Dirty Water

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

According to Standells keyboardist Larry Tamblyn, at least some of the song (notably the reference to "lovers, muggers, and thieves") was inspired by a mugging of producer Ed Cobb in Boston. In addition to the Charles River, other local interest items in the song include the Boston University women's curfew—"Frustrated women ... have to be in by 12 o'clock"—and a passing mention of the Boston Strangler—"have you heard about the Strangler? (I'm the man I'm the man)." The well-known guitar riff that opens the song was recorded with a Fender Telecaster through a Vox AC30 amplifier by Standells guitarist Tony Valentino. Although Cobb received sole songwriting credit, Tamblyn has stated that the band "completely restructured it ... and made it into what it was", and "we didn’t get any credits for writing nor arranging."

In Their Own Story

The tradition of playing "Dirty Water" after Red Sox home victories began in the 1997 season. This followed the lead of the Boston Bruins, who started playing the song after their own home wins in 1995. The connection to baseball history was solidified when the Standells performed live at Fenway Park prior to Game 2 of the 2004 World Series. That same year, the track appeared on the soundtrack for "Fever Pitch," a film focusing on the Red Sox season. The song's reach expanded globally in April 2019 when Liverpool F.C., owned by Fenway Sports Group (the same entity that owns the Red Sox), began playing it after home matches in the English Premier League, extending the Boston anthem to fans across the Atlantic.

Reader's Guide

"Dirty Water" was first issued in late 1965 on the Tower label, a subsidiary of Capitol Records. It first became a hit in the state of Florida, breaking out on WLOF in Orlando in January 1966. The song debuted on the Cash Box charts on April 30, 1966, and peaked at No. 8. It reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 11. It was the band's first major hit single; their earlier charting record, "The Boy Next Door", had only reached No. 102 on Billboard's Bubbling Under chart in February 1966. "Dirty Water" was included in the influential compilation album Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 and is listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". Dirty Water was also the title of the Standells' most successful LP, their only nationally charting album. This LP charted on both Billboard and Cash Box magazines' charts, peaking at No. 52 and No. 39, respectively, during the summer of 1966.

Did You Know?

• The song is traditionally played by Boston sports teams following home victories. The National Hockey League's Boston Bruins began playing it in 1995, and Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox followed suit after home v
• The Standells performed the song live at Fenway Park prior to Game 2 of the 2007 American League Division Series.
• The song is included in the soundtrack for the 2005 film Fever Pitch, which focuses on the 2004 Red Sox season.
• Starting in April 2019, Liverpool F.C., a club in the English Premier League, began playing "Dirty Water" after home matches. The club is owned by Fenway Sports Group, which also owns the Red Sox.
• British garage rock revivalists The Inmates covered "Dirty Water" in 1979 (and replaced Boston and the Charles with London and the River Thames), a version which was a moderate hit and reached #51 on the Billboard Hot 10