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.
You Left Right?
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and I've got no where to go
I need to be somewhere away from here to think
I rake and rack will you be back?
I've been trying not to crack - Yeah
[Chorus:]
Yeah you left right?
Are you regretful? Are you?
Are you remorseful? Are you?
Are you successful? Or are you just trying to make it through?
Never felt as fractured as I feel
In all the days I've been alive
I don't see myself collecting me to soon
I sift and sort and come up short
So far past my last resort - Yeah
[Chorus]
Did you whole world just shatter?
Are you happy or sadder?
Does it really matter?
Did I matter to you?
Are you better off now
Would you tell me if you were worse?
I don't know what it is that I want to believe
Any decisions that you wish you could reverse?
You left - Yeah you left right?
But you didn't want to leave me
Lying on my back where the sofa was for two or three days now
A hollow empty vacancy in me
I search and seek it's pretty bleak
I'll be here for at least a week - Yeah
[Chorus]
Did you whole world just shatter?
Are you happy or sadder?
Does it really matter?
And did I ever matter to you?
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’s “You Left Right?” is a song about the end of a relationship and the singer’s struggle to understand why it ended while dealing with the aftermath. The song starts with the singer sitting in a car with the engine off, trying to find a place away from the situation to think. He feels he is on the verge of breaking down and wants to avoid cracking under the pressure. The chorus poses a series of questions to the former partner such as “Are you regretful? Are you remorseful? Are you successful? Or are you just trying to make it through?” which indicates the singer’s uncertainty and desire for closure. He is searching for answers that might ease his troubled mind.
The second verse emphasizes the confusion the singer is feeling. He has reached a point where he doesn’t see himself “collecting” any time soon. The chorus is repeated once again with the addition of the line “Did I matter to you?”. The singer then asks if the former partner’s whole world shattered and if it really matters if he did. The song ends with the singer lying on his back where the sofa was meant for two or three days ago. He feels empty and hopeless, searching and seeking for something that might fill the void in him.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting in the car with the engine off
I am sitting in the car, the engine is off and I am stuck without a destination
and I’ve got no where to go
I do not have any place to go to
I need to be somewhere away from here to think
I need a place far from here to clear my thoughts
I rake and rack will you be back?
I am worried and concerned, will you be returning?
I’ve been trying not to crack – Yeah
I have been trying to keep strong and not break down
Yeah you left right?
You left, didn't you?
Yeah you left right?
You left, didn't you?
Are you regretful? Are you?
Do you regret leaving?
Are you remorseful? Are you?
Do you feel guilty for leaving?
Are you successful? Or are you just trying to make it through?
Are you doing well? Or just trying to survive?
Never felt as fractured as I feel
I have never felt so broken before
In all the days I’ve been alive
I have lived for many days
I don’t see myself collecting me to soon
I do not think I will recover quickly
I sift and sort and come up short
I try to sort things out, but I do not find the answers
So far past my last resort – Yeah
I have tried everything I could, but nothing seems to work
Did you whole world just shatter?
Did your world fall apart?
Are you happy or sadder?
Are you happier or more sad now?
Does it really matter?
Does it really make a difference?
Did I matter to you?
Did I have any importance to you?
Are you better off now
Are you doing better now?
Would you tell me if you were worse?
Would you tell me if you were not doing well?
I don’t know what it is that I want to believe
I am confused and I cannot decide what to believe
Any decisions that you wish you could reverse?
Do you regret any decisions you made in the past?
You left – Yeah you left right?
You left, didn't you?
But you didn’t want to leave me
But you did not want to leave me behind
Lying on my back where the sofa was for two or three days now
I have been lying on the sofa for the past two or three days
A hollow empty vacancy in me
I feel empty and hollow inside
I search and seek it’s pretty bleak
I search for something, but it seems hopeless
I’ll be here for at least a week – Yeah
I will be here for at least a week
Did you whole world just shatter?
Did your world fall apart?
Are you happy or sadder?
Are you happier or more sad now?
Does it really matter?
Does it really make a difference?
And did I ever matter to you?
Did I ever have any importance to you?
Contributed by Jordan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
LambruscoKid
737 indeed :) I'll have the rest of the album up eventually.
pjfuller
737 Lives and Gives! What a great disc. Great, great stuff. Good to have Kev back as well....
Scott M
What an incredible song.
Brian Kelly
Thanks for uploading SLF. Now I can listen at work. -IJumpThruTheHoops
Ramonesfan990
I can just picture Ben Dancing like Crazy!! GO BEN GO
Kayos501
Why can't they place this on the radio instead of the crap I hear over and over?
Jairo A.H.
I wish these guys would come and play in Costa Rica. Wanna go see them live and sing along
FART
love their cover of police beat by ss decontrol
notyoursavior78
Yeah I got the new 'Tones cd it is cool. It was pretty much a surprise to me when it came out since it had been a whole seven years since their last proper full length. That last one really wasn't that bad it had some kick ass songs. Pay Attention was cool too.
Espartaco Arocha
Thank you so much! Awesome!