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.
Desensitized
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
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On the tenth anniversary
GOOD MORNING
Fit in clips of it
Between food prep shorts
Weather reports
Check the day's commute
And a look at sports
I remember how the wind
Was knocked from me
Before it became footage
A footnote in history
Recently I think I heard it could have been avoided
It shouldn't have occurred
A fundamental obligation
To my parents and my kids LIFE
Gave me a glimpse of it Don't know who shot him
They never caught him
Let's get to the bottom
And blow off the lid
I'm trying to keep a balance
Like the plates on top of sticks
Chip away 'til it goes down
When it goes down apply the kicks
Recently I think I heard
It could have been avoided
It shouldn't have occurred
Sadly we're desensitized
To all the scandals and the cover ups
The conspiracies and lies
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's song "Desensitized" is a commentary on the state of society's collective numbness to acts of violence and tragedy that have become frequent, almost normal, occurrences. The opening lines set the scene for a typical day, with the news of the day - both good and bad - being fitted in between other mundane tasks. The lyrics then shift to a personal memory of experiencing a tragedy. The singer remembers how they felt when they first heard about it - gutted, wind knocked out of them by the shock. But now, this event has been relegated to a mere footnote in history, replaced by new tragedies and headlines. The singer expresses frustration that the tragedy they experienced might have been preventable and that it is crucial to honor our basic obligation to protect human life.
The chorus emphasizes the premise of the song - that we are becoming desensitized to the violence and corruption that pepper our society. The singer acknowledges that they too are struggling to strike a balance between confronting and processing these events, and not letting them take over their mental and emotional state. They describe it as trying to keep plates balanced atop sticks, chipping away until the plates inevitably fall and then applying a kick to push them over. The song then pivots to a call to action, urging listeners to stand up against scandals, cover-ups, and conspiracies.
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up early
Started the day earlier than usual
On the tenth anniversary
On the tenth anniversary of a tragic event
GOOD MORNING
A sarcastic greeting to the day
Fit in clips of it
Watching news clips of the event
Between food prep shorts
In between cooking segments on TV
Weather reports
Checking the weather for the day
Check the day's commute
Checking the traffic and roads to take
And a look at sports
Checking the latest scores and updates of sports games
I remember how the wind
Recalling how impactful the event was
Was knocked from me
Being emotionally affected by the event
Before it became footage
Before the tragedy was captured on camera
A footnote in history
The event became a small historical note
Recently I think I heard it could have been avoided
News of a possible preventative measure being ignored
It shouldn't have occurred
The event was preventable and shouldn't have happened
A fundamental obligation
A basic responsibility
To my parents and my kids LIFE
To ensure the safety and well-being of those close to me
Gave me a glimpse of it
Having witnessed the tragedy has given me a deep understanding of its impact
Don't know who shot him
The shooter remains unknown
They never caught him
No one has been held accountable for the crime
Let's get to the bottom
Finding the truth and uncovering the facts
And blow off the lid
Exposing and sharing the truth with the world
I'm trying to keep a balance
Trying to maintain a level head while dealing with the emotions surrounding the event
Like the plates on top of sticks
Like balancing objects on top of each other
Chip away 'til it goes down
Keep working at an issue until it's resolved
When it goes down apply the kicks
Once the issue is resolved, ensure that those responsible face consequences
Sadly we're desensitized
We have become numb to tragedies and shocking events
To all the scandals and the cover ups
To all the instances where the truth has been hidden or obscured
The conspiracies and lies
The times where people have worked together to cover up the truth
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DICKY BARRETT, TIM BURTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind