The band was formed in Kingston, ON, Canada, in 1990 by Fintan "Finny" McConnell and Barry Williams, as a one-off band for a St. Patrick's Day party.
The Mahones have released ten albums to date (Draggin' The Days, Rise Again, The Hellfire Club Sessions, Here Comes Lucky, Paint The Town Red - The Best Of, Live At The Horseshoe, Take No Prisoners, The Irish Punk Collection, Whiskey Devils - A Tribute To The Mahones and The Black Irish Album), and one very rare cassette (Clear The Way). The Black Irish Album, The Mahones' critically-acclaimed 7th studio album, was released along with a tribute album in 2011, featuring 20 international bands covering Mahones' songs.
The band's cited influences included The Clash, The Pogues, The Who, The Waterboys and Hüsker Dü. The group's lineup has changed a number of times, with McConnell and Williams as the main constant members. Pogues members Terry Woods and Phil Chevron joined the band on tour in 2003.
The Mahones have shared stages and toured around the world with legends such as The Dropkick Murphys, Stiff Little Fingers, Shane MacGowan and The Popes, Billy Bragg, Chuck Ragan, The UK Subs, Sick Of It All, The Defects, Agnositic Front, The Buzzcocks, D.O.A., Against Me, The Tragically Hip, The Damned, Suicidal Tendencies, The Prodigy, Gwar, Skunk Anansie, Tricky, Blue Rodeo, Steve Earle, The Alarm, Sinead O'Connor, The Street Dogs, Roger Miret and The Disasters, Flogging Molly, Spirit Of The West, The Dubliners, Christy Moore, The Band and Van Morrison. More recently, Scuffy Wallace of The Dropkick Murphys joined The Mahones onstage for a few shows as Tin Whistle player in Toronto and Montreal during a recent Dropkick Murphys Canadian tour.
Over the years, The Mahones' music has appeared in several major International Hollywood film releases. Recently, their song "Paint The Town Red 2010" was featured in the climactic final fight scene of the 2 x Academy Award/ 2 x Golden Globe winning Mark Wahlberg/Christian Bale/Amy Adams film "The Fighter" (2010). The Mahones also co-wrote and recorded the title track for the Hollywood Pictures movie "Celtic Pride" (Wally High/The Mahones) featuring Damon Wayans, Daniel Stern, and Dan Akroyd which was composed specifically for the film. The song 100 Bucks was also featured in the movie " Dog Park ", featuring Natasha Henstridge, Luke Wilson, Janeane Garofalo, as well as Bruce McCulloch and Mark McKinney from Kids in the Hall. The Mahones' song 'A Little Bit of Love' is in the new film Ecstasy, based on Irvine Welsh's (Trainspotting) critically acclaimed book.
In 1999, bassist Joe Chithalen died in Amsterdam shortly after a concert. He had accidentally ingested food containing peanuts, to which he was allergic. The Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Library, Joe's M.I.L.L., was established in Kingston soon after by Wally High.
Paint This Town Red
The Mahones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I haven′t seen you in a while, come over here, my friend
It sure has been a long time since I've seen your pretty face
I hear that you′ve been doing good, what's the story with this place?
So c'mon, here we go again, you and I
We′ll paint this fucking town red
I′m in the mood to hit the streets, and paint the fuckers red
We're gonna go out nuts tonight, chasing down the browns
We′re gonna go down to the pubs, and take this fucking town
Well, it's six in the morning now, the sun is in my eyes
My pockets are all empty, and I′m glad to be alive
I'll see you at the gates of hell, that's where we′re going to
So raise your glasses in the air, I′ll drink this one for you
The lyrics of The Mahones's song "Paint This Town Red" convey a sense of reunion, camaraderie, and a desire to have a wild night out with a close friend. The opening lines suggest a genuine curiosity about the friend's whereabouts and well-being after a long time apart. There is a sense of excitement and anticipation as the singer expresses his eagerness to reconnect and catch up on each other's lives.
The phrase "paint this fucking town red" serves as the central theme of the song. It represents a determination to have a raucous and memorable night on the town, leaving a lasting mark and creating an energetic atmosphere. The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the intensity of this desire.
