Their recorded debut was a 7" E.P. titled "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit Of Shit" that was self-released on the band's own Police Records in the U.S. in August 1996 and re-released by Nefer Records in Canada in 1997. In addition to that record, The Pinkerton Thugs released two full albums ("The Pain and The Pinkerton Thugs" on V.M.L. Records in 1997 and "End Of an Era" on Go Kart Records in 2000), a split 7" record with the Ducky Boys, and a 7" on Go Kart Records titled "The Times." The bands later recordings saw Paul Russo playing both drums and guitar as well as singing in the studio while Tommy "Von" Gatton, who joined the band in 1998, played drums live. Shortly after the recording of "End Of An Era" in early 1999 Smaldone left the band to concentrate on playing rockabilly with The Racketeers. Paul Russo moved up from the drums to sing and play guitar and James Lynch of The Ducky Boys joined as a permanent member. He only played one show with the band before he left to join The Dropkick Murphys and The Thugs stopped performing, playing its last show in February 2000 at the Karma Club in Boston, Massachusetts. "End of an Era" was released posthumously in June 2000, some 18 months after it was recorded, to both critical and public acclaim.
The Pinkerton Thugs officially got back together in 2008 and are currently active with a touring line-up. The band was signed to Jailhouse Records in 2011. They are doing a full U.S. tour summer of 2012, re-releasing all their older albums, and recording a brand new record fall of 2012.
Discography:
"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Shit" 7" (1996 Police/Nefer Records)
"The Pain and the Pinkerton Thugs" CD (1997 VML Records)
split 7" with the Ducky Boys (1998 Police Records)
"The Times" 7" (1999 Go-Kart/AF Records)
"End of an Era" CD (2000 Go-Kart Records)
I Remember
The Pinkerton Thugs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always had that gleam in our eyes the days were ours to sell
You'd hit me up for a buck but we never had a dime
So we jumped the subway in town on the Red Line
I remember
We were never off our feet kickin' stones down on the street
My folks untied the knot, your old man got a job in New York
You picked up habbits, I picked up the guitar
We used to steal a lot
Then catch a show off the Kenmore stop
But I felt I robbed the most
When that poison hit your heart
Should have never seen you off
Should have been right there when you nodded off
But you told me you weren't doing nothing hard
I remember seeing you two weeks before you died
I swear to christ you had that gleam still in your eye
And now I'm runnin'
But I'm runnin' all alone
When I'm done runnin'
I'll burn out and fade away with you
The Pinkerton Thugs' song "I Remember" reminisces on the friendship and memories the singer shared with their now-deceased friend. The lyrics talk about how the two of them always had a positive outlook and were willing to do whatever it took to have a good time, even if it meant jumping a subway turnstile or getting arrested. The two friends had a lot of shared experiences and grew up together, but eventually went their separate ways as their families changed and they developed different interests.
Despite the distance and diverging paths of their lives, the singer still felt a connection to their friend and regrets not being there for them when they were struggling. The song takes a darker turn as it is revealed that the friend died from a drug overdose, leaving the singer to grieve and continue on alone. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer will eventually join their friend in death, unable to fully move on from the memories and the impact the friend had on their life.
"I Remember" is a poignant reflection on the fragility of life and the importance of friendships. It also touches on themes of nostalgia, regret, and loss, making it a relatable and heartfelt song for many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
You and me we always hit it off well
We always got along great
Always had that gleam in our eyes the days were ours to sell
We were always optimistic about the future and saw endless possibilities in life
You'd hit me up for a buck but we never had a dime
You often asked me for money, but we were always broke
So we jumped the subway in town on the Red Line
We would sneak onto the subway without paying and take the Red Line
We were never off our feet kickin' stones down on the street
We were always active, walking around and kicking stones on the street
We got arrested more than once before we hit the age eighteen
We were in trouble with the law multiple times before we turned eighteen
My folks untied the knot, your old man got a job in New York
My parents got divorced, and your father found work in New York
You picked up habbits, I picked up the guitar
You developed some bad habits, while I started playing the guitar
We used to steal a lot
We were thieves at one point
Then catch a show off the Kenmore stop
We would go see a show at the Kenmore stop after stealing
But I felt I robbed the most
I felt the guiltiest about our stealing
When that poison hit your heart
When the drugs took a toll on your health
Should have never seen you off
I should have stayed with you and prevented you from using drugs
Should have been right there when you nodded off
I should have been present when you died
But you told me you weren't doing nothing hard
You lied to me and said you weren't doing anything serious
I remember seeing you two weeks before you died
I recall seeing you before you passed away
I swear to christ you had that gleam still in your eye
I promise you had that optimistic spirit in your eyes at that moment
And now I'm runnin'
I'm trying to escape your death and the guilt I feel about it
But I'm runnin' all alone
I'm coping with this on my own
When I'm done runnin'
When I finally face what happened
I'll burn out and fade away with you
I will join you in the afterlife
Contributed by Allison I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@timrohan8792
Still one of the best punk songs ever.
@erikhall5154
Our song
@heyheyyounow
Awesome
@erikhall5154
Rip ola