"Dirty Water" by The Standells

"Dirty Water" by The Standells

I'm gonna tell you a story
I'm gonna tell you about my town
I'm gonna tell you a big fat story, baby
Aw, it's all about my town

Yeah, down by the river
Down by the banks of the river Charles 
(Aw, that's what's happenin' baby)
That's where you'll find me
Along with lovers, muggers, and thieves
(Aw, but they're cool people)

Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Boston, you're my home 
(Oh, you're the number one place)

Frustrated women (I mean they're frustrated)
Have to be in by twelve o'clock (Oh, that's a shame)
But I'm wishin' and a-hopin', oh
That just once those doors weren't locked 
(I like to save time for my baby to walk around)

Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Boston, you're my home (Oh, yeah)

Because I love that dirty water
Oh, oh, Boston, you're my home (Oh, yeah)

Well, I love that dirty water (I love it, baby)
I love that dirty water (I love Baw-stun)
I love that dirty water (Have you heard about the Strangler?)
I love that dirty water (I'm the man, I'm the man)
I love that dirty water (Ow!)
I love that dirty water (Come on, come on)

Standells. The Standells Dirty Water. Rec. 1966. Atv Publishing, 1966. Vinyl recording.

Anderson, John. "World's Most Polluted River." MyScienceAcademy. My Science Academy, 04 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. <http://myscienceacademy.org/2014/02/05/worlds-most-polluted-river/>.

           

            Dirty water doesn't always have to be bad. "Dirty Water" by The Standells is a song that uses Boston and its "Dirty Water" to tell a story about acceptance. The song demonstrates people who have accepted their homes as a part of themselves. Specifically, the singer tells a story of how Boston is his home whether everything is perfect or even if he is surrounded by muggers and thieves.

            The song's setting is in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1966, when the song was written, the Charles River was as dirty as it is today. The lively beat of the song fits perfectly with the busy industrial setting of the Charles River. Along with the beat, the singer's cheerful tone helps to create the buoyant mood of the song. Symbolism is prevalent throughout "Dirty Water." The title itself represents some of the less desirable characteristics of Boston, whether it be the people or the dirty Charles River. "Yeah, down by the river Down by the banks of the river Charles (aw, that's what's happenin' baby) That's where you'll find me Along with lovers, muggers, and thieves (aw, but they're cool people)" (The Standells). These lyrics infer that the singer does not divide his city into the good or the bad, or the clean or the dirty, but has accepted the city as a whole. If the singer could be found down by the dirty water with the muggers and the thieves, one can assume that he is comfortable with Boston as his home.

            The point of view plays an important role in the song. The first person point of view allows the listener to better visualize Boston through the eyes of the singer. "I'm gonna tell you a story I'm gonna tell you about my town I'm gonna tell you a big fat story, baby Aw, it's all about my town" (The Standells). The use of the possessive pronoun "my" shows that the singer has accepted Boston. The singer's repetition of the phrase "I love that dirty water" emphasizes his love for Boston. "Dirty Water" maintains basically the same chorus, or reoccurring stanza, throughout the song. "Well I love that dirty water Oh, Boston, you're my home" (The Standells). This chorus makes the statement that the singer has definitely welcomed Boston as a part of himself even after going through the muggers and the thieves and that dirty water.