This week, Dropkick Murphys shared their latest song, the fiery workers’ anthem “All You Fonies.” It’s the third single from the Boston-based Celtic punkers’ forthcoming 11th studio album, This Machine Still Kills Fascists. Both the song and the album repaint the lyrics of the American folk icon Woody Guthrie.
The album title is familiar for Guthrie fans — the late musical troubadour is known for displaying the slogan “This Machine Kills Fascists” on his acoustic guitar throughout the 1940s. The Murphys’ “All You Fonies” takes the original yarn and remakes it for today’s activist atmosphere.
Hear the song toward the bottom of this post.
Immediately previous Murphys singles “Two 6’s Upside Down” and “Ten Times More” did the same thing with germane Guthrie lyrics. Both of those tunes also appear on the track list for This Machine Still Kills Fascists, which is chock full of reimagined Guthrie-penned songs. It arrives in full Sept. 30. Pre-order it here.
Dropkick Murphys are currently touring the U.S. — see the dates below. They head to Europe for a stable of shows with fellow punk act Pennywise early next year.
In John S. Partington’s The Life, Music and Thought of Woody Guthrie, the author explains how Guthrie wrote the words to “All You Fonies” circa 1944 after he joined the Merchant Marine and National Maritime Union (NMU). The show of union strength is clear in the lyric.
Come all your friends and workers
A tale I’ll tell to you
Of how we built our Union
You call the NMU
I fought the goons and gun thugs
Around the ocean shores
I guess I got my head caved in
A dozen times or more
Singing: All you fonies bound to lose lose lose
All you fonies bound to lose
Dropkick Murphys, “All You Fonies” (Music Video)
Dropkick Murphys Fall 2022 U.S. Tour Dates
Sept. 16 – West Springfield, Mass. @ Big E
Oct. 20 – Concord, N.H. @ Capitol Ctr
Oct. 21 – Providence, R.I. @ Veterans Memorial
Oct. 22 – Atlantic City, N.J. @ Circus Maximus
Oct. 24 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Kings Theatre
Oct. 25 – Washington, D.C. @ Lincoln Theatre
Oct. 27 – N. Charleston, S.C. @ Performing Arts Ctr
Oct. 28 – Raleigh, N.C. @ Raleigh Memorial
Oct. 29 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ Brady Music Ctr
Oct. 30 – Greensburg, Pa. @ Palace Theatre
Nov. 1 – Tulsa, Okla. @ Tulsa Theater
Nov. 2 – Omaha, Neb. @ The Holland Center
Nov. 3 – Denver, Colo. @ Paramount Theatre
Nov. 5 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Orpheum Theatre
Nov. 6 – Silverado, Calif. @ Oak Canyon Park
Nov. 8 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Orpheum Theatre
Nov. 9 – Oakland, Calif. @ Fox Theater
Nov. 10 – Monterey, Calif. @ Golden State Theatre
Nov. 11 – Reno, Nev. @ Silver Legacy Casino
Nov. 13 – Seattle, Wash. @ Moore Theatre
Nov. 16 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ State Theatre
Nov. 17 – Des Moines, Iowa @ Sherman Place
Nov. 18 – Chesterfield, Mo. @ Factory
Nov. 19 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman
Rock + Metal Bands That Played 150 Shows in a Year
These bands had intense touring schedules. So many shows, so little rest!
