They released their new CD/DVD 'Gloatin' and Snowboatin' on March 4. It was recorded live at their St. Patrick's Day show in 2006.
Mad Riot
The Tossers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In pork pie hats and denim masks and furious knife clutched hands
It was a bank holiday for languages lost
Being armed to the teeth to face this curse
If you’ve always used establishment
We’ve always used piss off to change the intonation in this verse
As curlew dies and structures burn laid barren as then night falls
Wandering zombies smoldering from the top
[Chorus – 2x]
When all is done special branch comes through
With police finish off the rest of the best
Evacuated barren and I now know who’s dead
As parliament wakes and yawns deep from the chest
Well, and the sun burns up the night
And the boot heels click
And the engines burn and John Major gets sick
And American soldiers station themselves
Round Serbian oil wells
And four course five star dinners down by the wakening church’s bells
[Chorus – 4x]
Well, we don’t believe this way has worked
We’ll burn down this mind set
Burning all your American illusions up
We’ll show you what, where and when we’re at
Well, almost everyone knows what homelessness is
And everyone know ‘bout death
And you can’t give morals onto either one,
Or justify it or come back and say it was worth the test
Well, when you give death – you get death back
That’s the way the cycle works
Well, when you’ve taken - you get things taken from you
That’s situational, that’s your friends
you’ve kept while doing the dirt
[Chorus – 2x]
Riot, riot, riot, riot!
The Tossers' song "Mad Riot" speaks of a chaotic scene in which riots are happening all around the land, with people dressed in pork pie hats and denim face masks, brandishing knives in their hands. The lyrics talk about it being a bank holiday, a day when languages are lost, and people arm themselves to face the curse. The song contrasts the destruction and chaos caused by the riots with the quiet and empty aftermath that is left when everything is done. Special Branch and the police come through to finish off the rest of the best, and everyone has been evacuated or is now dead. The chorus repeats multiple times, emphasizing the violence and madness of the riots.
The second verse of the song takes on a more political tone, mentioning John Major, American soldiers stationed around Serbian oil wells, and dinners by the church's bells. The lyrics suggest that the current way of thinking has not worked and that it is time to burn down the mindset and American illusions. The song reflects on the human condition, discussing how everyone knows about homelessness and death, and no one can justify it. The cycle of taking and giving, doing the dirt alongside friends, is also touched upon in this song.
Overall, "Mad Riot" is a commentary on the destructive nature of riots and the need for change in the political and social system. The lyrics speak to the chaos that ensues when people feel like their voices aren't being heard, and the desperate need to make changes in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Riot, riot, riot crossed this land
Violence and chaos spread across the nation
In pork pie hats and denim masks and furious knife clutched hands
Agitated individuals wearing disguises and armed with knives
It was a bank holiday for languages lost
A time of reckoning for forgotten dialects
Being armed to the teeth to face this curse
Prepared to the extreme to confront this affliction
If you’ve always used establishment
If you’ve always followed the norm
We’ve always used piss off to change the intonation in this verse
We’ve always used vulgar language to express our discontent
As curlew dies and structures burn laid barren as then night falls
Destruction and death fill the landscape as darkness sets in
Wandering zombies smoldering from the top
Disoriented and burned individuals roam aimlessly
See their dead in our burned out halls
The victims of this conflict are evident in our destroyed communities
When all is done special branch comes through
When the chaos subsides, the authorities arrive
With police finish off the rest of the best
The remaining troublemakers are dealt with by law enforcement
Evacuated barren and I now know who’s dead
The evacuated area is barren, and the casualties are known
As parliament wakes and yawns deep from the chest
As the government wakes up and faces the aftermath
Well, and the sun burns up the night
The new day dawns
And the boot heels click
People march in formation
And the engines burn and John Major gets sick
The engines of progress continue churning, but some leaders fall ill
And American soldiers station themselves
American military personnel deploy to various locations
Round Serbian oil wells
To protect oil wells in Serbia
And four course five star dinners down by the wakening church’s bells
The rich indulge in luxurious dinners while the community slowly wakes up
Well, we don’t believe this way has worked
We don’t think the current system is effective
We’ll burn down this mind set
We’ll destroy the mentality that perpetuates the status quo
Burning all your American illusions up
Destroying the American ideals and beliefs that don’t align with our own
We’ll show you what, where and when we’re at
We’ll demonstrate our position and stance
Well, almost everyone knows what homelessness is
Homelessness is a widespread issue that affects many
And everyone know ‘bout death
Everyone has experienced or knows about the concept of death
And you can’t give morals onto either one,
Morality cannot be imposed on either homelessness or death
Or justify it or come back and say it was worth the test
It’s impossible to justify the suffering or declare it worth the effort
Well, when you give death – you get death back
When you cause death, you invite it back to you
That’s the way the cycle works
This pattern of violence and retaliation is predictable
Well, when you’ve taken - you get things taken from you
When you take from others, you also lose something
That’s situational, that’s your friends
This scenario is dependent on your social circle
you’ve kept while doing the dirt
Friends you have maintained despite wrongdoing
Riot, riot, riot, riot!
Reinforcing the chaotic and violent nature of the events described in the song
Contributed by Elijah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.