The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were a ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts… Read Full Bio ↴The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were a ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Bosstones is a play on Boston). Their last lineup was Dicky Barrett (vocals), Joe Gittleman (bass), Lawrence Katz (guitar), Ben Carr (dancer, "Bosstone"), Joe Sirois (drums), Timothy "Johnny Vegas" Burton (saxophone), Kevin Leaner (saxophone) and Chris Rhodes (trombone)

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.

Jump Through The Hoops
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wake up and shake myself out of bed again.
Shaking the day down in my head again.
It's up and out, rise and shine, on the double.
No time to slack, attack, and tackle the trouble.
Shake myself out of bed again.
No time to stop and assess, can't let it grind to a halt.
Can't stop and look at the mess and then find out it's my fault.
I can't stop for a single minute.

I know hell, well, I'm living in it.
No time to stop at all, I've got to jump through the hoops.
My job, well it's a nine to five nightmare.
I'm serving whiskey, stale wit and beer.
Come on in, how've you been? Have I met you?
What'll it be now, what can I get you?
My job, well it's a nightmare.
And every day from nine to five I'm there.
No time to stop and assess, can't let it grind to a halt.
Can't stop and look at the mess and then find out it's my fault.
I can't stop for a single minute.
I know hell, well, I'm living in it.
No time to stop at all, I've got to jump through the hoops.
Roll over, sit up and beg.
Well, I'd much rather lie down and play dead.
Here comes another hoop.
Holidays have got to be the worst.
I've seen so many I've got it well rehearsed.
Joy to the world, hark the hey, let me hear it.
Deck the halls, trim the tree, that's the spirit.
Holidays are not for me, chop down the tree.
They've got to be the worst.
I'm old and set in my ways, no stopping now, it's a shame.
But in my much younger days I'd stop and I'd take the blame.
I'm alright if I don't know and can't see.
I'll live in hell til the day that they plant me.
No time to stop at all, I've got to jump through the hoops.
Roll over, sit up and beg.
Well I'd much rather...lie down and play dead.

All over, so long my friend.
So long, all over, the end.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's song Jump Through The Hoops tell the story of someone who is dissatisfied with their life, particularly their job. They wake up every day with no time to stop and assess their situation or take responsibility for any messes they see, they just have to keep going no matter what. The singer describes their job as a "nine to five nightmare" where they serve drinks with a false sense of camaraderie. They can't stop for even a minute because life won't let them, so they have to keep jumping through the hoops that are placed in front of them. The song acknowledges that the holidays can be the worst, but even though the singer is old and set in their ways they keep going day after day, living in hell until the day they die.

Line by Line Meaning

Wake up and shake myself out of bed again
Can't afford to be lazy anymore, have to keep moving forward

Shaking the day down in my head and then
Trying to prepare for the day ahead, mentally

It's up and out, rise and shine, on the double
Have to get going quickly, no time to waste

No time to slack, attack, and tackle the trouble
Have to deal with problems head-on immediately, can't afford to wait

No time to stop and assess, can't let it grind to a halt
Can't let anything slow down or stop progress

Can't stop and look at the mess and then find out it's my fault
Can't afford to make mistakes or be blamed for any issues

I can't stop for a single minute
There's no time to rest, must always be on the move

I know hell, well, I'm living in it
The current situation is difficult and unpleasant to deal with

My job, well, it's a nine to five nightmare
The job is not enjoyable, and can be draining to work through each day

I'm serving whiskey, stale wit, and beer
Describing work as a bartender, serving customers drinks and engaging in small talk

Come on in, how've you been? Have I met ya?
Greeting customers in a friendly but routine manner

What'll it be now, what can I get ya?
Asking customers for their order or what they want to drink

No time to stop at all, I've got to jump through the hoops
Constant pressure and demands to meet expectations, navigating obstacles constantly

Roll over, sit up and beg
Describing the behavior of a trained animal, suggesting a lack of autonomy

Well I'd much rather lie down and play dead
Would prefer to not deal with the current circumstances and responsibilities

Holidays are not for me, chop down the tree
Holidays are not a source of joy or relaxation, and are often stressful

They've got to be the worst
Emphasizing how unpleasant holidays are

I'm old and set in my ways, no stopping now, it's a shame
Lamenting the inability to change or improve one's situation

But in my much younger days I'd stop and I'd take the blame
Reflecting on a time when they were more responsible and would deal with problems differently

I'm alright if I don't know and can't see
Ignorance is sometimes preferable and can make things easier to deal with

I'll live in hell, till the day, that they plant me
No end in sight for the current unpleasant situation, resigned to live with it until death

All over so long my friend
Suggesting that the end of life is the only way to escape the current struggles

So long all over the end
Repeating the idea that death is the only way to escape the difficulties of life

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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