‘Listen to the Lyrics, Bozo!’

“A Date With the Smithereens” features some of the group’s most provocative work to date. Following sample lyrics from some of the album’s key songs, songwriter Pat DiNizio’s discusses each.

“Gotti”

Good fellas, politicians, what’s the difference anyway?

Gotti is my hero, he’s the Robin Hood of present day

Tell me there’s no Mafia, I’ll tell you there’s a Santa Claus

And if my name were Gotti, I could make up all of my own laws

Free John Gotti

Free John Gotti now

DiNizio: “The key line of the song is ‘Good fellas, politicians, what’s the difference anyway?’ . . . (Reputed mob kingpin and convicted murderer John) Gotti was the most flamboyant, interesting character on the scene in New York in recent years. He was always compelling reading, to say the least. . . . Obviously, the song is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek. ‘How dare you advocate the release of this man?’ Well, listen to the lyrics, bozo!”

“Long Way Back Again”

Not hurtin’ anyone, that’s all she had to say

I was just havin’ fun, they just got in the way

Did it much matter then, tell me I need to know

The things that they made me do, the way I had to go

DiNizio: “It’s about the world’s first female serial killer, a woman named Aileen Wuornos from Florida. I was flipping across the channels, and I came across a news item about her. I took a point of view in the song that was sympathetic--I’m almost writing it through her voice. It’s got a sort of odd, feminist tone to it. The women friends that I have relate to it without even knowing what it’s about. She’s obviously been abused by men--beaten, raped, made to turn tricks for some drug addict. Who am I to judge? That’s my point of view on the whole thing.”

“War for My Mind”

Keep talkin’ bout the good things you found in your life

All you want is a nice house and some kids and a wife

Not sayin’ that it’s wrong and I can’t disagree

Just sayin’ that I can’t see it happening to me . . .

Guess what, there’s a black cloud inside of my head

Don’t mess around with me or you’ll find yourself dead

DiNizio: “It’s about me dealing with problems in my marriage, dealing with the notion of commitment in relationships, of all the baggage that brings with it--buying houses and cars and all of the things that hold you down to one place at one time. Obviously, I was wrong, though, because now I have a 4-month-old baby daughter who blows my mind on a daily basis, and I’m quite happy being a dad.”