, who were two stops away on the subway. When Walter hears someone yell, he turns around to find five guys heading his way. He runs to catch the last train home, suggesting that he may be in danger. The song ends on a tragic note as Walter, fearing for his life and possibly thinking of Evelyn, jumps in front of an outbound train.
Overall, the song "A Jackknife to a Swan" presents a powerful and emotive picture of how fleeting life can be and how sudden death can come. It is a poignant reminder that we should cherish every moment we have and make the most of the time we have on this earth.
Line by Line Meaning
Shortly after Evelyn
Right after the tragic event involving Evelyn
Was doused with gasoline
When she was soaked in gasoline
And just a few miles off the avenue
Somewhere nearby
A lighter flashed into a puff of smoke
An explosion occurred
For thirty years Walter worked right there
Walter spent three decades working in the same place
Five days out of every week
Almost every weekday
That's where he watched his hometown fade
He observed his town change gradually over time
The last came fast and furious
The final change occurred quickly and dramatically
Just step in one direction
Taking one step only
Stutter step for one split second
Pausing for a brief moment
Faster through the intersection
Then proceeding quickly
A jackknife to a swan...and he was gone.
An unexpected event occurred and he vanished
When Walter's shift was over
Once Walter finished his work shift
He'd head out to catch the red line home
He would take the train home
Two stops away his family slept
Walter's family was just two stops away on the same train line
He'd be there when they got out of bed
He intended to arrive home before his family woke up
Destination subway station
His goal was to reach the nearest subway station
Someone yelled so he looked back
Then, someone shouted and he looked around
Five guys were heading his way
A group of five men were approaching him
He ran to catch that last train home, step...
He sprinted towards the train, but suddenly
Oh Walter ran--did they kill Evelyn?
He wondered if the men were involved in Evelyn's death
He had his token in his hand
He was carrying his train fare
But he jumped over the turnstile
He avoided the turnstile and jumped over it
And he ran down the platform
He ran along the train platform
They were hot on his heels
The men were chasing him closely
An outbound was bearing down on him
A train was approaching him from behind
Walter jumped in front of it, just step...
Walter leapt in front of the train, and then vanished
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JetLinerSaw
Really miss this era. I was really young when it was around, making the wonder all the more colorful. Drive safe, guys. Faster through the intersection, a jackknife to a swan and he was gone.
Richard P
Ditto
I-Love-CO Mountains
JetLinerSaw
'92, here. Pops raised me on this genre. I'll always love these guys!
X
@JetLinerSaw same
Argent Cosmonaut
Thanks for uploading this, i have been looking for this album for a long, long time.
cHarlotTe Reya
Best Bosstones song!
Andrew
Bosstones rock every song is a big hit never stop making new great music
Richard Burns
This happened to a friend in London :(