Jammin’ With Josh: Dropkick Murphys

This is Jammin’ With Josh. Each week I take a look at one of the bands that I love. Or perhaps it will be a band that I just discovered and think you should check out. Or maybe it will just be a way for me to post music videos. Honestly, no one will ever know.

I am not going to sit here and pretend that I am a huge punk fan. Or that I had been since back when I was in 7th grade or something. Nope, I started listening to punk probably when I was 22. My roommate, Jackson, was a big punk guy and I just started listening to his stuff. One of the bands I really enjoyed was Dropkick Murphys. I know, no fun trip down memory lane…no cool concert story. Just a band that I like.

Now, the song everyone knows is “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.” I mean, the song is used as walk-up songs for baseball players, Sam Adams commercials, and just about anytime someone wants to mention the city of Boston. However, my favorite use of the song is from one of my favorite movies of all-time: The Departed. This song was my ringtone for the longest time (hell, I think I used it as my alarm for awhile too…nothing wakes you up quite like this song).

This next song is one of my favorites. I used to love playing this at the bar (just ask Steve, just about every time we went to Mugshots, which was like every night, I would play this)…c’mon it is called “Gonna Be a Blackout Tonight.” Funny thing is, the song is not about drinking. It is actually a cover of a Woody Guthrie song about how they head to turn out the lights during air raids during World War II. How cool is that?

My other favorite song is “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced.” Some of the things he says in it remind me of stuff I have actually heard Gideon say while we were out at the bars in State College (I could totally see him saying he designed the Sears Tower or that he could bench-press a car). It is just a funny song, although the end of the song is kind of sad when you think about it. Fun fact…Lindsey hates this song.

And finally, here is probably my favorite song by them: “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya.” Actually every song from The Meanest of Times is excellent.

Okay, I lied, listening to the last one made me want to include “Flannigan’s Ball.”

Author: Ngewo