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.
That Bug Bit Me
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll admit
Stunned, it took a while to hit
But when it hit me,
I was bit
Shit, I came clean with it
No match, who am I
No match, who am I, so why try to deny it
Just a regular guy, who won't even try it
The bug's been around
Since time began
It's bitten bigger
Badder bastards than the one I am
It can cripple
And it can paralyze
When I felt it's tooth
I told the truth to my surprise
I saw the bug and I gotta say
Ah I tried to get away
I tried to run,
I tried to fight
But the bug was there to bite
No match, who am I?
Must respect the insect, it injects and infects
If i may interject, I love the effects
The bug's been around since time began
It's bitten bigger
Badder bastards than the one I am
It can cripple
And it can paralyze
When I felt its tooth
I told the truth to my surprise
"That Bug Bit Me" is a song by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It speaks about the bite of the "love" bug, which the singer admits to being bitten by. The wonderful feeling he experienced as a result of this bug was beyond his intellect or abilities to battle it. He notes that the bug has been about since the beginning of time and has bitten many stronger people than him, and he surrendered to the bug's effects. Unlike many other songs, "That Bug Bit Me" is a love song with a twist- comparing the overwhelming sensation of love to a bug-bite.
The singer is accepting the fact that he has fallen in love with someone and that there is nothing he can do about it. He admits to being bitten by the "love" bug, and the sentiment that came with it was too overwhelming. He tried to run and resist it, but it was too strong. The bug represents love, which has no limits, and once it grips someone, they can't avoid it. The singer acknowledges that this love is something that can be impairing and incapacitating, yet he believes it is worth it.
The song is an acknowledgement of the appreciation of life and love, as well as a warning that love has the power to overwhelm people's behavioral patterns, and they should be cautious when it comes to matters of the heart. It encourages listeners to embrace love and the powerful emotions that come with it, hoping that they will not be overwhelmed but will manage to enjoy the experience.
Line by Line Meaning
That bug bit me,
I was affected by something that changed me.
I'll admit
I acknowledge that it happened.
Stunned, it took a while to hit
It caught me off guard, but eventually sunk in.
But when it hit me,
Once I understood what happened,
I was bit
I was fully impacted by it.
Shit, I came clean with it
I admitted to myself and others what happened.
No match, who am I
I am not special, I am just like everyone else.
No match, who am I, so why try to deny it
I shouldn't try to pretend that I am immune to this.
Just a regular guy, who won't even try it
I am an ordinary person who can't resist this.
The bug's been around
This has been happening for a very long time.
Since time began
It has always existed.
It's bitten bigger
It has affected more powerful people than me.
Badder bastards than the one I am
People who are considered worse than I am have been impacted by this.
It can cripple
It has the power to disable someone.
And it can paralyze
It can cause someone to be unable to move, either physically or metaphorically.
When I felt it's tooth
When it affected me directly.
I told the truth to my surprise
I was surprised that I was honest about it.
I saw the bug and I gotta say
Once I understood what was happening.
Ah I tried to get away
I initially tried to avoid it.
I tried to run,
I attempted to escape from it.
I tried to fight
I attempted to resist it.
But the bug was there to bite
It was inevitable that it would impact me.
Must respect the insect, it injects and infects
I acknowledge the impact it can have.
If i may interject, I love the effects
I have come to appreciate the impact it had on me, even if it wasn't necessarily positive.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DICKY BARRETT, NATE ALBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind