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.
Dollar and 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 song "Dollar and dream" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones is a poignant commentary on the value of a small amount of money in the face of poverty and struggle. The lyrics suggest that even a dollar can make a difference in someone's life and should be held onto tightly. The artist notes that though a dollar may not seem like much, it is all they have and that by holding onto it, they are holding onto hope. They illustrate the power of this hope in the opening verse: "Hey! It might be my last. I know what I've got, folded safe in its spot."
As the song progresses, the artist touches on the fact that a dollar and a dream is all they can raise. This reflects the feeling of powerlessness against the larger issues facing marginalized groups in society. Despite this, they are propelled by a sense of purpose and a desire to share their knowledge and wisdom with others. "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."
The song circles back to the idea that even though the issues facing the marginalized are much larger than a single dollar or a dream, these small things are what provide hope and the impetus to keep going. This sentiment is summed up in the final line, "A dollar and a dream, is step number, step number one."
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a dollar, that I want to save
I have a small amount of money that I intend to save for later
Safe in my pocket, I'll try to hold fast
I plan to keep the dollar safely in my pocket
Hey! it might be my last
I am aware that it is possible that this dollar may be the last money that I currently have
I know what I've got, folded safe in its spot
I am aware of the amount of money I have and have safely folded it in my pocket
I earned a dollar, it's not here to share
I worked hard to earn this money and I do not intend to share it with anyone
I've got a dollar and that's all I've got
This small amount of money is all I have at the moment
A million more is just a single grain
In comparison to a million dollars, this small amount is insignificant and just a tiny piece of the puzzle
A grain of sand, or just one drop of rain
Like a small speck of sand or a single drop of rain, this dollar seems like just a small element in the bigger picture
A small amount might make the difference these days
In today's world, even a small amount of money can make a difference
A dollar and a dream is all I can raise
All I have right now is a small amount of money and a hopeful dream
I had a dream, I had all the answers
I once had a dream where I had all the answers to life's questions
To all the questions, I've ever been asked
In my dream, I had the answers to every question I've ever been asked
And in my dream, I had all the answers
In this dream, I had ultimate wisdom and the solution to all problems
To all the questions, I've ever asked myself
In this dream, I even had the answers to the questions I ask myself
Man what a dream, it sure felt great
This dream felt amazing and made me feel powerful
Took to the streets, 'cause I couldn't wait
I was so excited about my dream that I took to the streets to share my wisdom
To freely give wisdom and share what I knew
I wanted to give away my wisdom freely and share my knowledge with others
I had a dream and that's all I had
Unfortunately, my dream was just a dream and I don't actually have all the answers
A million here, lay down in pain every night
There are people who suffer every night even though they have millions of dollars
A million there, to stay alive must fight
Others have to fight for their lives despite having millions of dollars
I'm sure my numbers underestimate
I believe that there are even more people who suffer despite having large amounts of money, and my estimates may be too low
A dollar and a dream, I swear it's not too late
I still have hope that this small amount of money and my dreams can lead to something great
Keep in my pocket, I held fast
I held onto the dollar tightly, determined to keep it
A dollar bill, that I would take to my grave
This dollar was so important to me that I would keep it with me even after death
Deep in my pocket like it was my last
I kept the dollar in my pocket as if it was the last money I had
Look for the dollar, now it's not there
I can no longer find the dollar, it is gone
Even the pants are a different pair
I don't even have the same pants on that I had when I last had the dollar
I earned the dollar, I had to share
I had to share the dollar that I had earned
A million more, is just a star in the sky
Again, in comparison to millions of dollars, this small amount is insignificant like a single star in the sky
Tip of the iceberg, but we've all got to try
This small amount might not seem like much, but we all have to start somewhere
Our works cut out, and there's work to be done
We have a lot of work to do and have to put in effort to achieve our goals
A dollar and a dream, is step number, step number one
Having a dream and a small amount of money is just the first step towards achieving our goals
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind