PW's Song Of The Week: SONG OF THE WEEK: 1/31/21

SONG: "3rd Man In"

ARTIST: Dropkick Murphys

ALBUM: "The Singles Collection, Vol. 1"

YEAR: 2000

PLACE OF ORIGIN: Quincy, Massachusetts

YEARS ACTIVE: 1996 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"3rd Man In" appears to be a song about how bonds that were so tight when people are young tend to loosen as we grow older. The vocalist fondly remembers how the guys he hung around with had a one for all, all for one attitude and their friendship was really tight. As he has grown older, some of his friends have gone by the wayside or perhaps they just have grown more and more apart. As an adult, he realizes he has to move forward on his own because all of their priorities are different now, raising a family, work, etc.

DROPKICK MURPHYS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - Do Or Die (Hellcat Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

1999 - The Gang's All Here (Hellcat Records)

* peaked at # 184 on the Billboard 200 on 4-3-99

2000 - The Singles Collection, Vol. 1 (Hellcat Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - Sing Loud, Sing Proud (Hellcat Records)

* peaked at #144 on the Billboard 200 on 2-24-01

2002 - Live On St. Patrick's Day (Hellcat Records)

* peaked at #155 on the Billboard 200 on 9-28-02

2003 - Blackout (Hellcat Records)

* peaked at #83 on the Billboard 200 on 6-28-03

2005 - The Singles Collection, Vol. 2 (Hellcat Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2005 - The Warrior's Code (Hellcat Records)

* peaked at #48 on the Billboard 200 on 7-9-05

* certified gold

2007 - The Meanest Of Times (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #20 on the Billboard 200 on 10-6-07

2010 - Live On Landsdowne, Boston MA (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #25 on the Billboard 200 on 4-3-10

2011 - Going Out In Style (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 on 3-19-11

2012 - Live At Fenway (Born & Bred Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2013 - Signed And Sealed In Blood (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200 on 1-26-13

2017 - 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200 on 1-28-17

MY THOUGHTS ON DROPKICK MURPHYS

Much love to my Boston homies Dropkick Murphys! Well, ok they are actually from Quincy, MA but close enough. The Dropkick's got their start back in 1996, a nice little Celtic punk/street punk band formed by Ken Casey (bass/vocals) and Mike McColgan (vocals). Early on, the band received huge support by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who took them on their very first tour. They also received huge support from Rancid who signed the Murphy's to their Hellcat label and Lars Frederiksen even produced their first album, 1998's "Do Or Die". Not long after "Do Or Die" was released, McColgan decided to leave the band. The Dropkick's recruited The Bruisers frontman Al Barr to take his place. As the band entered the 2000's, they began to see all their albums charting on the Billboard 200. Their 2003 album "Blackout" started getting some radio support with their single "Walk Away". In 2004, the band re-recorded an old song about the Boston Red Sox called "Tessie" that turned out to be a battle cry for the team en route to their first World Series victory since 1918. 2005 saw the release of their most successful record, "The Warrior's Code". This is the band's only album to be certified (gold) thanks in part to the song "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" which was featured prominently in the Martin Scorcese film "The Departed". This helped the single become platinum selling! At this point in the band's career, they decided to put their albums out on their own label, Born & Bred Records. 2007's "The Meanest Of Times" reached #20 on the Billboard 200 charts. Their next three studio albums peaked in the top 10. Their 2011 album, "Going Out In Style" would be the band's highest charting album, peaking at #6. If you're a Bostonian, you'd love the video for the title track of that album as it features several prominent Boston sports figures and more. Plus a lot of it was filmed at the now closed local pub McGreevy's, which was owned by Ken Casey. The band's last full length release was 2017's "11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory". The band had been releasing a few songs here and there the last few years and intended to release a new album in September of 2020 but the Coronavirus has fucked up those plans for now. The Dropkick Murphys, in my mind, are at the top of the mountain when it comes to Celtic punk. Am I biased being from Boston? Sure. But the Dropkick's resume speaks for itself. These guys wear their Boston roots on their sleeves, whether they're playing their annual St. Patrick's Day shows in the city or just lending their support to local causes, most notably their charitable support for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. I knew of the Dropkick's pretty much since they came out but I really got into them when they released "Blackout" in 2003. The songs "Walk Away"and "The Dirty Glass" really made me fall in love with the band and I've been a big fan ever since. This Covid shit really is messing with everything, including bands and music venues. The Dropkick's put on a great live show so hopefully, we all get vaccinated and we can all get together again and enjoy great punk bands like the Dropkick Murphys!

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Flogging Molly

The Real McKenzies

The Rumjacks

Flatfoot 56

Street Dogs

TEN DROPKICK MURPHYS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Warrior's Code

2. Barroom Hero

3. The Dirty Glass

4. Going Out In Style

5. Walk Away