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.

The One With The Woes All Over It
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I guess that Hell has been freezing
And yes there is a fat chance down there
You give me one good reason
Now let me make one thing, perfectly clear

You brought us up to the altar (whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Had no business being up there
I wanted to fuss fail or falter (whoa-oh-oh)

I stood like to Walter for seven long years

One bought a handful of houses
One was an underground hit
One sure was hers, chorus bridge to the verse
The one with the woes that were all over it

I made us a place to be later
And later came soon after that
I made out like things could not be greater
As a matter of fact they fell flat of the back

One bought a handful of houses (whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh)
One was an underground hit
One sure was hers, chorus bridge to the verse (whoa-oh-oh)
The one with the woes that were all over it

The one with the woes all over it [x3]

Overall Meaning

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's song The One With The Woes All Over It, through its lyrics, describes the singer's perception of their current situation. The opening lines of the song suggest an impossible or unlikely occurrence, "I guess that Hell has been freezing," hinting that the situation is not optimal. The following lines emphasize the singer's confusion and frustration, asking for a "good reason" for their predicament. They go on to accuse someone of pushing them into a situation, bringing them "up to the altar" without "business being up there." The mention of the duration of seven years hints at the extent of their discomfort and dissatisfaction.

The second verse describes the singer's attempt to improve the situation by creating "a place to be later." Despite their efforts, things "fell flat" and did not go as planned. The chorus repeats with the phrase "One bought a handful of houses" suggesting that some people succeeded while others did not. The line "One sure was hers" implies that someone has something that the singer desired, further fueling their frustration. The song concludes by repeating the chorus, emphasizing the one with the "woes all over it," possibly alluding to the singer's disappointment and dissatisfaction with their current state.

Line by Line Meaning

I guess that Hell has been freezing
It seems like something impossible has happened

And yes there is a fat chance down there
Even something considered unlikely is possible now

You give me one good reason
Please justify your actions

Now let me make one thing, perfectly clear
There's something I want to emphasize

You brought us up to the altar (whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh)
You led us into a significant situation

Had no business being up there
You were not qualified or deserving

I wanted to fuss fail or falter (whoa-oh-oh)
I had doubts and difficulties

I stood like to Walter for seven long years
I dealt with this for a prolonged period of time, unlike Walter who did not stick around

One bought a handful of houses
Someone has acquired a significant number of houses

One was an underground hit
Someone achieved success in a less mainstream way

One sure was hers, chorus bridge to the verse
One had something that was clearly hers