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 Want My City Back
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left exit into Kenmore Square
Slowed down when I got there
And that's when it was crystal clear
It wasn't there, it wasn't where
I left it, when I left it
I want my city back
Back the way it used to be
I looked around and found
This doesn't feel like my hometown
And I don't like the way it does
Stepped out to take a closer look
Held in with every step I took
The sadness I felt just to look around
I looked up to the Citgo Sign
You used to be a friend of mine
Do you agree with me at one time
This was once such sacred ground
I want my city back
Back the way it used to be
I want it back the way it was
I looked around and found
This doesn't feel like my hometown
And I don't like the way it does feel, feel
How should I feel when the place
Where I first learned I could feel
Is no longer where I left it
When I left it not so long ago
How should I feel? [x3]
Well I don't know
( I want my city back
Back the way it used to be
I want it back the way it was
I looked around and found
This doesn't feel like my hometown
And I don't like the way it does feel [x2] )
The song "I Want My City Back" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones is a lament for the ways cities change over time. The song is based on lead singer Dicky Barrett's experience in Boston. The song opens with the lyrics "Up around 95, sailing down Storrow Drive, left exit into Kenmore Square". These lyrics paint a picture of a very specific part of Boston. Dicky Barrett is essentially returning to his hometown, but the city has changed in ways that he finds difficult to accept.
As he arrives in Kenmore Square, he realizes that the city is not the place he left years ago. He sings "I looked around and found, this doesn't feel like my hometown, and I don't like the way it does". He is expressing a sense of loss and sadness because the city he once knew and loved is gone. He feels displaced and disconnected. The song then goes on to describe a very personal experience. Barrett talks about his feelings towards the Citgo sign, which used to be a landmark of the city. The Citgo sign holds a lot of personal meaning for Barrett, and represents something that has been lost.
Overall, "I Want My City Back" is a powerful song about the ways that cities change and how this can lead to feelings of loss and displacement. The song is a powerful reminder that our personal sense of identity and meaning can be deeply connected to the places we call home, and when those places change, it can be difficult to adjust.
Line by Line Meaning
Up around 95, sailing down Storrow Drive
I was driving up Route 95 and then went down Storrow Drive.
Left exit into Kenmore Square
I took the exit on the left into Kenmore Square.
Slowed down when I got there
I slowed down my car when I reached Kenmore Square.
And that's when it was crystal clear
I realized something very clearly at that moment.
It wasn't there, it wasn't where
The thing that I was looking for was not there, it was not in the expected location.
I left it, when I left it
I left the thing in the location where I expected it to be.
I want my city back
I want my city to be the way it was before.
Back the way it used to be
I want my city to be like it was in the past.
I looked around and found
I observed the environment and came to a conclusion.
This doesn't feel like my hometown
The current city does not feel like my hometown.
And I don't like the way it does
I am unhappy with the current state of my city.
Stepped out to take a closer look
I got out of my car to observe things more closely.
Held in with every step I took
I felt restricted or limited with every step I took.
The sadness I felt just to look around
My observation of the environment filled me with sadness.
I looked up to the Citgo Sign
I directed my gaze toward the Citgo Sign.
You used to be a friend of mine
The Citgo Sign used to be a friendly or familiar sight to me.
Do you agree with me at one time
Did the Citgo Sign also feel the same way as me at some point?
This was once such sacred ground
The location was once significant or important to me.
How should I feel when the place
What should my emotions be when the place
Where I first learned I could feel
The location where I first experienced emotions or feelings.
Is no longer where I left it
The location is not where I expected it to be.
When I left it not so long ago
I didn't leave too long ago and the location was different then.
Well I don't know
I am unsure about how I should feel.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Speedbreaker023
Up around 95
Sailing down Storrow Drive
Left exit into Kenmore Square
Slowed down when I got there
And that's when it was crystal clear
It wasn't there, it wasn't where
I left it, when I left it
I want my city back
Back the way it used to be
I want it back the way it was
I looked around and found
This doesn't feel like my hometown
And I don't like the way it does feel
Stepped out to take a closer look
Held in with every step I took
The sadness I felt just to look around
I looked up to the Citgo Sign
You used to be a friend of mine
Do you agree with me at one time
This was once such sacred ground
But now I want my city back...
How should I feel when the place
Where I first learned I could feel
Is no longer where I left it
When I left it not so long ago
How should I feel? How should i feel?
How should I feel? I don't know
I want my city back...
Alice Edwardson
Released just a few months after I left Boston for the first time. Been using this song as a touchstone to hep an ex navigate her own major move. <3
Speedbreaker023
Up around 95
Sailing down Storrow Drive
Left exit into Kenmore Square
Slowed down when I got there
And that's when it was crystal clear
It wasn't there, it wasn't where
I left it, when I left it
I want my city back
Back the way it used to be
I want it back the way it was
I looked around and found
This doesn't feel like my hometown
And I don't like the way it does feel
Stepped out to take a closer look
Held in with every step I took
The sadness I felt just to look around
I looked up to the Citgo Sign
You used to be a friend of mine
Do you agree with me at one time
This was once such sacred ground
But now I want my city back...
How should I feel when the place
Where I first learned I could feel
Is no longer where I left it
When I left it not so long ago
How should I feel? How should i feel?
How should I feel? I don't know
I want my city back...
Holly Heart
:-) hell yeah this is a great song!
clashkid83
Needing this song right now. Getting booted out of my apartment because of gentrification. this is my home, and all the real estate and apartment properties are getting bought out by out of state real estate companies. They're renovating and remodeling everything, sending rental fees through the roof. It's driving all of the low to middle income families out of our neighborhood, including mine. so sickening.
MrHunkerjr
awsome song!
jay coopz
I'm from Somerville and Kenmore used to be my second home....I miss my culture my city and my people..
PolletFTW
beautifull <---
listener523
No longer where I left it when I left it not so long ago.....
alohaspider
I think that I'll raise my glass to The Rat tonight.
PGLF1982
Born and raised in boston....that's y I left...nothing like it used to be