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.
Sunday Afternoons on Wisdom Ave.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
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Not a lot of company but we would go there after mass
Lace curtains in the windows that had been there since the last great war
They were on first one and the Mulligans lived on the second floor
Sunday driving in the big Sedan
Soup and sandwich on the TV stand
Glad to be there it was nice to have
There was nothing in the pantry and we can't be in the parlor there
It's really nothing fancy honey here is a half a dollar dear
A John F. Kennedy coin that you and your brother both can share
Just not the type of people that are ever gonna to put on airs
Sunday driving in the big Sedan
Soup and sandwich on the TV stand
Glad to be there it was nice to have
Sunday afternoons on Wisdom Ave.
Outside on the playground there's a pick-up game of hoops
Picked up the Sunday Journal at the Greeks
We would watch the Filipinos with the Yoyo's on the stoop
But no not on your life six days a week
No one was ever listening to anybody else
We only ever knew what we were told
Only on Wisdom Avenue on Sunday afternoons
Wisdom Ave's where everything grew old
Sunday driving in the big Sedan
Soup and sandwich on the TV stand
Had to be there just to see first hand
Whatever had happened to my old man
Sunday driving in the big Sedan
Soup and sandwich on the TV stand
Glad to be there it was nice to have
Sunday afternoons on Wisdom Ave.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's song "Sunday Afternoons on Wisdom Ave." tells the story of a working-class family spending their Sundays in their modest triple decker home on Wisdom Avenue. The song paints a picture of a simple life, with lace curtains in the windows that have been there since the last great war and a pantry with nothing much in it. The family spends their Sunday afternoons driving in their big Sedan, eating soup and sandwiches on the TV stand, and watching the Filipinos play with their yoyos on the stoop, while picking up the Sunday Journal at the Greeks. The family is not one to put on airs, with a John F. Kennedy coin that the children share and a half dollar for their needs. Wisdom Ave. represents a strong sense of community, where people know each other and watch out for each other.
The song reflects on the fact that the family only really listens to what they are told and that there is a sense of growing old, without change or growth. The only time everyone would come together in this close-knit community was on Sunday afternoons. The song reflects on a simpler time where Sunday afternoons were spent in the company of people you knew and loved, without any distractions. The song's chorus mentions how glad the family was to have Sunday afternoons on Wisdom Avenue, highlighting the importance of community and family.
Line by Line Meaning
A modest triple decker in a section that was working class
There was a small, humble house in a neighborhood where the majority of people worked in manual labor.
Not a lot of company but we would go there after mass
Although there weren't many people around, we would still visit the house after church.
Lace curtains in the windows that had been there since the last great war
The curtains on the windows were old and had been around for a long time, probably from World War II or earlier.
They were on first one and the Mulligans lived on the second floor
The artists lived on the first floor of the house, while the Mulligans resided on the second floor.
There was nothing in the pantry and we can't be in the parlor there
There wasn't much food left in the pantry, and we couldn't hang out in the fancy living room.
It's really nothing fancy honey here is a half a dollar dear
The house wasn't anything special, and the singer gave his significant other a half dollar coin as a small gift.
A John F. Kennedy coin that you and your brother both can share
The half dollar coin was a valuable John F. Kennedy coin that the singer's significant other and her brother could split.
Just not the type of people that are ever gonna to put on airs
The people in the house were down-to-earth and didn't try to act like they were something they weren't.
Outside on the playground there's a pick-up game of hoops
There was a basketball game going on outside on the playground.
Picked up the Sunday Journal at the Greeks
The artist went to a Greek corner store to buy the Sunday newspaper.
We would watch the Filipinos with the Yoyo's on the stoop
The singer and others would observe a group of Filipino individuals playing with yoyos on the front porch.
But no not on your life six days a week
However, this only happened on Sundays as the rest of the week was too busy for such leisure activities.
No one was ever listening to anybody else
No one really paid attention to what anyone else was saying.
We only ever knew what we were told
Everyone had their own perspective, and no one really cared to hear from anyone else.
Only on Wisdom Avenue on Sunday afternoons
These types of experiences only happened on Sundays on Wisdom Avenue.
Wisdom Ave's where everything grew old
Everything on Wisdom Avenue seemed old and worn out.
Had to be there just to see first hand
It was important to be there in person to really see and experience everything.
Whatever had happened to my old man
The singer was curious about what had happened to their father.
Contributed by Aaliyah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.