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.
Police Beat
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
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Police pick me out of the crowd, 'cause I dress different, act real loud.
Police, Police
There's no questions asked, They just want to kick my ass.
Police beat me, Police kick me, Police chase me, Police mace me, Police cuff me, Police rough me
Just to show how tough they be
Police Police
Police who judge me... why won't they just let me be? Police Police
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's song Police Beat is a cover of the original song by SS Decontrol. The lyrics describe police brutality towards someone who is different from the norm. The singer of the song is being picked out of the crowd by the police because of the way they dress and behave. The police don't ask any questions, they just want to kick their ass. The repeated statement of "Police Police" emphasizes the power dynamic between the singer and the police.
The chorus lists the various ways the police mistreat the singer, including beating, kicking, chasing, macing, cuffing, and roughing them up. This is done to show how tough the police can be, and to assert their dominance. The final line of the chorus, "Police who judge me... why won't they just let me be?" brings out a sense of frustration and injustice. The singer is being targeted and attacked by the police simply for being different, and they feel that they are being unfairly judged.
The song is a commentary on police brutality and the abuse of power by law enforcement. It is a reminder that police officers are not above the law and that they must be held accountable for their actions. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's cover of the song adds a ska-punk flair to the original, but the message remains the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Police pick me out of the crowd, 'cause I dress different, act real loud.
The police choose to target me because I appear different from others around me and am outspoken in my behavior.
There's no questions asked, They just want to kick my ass.
The police don't bother to ask any questions or investigate, they simply desire to physically harm me.
Police beat me, Police kick me, Police chase me, Police mace me, Police cuff me, Police rough me
The police engage in a cycle of abusive behavior towards me that involves physical assault, pursuit, the use of pepper spray, and unjust arrest and treatment.
Just to show how tough they be
The police commit these actions as a means of asserting their own perceived strength and authority.
Police who judge me... why won't they just let me be?
The police act as both judge and executioner towards me, unfairly targeting and punishing me without just cause, leaving me to question why they won't simply leave me alone.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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