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.
Sugar Free
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
over after dinner drinks
the tie it to the car's antenna
and pray the sinking feeling shrinks
if they make it to see monkey time
this difficult without a spine
like the yellow bellied jelly fish
they'll try to sneak back into line
clear it like the dinner plates
it was autumn was if ever fall
could you tell me what this illustrates
you know me-I'm sugar free
they'll raise it or they'll post it
while they're lowering the boom
to paraphrase you're getting closer
meet me in the dining room
I'll try going easy on you
and try not to leave a scar
oh all right I'm sorry
but not as sorry as you are
erase it from all recall
clear it like the dinner plates
it was autumn was it ever fall
could you tell me what this illustrates
it's the candy-coated soft shoe
in the land of spnge cake men
that whine and dine on ginger bread
then they're passed out in the den
erase it from all recall
clear it like the dinner plates
it was autumn was it ever fall
could you tell me what this illustrates...
The lyrics of Sugar Free by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones paint a picture of people who engage in gossip and then try to cover it up. The singer talks about how these people will talk about something over after-dinner drinks, tie it to their car's antenna, and hope that the sinking feeling shrinks. They're hesitant to confront the issue head-on and instead try to sneak back into line. Furthermore, the singer hints at how people will post about the gossip while they're lowering the boom or being harsh towards someone else.
The chorus "erase it from all recall, clear it like the dinner plates, it was autumn was it ever fall, could you tell me what this illustrates" is reminiscent of the idea that people try to hide or forget about their mistakes. They cover them up like clearing plates, but they never truly go away. The final verse describes the candy-coated soft shoe in the land of sponge cake men who whine and dine on gingerbread, but eventually end up passed out in the den. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for people who engage in shallow conversations or gossip, but eventually, it catches up to them and they're left with nothing of substance.
Overall, the lyrics of Sugar Free are a commentary on the nature of gossip and how people try to cover it up with false apologies and excuses.
Line by Line Meaning
They'll talk about it after dinner
They will discuss it later, probably after dinner.
over after dinner drinks
They will talk about it during drinks they have after dinner.
the tie it to the car's antenna
They attach it to the antenna on the car.
and pray the sinking feeling shrinks
They hope their bad feelings about it will go away.
if they make it to see monkey time
If they survive until 'monkey time,' which is unclear what it means here, they will consider themselves lucky.
this difficult without a spine
This situation is challenging and requires courage.
like the yellow bellied jelly fish
Like a spineless jellyfish.
they'll try to sneak back into line
They will attempt to return to normalcy.
erase it from all recall
They want to forget it completely.
clear it like the dinner plates
They want to forget it as if it never happened.
it was autumn was if ever fall
It happened during a time when fall could have been confused with another season.
could you tell me what this illustrates
Could you explain what this situation is supposed to represent or show.
you know me-I'm sugar free
I am truthful and honest, I don't sugarcoat things.
they'll raise it or they'll post it
They will bring it up or make it public.
while they're lowering the boom
While they are delivering a negative consequence.
to paraphrase you're getting closer
To put it another way, you are getting closer to finding out.
meet me in the dining room
Let's discuss this matter in the dining room.
I'll try going easy on you
I will try to be gentle with you.
and try not to leave a scar
I will try not to harm you emotionally.
oh all right I'm sorry
Okay, I apologize.
but not as sorry as you are
But you should feel more sorry than me.
it's the candy-coated soft shoe
It's a superficial, sugarcoated situation.
in the land of spnge cake men
In a place where people are naive and easy to deceive.
that whine and dine on ginger bread
They entertain themselves with indulgences like gingerbread.
then they're passed out in the den
Then they pass out from their excesses.
could you tell me what this illustrates...
Can you explain what this situation is supposed to represent?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Don82CZ
The best song EVER!!!
joeyLJ
They're releasing their first album in 7 years in five days on the 8th of December :D
Diego Gonzalez
Buena rola ALV!! 😉👌🏼
mighty bosstones22
Cool song
Simon Martin
bangin tune,from the bosstones
drshields21
great song
the_lancaster_libertarian
I know! Not many ppl know this song. I got it on an Atticus cd. I think it was called "dragging the lake" from like 2004-05 or something. Whatever happened to these guys?
Prison Mike
Needed this.
drshields21
@leakage182 yeah that's where i first heard the song too. i imagine they are still around. i only heard a handful of their songs but i like them for the most part
KatProductionss
the beat sounds familiar but not their voices