The lyrics further depict a rebellious attitude and a disregard for societal norms. The use of profanity and the mention of "chasing down the browns" suggests a disregard for authority and a willingness to defy convention. The singer's declaration that they will drink for their friend at the gates of hell adds a rebellious and adventurous tone to the song.
Overall, "Paint This Town Red" captures the spirit of youthful rebellion, friendship, and the pursuit of an unforgettable night out.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey there, where you going to, how the hell you been?
Greetings, where are you headed and how have you been lately?
I haven't seen you in a while, come over here, my friend
It's been some time since our last meeting, come closer, my friend
It sure has been a long time since I've seen your pretty face
It feels like ages since I last saw your beautiful face
I hear that you've been doing good, what's the story with this place?
I've heard you've been doing well, can you tell me more about this town?
So c'mon, here we go again, you and I
So come along, let's do it again, just you and me
We'll paint this fucking town red
We'll bring great energy and excitement to this town
I'm in the mood to hit the streets, that's what I bloody said
I feel like going out on the streets, that's what I emphatically expressed
I'm in the mood to hit the streets, and paint the fuckers red
I feel like going out on the streets and causing a ruckus
We're gonna go out nuts tonight, chasing down the browns
Tonight, we're going crazy, pursuing excitement
We're gonna go down to the pubs, and take this fucking town
We'll head to the pubs and truly enjoy ourselves in this town
Well, it's six in the morning now, the sun is in my eyes
It's six in the morning, the sun is shining brightly
My pockets are all empty, and I'm glad to be alive
I don't have any money, but I'm grateful for being alive
I'll see you at the gates of hell, that's where we're going to
I'll meet you at a place of wild excitement, where anything can happen
So raise your glasses in the air, I'll drink this one for you
Raise your glasses in celebration, I'll have a drink in your honor
Contributed by Aiden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@evanc4301
Hey there, where you going to
How the hell you been?
I haven't seen you in a while
Come over here my friend
It sure has been a long time since I've seen your pretty face
I hear that you've been doing good
What's the story with this place?
C'mon, here we go again, you and I
We'll paint this fucking town red
I'm in the mood to hit the streets
That's what I bloody said
I'm in the mood to hit the streets
And paint the fuckers red
We're gonna go out nuts tonight
Chasing down the browns
We're gonna go down to the pubs
And take this fucking town
Well, it's six in the morning now
The sun is in my eyes
My pockets are all empty
And I'm glad to be alive
I'll see you at the gates of hell That's where we're going to
So raise your glasses in the air I'll drink this one for you
@thedude5756
Hey there, where you going to, how the hell you been?
I haven't seen you in a while, come over here, my friend
It sure has been a long time since I've seen your pretty face
I hear that you've been doing good, what's the story with this place?
So c'mon, here we go again, you and I
We'll paint this fucking town red
I'm in the mood to hit the streets, that's what I bloody said
I'm in the mood to hit the streets, and paint the fuckers red
We're gonna go out nuts tonight, chasing down the browns
We're gonna go down to the pubs, and take this fucking town
Well, it's six in the morning now, the sun is in my eyes
My pockets are all empty, and I'm glad to be alive
I'll see you at the gates of hell, that's where we're going to
So raise your glasses in the air, I'll drink this one for you
@Ganjus
The mahones are great, seen them several times, I live in there home town.
@Kirakon78420
Great irish diaspora in Canada !!
@thesimpleshow283
Lol I'm down the road in gananaoque
@wpgme85
DKM concert in Winnipeg was awesome. first time I ever heard the Mahones, and it was fucking awesome.
@amrroxmoora
thumbs up if the fighter brought you here !!
@golden1234ism
Great pub fight song
@DaZoneRanger
Yep, The Fighter brought me here! I'm actually watching the movie RIGHT NOW, and momentarily paused it to good search this song.
@mohammadnajibahmadfuad5429
awesome song. from malaysia with love.
@MazeThePlaya
saw them supporting DKM in Munich, loved them!
@gerco16
the mahones where in groningen (holland) last year. i never heard of them but i realy enjoyed theire music. i still do i also got that shirt with the same print on it as the picture ferry nice music greetz from holland gerco