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.
Dogs And Chaplains
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
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No problem when I am saying it
But when I lose my mind, kick my behind
Because I hate when my mind keeps replaying it
I'm not bragging and I'm not proud
I hang around with a drunken crowd
We are happy, that I can say
My life would start to settle down Johnny!
Then you came along and you turned it upside down Vegas!
Drunks and children they always tell the truth Johnny!
But I'm sober and older and could've held on to
My Youth!
Drinkin' the other day
I said I loved you, you turned away
Maybe the drinking, made me cry
But I'm a happy, very happy, very happy guy
Drunks and children they tell the truth
And that's what I am a drunken youth
And when I'm drinking I don't know why
But I'm a happy, very happy, very happy guy
Sometimes when I am playing
I never watch what I am saying
Sometimes I lose my head
I lose my head and things get said I never should have said
Sometimes I get housed
Housed soused and shoot off my mouth
And sometimes I kick it out, and I don't know what I'm talkin' about
I don't know what I'm talking about
You know, I've made mistakes, I've had my ups and downs
My ins and outs, my share of bad breaks
But when it's all been said and done
I raise my beer and I swear God it's been fun
Good God oh my God good God good God good God good God God its been fun!
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’s song Dogs and Chaplains is a catchy tune that reflects on a life of partying and regret. The opening lines set the tone for the song that accepts drunken behavior as part of the lifestyle. The singer seems to prefer drinking and not thinking about the consequences of his actions. He acknowledges that sometimes he gets out of control and says things he should not have said, and he hates it when they play over and over again in his head. Despite all of this, he insists that he's happy, surrounded by a group of fun-loving people who also love to drink.
The second verse of the song is a reflection on a change in the singer's life with the introduction of someone named Johnny, who turns his life upside down. The singer suggests that he could have held on to his youth if Johnny hadn't come along. The chorus repeats the idea from the first verse that drunk people and children tell the truth, and the singer is a drunken youth who cannot help but be happy when he is drinking. The third verse describes the singer's tendency to say things without thinking and often not remembering what was said. The song concludes with the singer toasting to a life of fun and bad decisions.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't mind when it happens
I don't care when it occurs
No problem when I am saying it
I don't have an issue expressing it
But when I lose my mind, kick my behind
But if I become overly concerned, I'll deal with it myself
Because I hate when my mind keeps replaying it
I dislike it when my mind keeps going back to it
I'm not bragging and I'm not proud
I'm not boasting or taking pride in what I do
I hang around with a drunken crowd
I spend my time with people who like to drink
We are happy, that I can say
I can admit that we're content
And until we're not I kid you not, we're gonna stay that way
We'll remain happy until something changes
My life would start to settle down Johnny!
My existence was becoming calm Johnny!
Then you came along and you turned it upside down Vegas!
But when you arrived, you messed it up Vegas!
Drunks and children they always tell the truth Johnny!
Drunks and kids speak the truth Johnny!
But I'm sober and older and could've held on to My Youth!
But I'm sober and have aged and could have held onto my youth!
Drinkin' the other day
The other day when I was drinking
I said I loved you, you turned away
I told you I loved you, but you rejected me
Maybe the drinking, made me cry
Maybe it was the alcohol that caused me to weep
But I'm a happy, very happy, very happy guy
But despite it, I'm content and cheerful
Drunks and children they tell the truth
Drunks and kids always speak their minds
And that's what I am a drunken youth
And that's what I am, a youthful drunkard
And when I'm drinking I don't know why
When I'm drinking, I'm not sure why
But I'm a happy, very happy, very happy guy
But nonetheless, I'm full of joy
Sometimes when I am playing
Sometimes while I'm doing something
I never watch what I am saying
I'm not careful about what I say
Sometimes I lose my head
Occasionally I become too emotional
I lose my head and things get said I never should have said
I become too overwhelmed and say things I shouldn't
Sometimes I get housed
Sometimes I get drunk
Housed soused and shoot off my mouth
Drunk and talk excessively
And sometimes I kick it out, and I don't know what I'm talkin' about
And sometimes I speak without thinking and don't know what I'm saying
You know, I've made mistakes, I've had my ups and downs
You know, I've erred, I've had successes and failures
My ins and outs, my share of bad breaks
I've had my fair share of good and bad fortune
But when it's all been said and done
But at the end of it all
I raise my beer and I swear God it's been fun
I lift my beer and say I had a great time
Good God oh my God good God good God good God good God God its been fun!
Oh my God, it's been a lot of fun!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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