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.
I Know More
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A place as nice as any place to start
That's where I must have misplaced my opinion
I wasn't sure where I was headed I was following my heart
In the beginning I'm recalling
Thinking I thought I knew it all
And I think I thought I knew a lot
So bring me back to where and when
I was convinced I could go up against whatever came along
Bring me back and I'll bring back what I've learned since
Lately I'm convinced in the beginning I was wrong
In the beginning I'm recalling
Thinking I thought I knew it all
And I think I thought I knew a lot
Now I know I knew so little
As time progressed,
I've reassessed I know that now I know at best
It isn't all or nothing
It's somewhere I know in the middle
I know more - I know
Now then I knew
then I know I know,
now I know I know
Then I knew less
Than I thought so
I know more - I know
Now then I knew
then I know I know now I know
Then I knew less
Than I thought so
In the beginning I'm recalling
Thinking I thought I knew it all
And I think I thought I knew a lot
Now I know I knew so little
As time progressed, I've reassessed
I know that now I know at best
It isn't all or nothing
It's somewhere I know in the middle
The song "I Know More" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones is a reflective piece about the changes and growth that occur over time. The lyrics communicate a desire to return to the starting point of this growth and reflect on the mistakes and progress made since then. The nostalgic opening lines, "Bring me back to the beginning / A place as nice as any place to start" set the tone for this introspection.
The first verse reveals the singer's past inclination towards rash decisions made on a whim, based solely on their heart's desires. They recognize that they have grown and learned since then, but they cannot fully do so without revisiting the source of their previous mindset. The chorus expresses the newfound self-awareness and matured outlook through the repetition of “I know more, I know now.”
The second verse speaks of being convinced of their ability to face any challenge that came their way. However, as time passed, they were enlightened and understood that not everything is black and white. The final lines of the song underline this realization, "It isn't all or nothing / it's somewhere I know in the middle." This lyric suggests that part of growing up is learning to accept the nuance and uncertainty of life, and not just viewing things in binary terms.
To summarize, the song "I Know More" is a reflective evaluation of the singer's growth and learning over time. The lyrics suggest that in order to move forward, one must return to the beginning and assess what they have learned since then. The phrase "I know more" is about the realization that growth is a lifelong process, and that we can always learn more.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody bring me back to the beginning
I want to go back to where it all started
A place as nice as any place to start
It doesn't matter where we start as long as I can go back
That's where I must have misplaced my opinion
I lost my perspective along the way
I wasn't sure where I was headed I was following my heart
I was lost and didn't know what to do so I just followed my instincts
In the beginning I'm recalling
I'm remembering how I used to be
Thinking I thought I knew it all
I was arrogant and believed I had all the answers
And I think I thought I knew a lot
I overestimated my knowledge and abilities
Now I know I knew so little
I realize how little I actually knew back then
So bring me back to where and when
Take me back to the time and place where I lost my way
I was convinced I could go up against whatever came along
I had an overinflated sense of confidence in my abilities
Bring me back and I'll bring back what I've learned since
I will bring back the lessons I've learned since I lost my way
Lately I'm convinced in the beginning I was wrong
I now believe that my initial beliefs and actions were incorrect
As time progressed, I've reassessed
Over time, I've reviewed and reevaluated my past actions and beliefs
I know that now I know at best
I know that my knowledge is limited
It isn't all or nothing
Things are not always black and white, there is a gray area
It's somewhere I know in the middle
The truth lies somewhere in the middle ground
I know more - I know
I have gained more knowledge and experience
Now then I knew, then I know I know,
I used to think I knew it all, but now I know that I don't
now I know I know
I have gained new knowledge
Then I knew less
I had less knowledge and experience in the past
Than I thought so
I overestimated how much I knew in the past
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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