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.
It Can't Hurt
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
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Thought it was a good idea, you even thought it might advance your career
Thought that! you thought that time was on your side
And you! and you can go along for the ride
Thought you wouldn't go too far, your thoughts have got you where you are
Never had a crystal ball, never promised you at all
Never promised you a thing, I never knew what things would bring
It hasn't helped, it hasn't helped hasn't helped you At all!
You believe that being where you've been was a way that you could walk right in
And you were sure that going where you've gone was a way that you could get up on
Had to! you had to do what you had to do
And you! bit off more than you could chew
Open you're eyes and look at where you're at,
Shut your mouth and swallow that
Never had a crystal ball, never promised you at all
I never promised you a thing, never knew what things would bring
It can't hurt, it can't hurt, not gonna hurt you Doll!!
It hasn't helped, it hasn't helped, has it helped you at all!
I tried, I tried, I tried, I tried, I can't seem to get through.
Yo Dennis man, see if she'll listen to you.
Ah it can't hurt, it can't hurt, not gonna hurt you Doll!
It doesn't help, it doesn't help, has it helped you At all?
It can't hurt, no it can't hurt, no it can't hurt you Doll!
It doesn't help, it hasn't helped, It hasn't help you At all!
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's song "It Can't Hurt" describes the disappointments of a person who thought that hanging around the lead singer's neighborhood would advance their career. The lyrics show how the person believed that being in the right place at the right time would open doors for them. However, the reality is much different, and their thoughts of success and progress have only landed them where they were before. The song explores the idea that there is no harm in trying, even if it does not lead to success.
The lyrics further emphasize how the person had to do what they had to do, even if it meant biting off more than they could chew. The song is peppered with phrases like "shut your mouth and swallow that", which highlight the bitter nature of the experience. The singer also mentions that they never made any promises and could not have predicted what was going to happen.
Overall, the song is encouraging people to continue trying and not to give up hope, even if things do not work out. The lyrics also show how people should not solely rely on a lucky break and instead make their own luck through hard work and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
You thought the idea was good, to hang around in my neighborhood
You believed it was a good plan to stay in my area
Thought it was a good idea, you even thought it might advance your career
You evaluated it was a sensible thought, that it might even help your professional progress
Thought that! you thought that time was on your side
You speculated that time was in your favour
And you! and you can go along for the ride
And you, well you were happy to come along with me
Thought you wouldn't go too far, your thoughts have got you where you are
You believed you would only go so far, but your ideas have put you in your current situation
Never had a crystal ball, never promised you at all
I never had the power to predict the future, and I never committed to anything with you
Never promised you a thing, I never knew what things would bring
I never made you any assurances because I didn't know what outcomes would arise
It can't hurt, It can't hurt, not gonna hurt you Doll!
There is no risk, it will not harm you in any way
It hasn't helped, it hasn't helped hasn't helped you At all!
It hasn't given you any advantage, not even a little bit
You believe that being where you've been was a way that you could walk right in
You think that by being in a certain place, you can just walk right in
And you were sure that going where you've gone was a way that you could get up on
And you were certain that going to a particular place would give you a leg up
Had to! you had to do what you had to do
You absolutely had to do what you had to
And you! bit off more than you could chew
And you, well you took on more than you could handle
Open you're eyes and look at where you're at,
Look around and see where you find yourself
Shut your mouth and swallow that
Stop talking and accept it
I tried, I tried, I tried, I tried, I can't seem to get through.
I attempted, again and again, but I can't seem to make you understand
Yo Dennis man, see if she'll listen to you.
Hey Dennis, try to see if she'll pay attention to you
Ah it can't hurt, it can't hurt, not gonna hurt you Doll!
Ah, it won't cause any damage, it won't harm you in any way
It doesn't help, it doesn't help, has it helped you At all?
It hasn't provided any assistance, has it given you any benefit?
It can't hurt, no it can't hurt, no it can't hurt you Doll!
It won't cause any harm, nope, it won't harm you in any way
It doesn't help, it hasn't helped, It hasn't help you At all!
It hasn't provided any aid, it hasn't given you anything beneficial whatsoever!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DICKY BARRETT, JOE GITTLEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind