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.
Tin Soldiers
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To show he wasn't scared
All wrapped up in that army crap
He thought he'd be prepared
Well at the age of seventeen,
He was forced to choose
Now at the age of twenty-one
He's in catch-22
It seemed a small amount
But what they didn't tell him was
The first two didn't count
At the age of seventeen how was he to know?
That at the age of twenty-one
He'd still have more to go?
Tin soldier! He signed away his name!
Tin soldier! No chance of casual fame!
Tin soldier! Well now he knows the truth!
Tin soldier! He signed away his youth!
He turned up, to start out right
To do right by his son
Well now he waits
And he counts the days
That mark time since day one
At the age of seventeen
He did what he was told
Now at the age of twenty-one
There's still one-third to go!
Tin soldier! He signed away his name!
Tin soldier! No chance of casual fame!
Tin soldier! Well now he knows the truth!
Tin soldier! He signed away his youth!
(Left! Right! Left right left! Left! Right! Left right left!)
At the age of seventeen
He fall in line to
Now at the age of twenty-one
He still marches to
(One! Two! Three! Four!)
TIN SOLDIER! He signed away his name!
TIN SOLDIER! No chance of casual fame!
TIN SOLDIER! Well now he knows the truth!
TIN SOLDIER! He signed away his youth!
TIN SOLDIER! What is he fighting for?
TIN SOLDIER! To win a fucking war?
TIN SOLDIER! (Completely indecipherable lyric)
TIN SOLDIER! Arrgh yeah!!!!
Signed away his name
Signed away his name
The song "Tin Soldiers" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones is about a young man who signed up for the army when he was 17 years old, thinking it was just a three-year commitment. However, he finds out at the age of 21 that he still has more time to serve. The lyrics describe his frustration and realization that he has "signed away his youth" and his name by enlisting in the army. The song questions the purpose of the war and what the soldier is fighting for, implying that he may feel trapped and disillusioned by his situation.
The lyrics use military terminology, such as "catch-22," "fall in line," and "marches to," to emphasize the soldier's sense of duty and obedience. The song's chorus repeats the phrase "tin soldier" as a metaphor for the young man's sacrifice and loss of identity. The song's energy and anthemic quality also reflect the anger and rebellion of the punk and ska music genres that The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are associated with.
Line by Line Meaning
He turned up to get a job
He arrived to seek employment
To show he wasn't scared
To prove his courage
All wrapped up in that army crap
Donning military clothing
He thought he'd be prepared
Believing he was ready for anything
Well at the age of seventeen,
At 17 years of age
He was forced to choose
He had to make an obligatory decision
Now at the age of twenty-one
Currently at 21 years of age
He's in catch-22
He's in a perplexing, contradictory situation
He turned up for just three years
Initially signed up for a mere 3 years
It seemed a small amount
Appearing like it would be a brief period
But what they didn't tell him was
What they concealed from him was
The first two didn't count
That the initial 2 years don't count towards discharge
At the age of seventeen how was he to know?
How could he have predicted at 17?
That at the age of twenty-one
That by 21 years of age
He'd still have more to go?
He would still need to serve more time?
Tin soldier! He signed away his name!
He became a 'tin soldier,' forfeiting his identity!
Tin soldier! No chance of casual fame!
No chance of random recognition as a 'tin soldier'.
Tin soldier! Well now he knows the truth!
He acknowledges his actual status as a 'tin soldier'.
Tin soldier! He signed away his youth!
He surrendered his otherwise free young days as a 'tin soldier'.
He turned up, to start out right
He arrived aiming to do right
To do right by his son
To do what's best for his child
Well now he waits
Now he bides his time
And he counts the days
He numerically monitors the passing time
That mark time since day one
Since his initial enlistment day
He did what he was told
He adhered to instructions
Now at the age of twenty-one
Currently at 21 years of age
There's still one-third to go!
He still has 1/3 remaining of his tour of duty
At the age of seventeen
At his 17th year
He fall in line to
He fell in towards the line of duty
Now at the age of twenty-one
Currently at 21 years of age
He still marches to
Still engaged in the practice of marching
TIN SOLDIER! What is he fighting for?
As a 'tin soldier' what is his reason for fighting or doing his duty?
TIN SOLDIER! To win a fucking war?
As a 'tin soldier' is he hoping of being a vital part of a victorious war?
Signed away his name
Surrendered his name
Contributed by Wyatt F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.