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.
Another Drinkin' Song
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
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I've dove into before
Gonna haunt a haunt I've haunted
Like a million times or more
A familiar joint
Where getting drunk's the only point
To frequent this place
With any frequency at all
I've counted on before
Goin' with a cure that's never failed me
What you call the disease,
I call the remedy
What you're callin' the cause,
I call the cure
Gonna sing a song, a song to you
A song I've sung before
Belt out a ballad that I've belted out
A million times or more
The words I'm gonna scream
And getting drunk's the central theme
to the lyrics, if you can
Make the lyrics out at all
Countin' on a remedy
I've counted on before
Goin' with a cure that's never failed me
What you call the disease,
I call the remedy
What you're callin' the cause,
I call the cure
Just a devotion to a potion
Please no applause
A dedication to a medication
A crutch a cure a cause
What I've counted on to pick me up
Has knocked me to my knees
Before I hit the floor once more
I'll call it the disease
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's song Another Drinkin' Song describes a situation in which the singer is going to visit an old haunt that they have frequented before. In this place, the only point of being there is to get drunk, and the singer is turning to the remedy of alcoholism that they have previously depended on to cope. This remedy is both the cause and the cure for what the singer is experiencing, and it has failed them in the past. Despite this, they are compelled to return to it again out of devotion to it.
The repetition of phrases such as "a million times or more" and "I've counted on before" adds to the sense of the singer being trapped in a cycle of addiction, unable to break free of the familiar pattern of getting drunk at this particular place. The lyrics also suggest a certain resignation or lack of control on the part of the singer, such as when they say "Before I hit the floor once more/I'll call it the disease." They know that they will inevitably end up in the same state they always do, despite attempts to resist.
Overall, Another Drinkin' Song offers a stark portrayal of the devastating effects of alcoholism and the struggle to break free from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna dive into a jive
I am going to engage in the same activity that I have in the past.
I've dove into before
I have done this before.
Gonna haunt a haunt I've haunted
I am going to visit a place that I have been to many times before.
Like a million times or more
I have been to this place many times.
A familiar joint
This place is very familiar to me.
Where getting drunk's the only point
The only reason to go there is to get drunk.
To frequent this place
I visit this place often.
With any frequency at all
I visit this place frequently.
Countin' on a remedy
I am relying on a solution.
I've counted on before
I have used this solution in the past.
Goin' with a cure that's never failed me
I believe this solution will always work.
What you call the disease,
The problem that I have is something that you view as negative.
I call the remedy
I view my solution as a remedy.
What you're callin' the cause,
You say that the root of the problem is something negative.
I call the cure
I see my solution as fixing the problem.
Gonna sing a song, a song to you
I am going to perform a song.
A song I've sung before
I have performed this song in the past.
Belt out a ballad that I've belted out
I am going to sing this song loudly.
A million times or more
I have performed this song many times.
The words I'm gonna scream
I will sing this song passionately.
And getting drunk's the central theme
The focus of the song is getting drunk.
to the lyrics, if you can
If you can understand the lyrics.
Make the lyrics out at all
Understand the lyrics at all.
Just a devotion to a potion
I am dedicated to my method of getting drunk.
Please no applause
Please do not praise me for this dedication.
A dedication to a medication
My method of getting drunk is like a medicine or treatment to me.
A crutch a cure a cause
My method of getting drunk is like a crutch, cure, and cause of my problems all at once.
What I've counted on to pick me up
My method of getting drunk is what I rely on for comfort.
Has knocked me to my knees
My method of getting drunk has caused me to crash and burn.
Before I hit the floor once more
Before I become extremely drunk again.
I'll call it the disease
I will refer to my addiction to getting drunk as a problem.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DICKY BARRETT, JOSEPH GITTLEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind