[4] Going Out in Style is a concept album, blending the band's own personal experiences and family folklore into the story of a fictional character named Cornelius Larkin.

Going Out in Style traces the journey of Larkin, whether it's the Irish immigrant's first person account of his own wake or the band's in depth interpretation of his life and lineage throughout the album's lyrics.

"The Hardest Mile" pays tribute to a group of 57 Irish immigrants, who were hired by railroad contractor Philip Duffy to lay a section of tracks for the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad in a valley now known as Duffy’s Cut (located about 30 miles west of Philadelphia) and disappeared under mysterious circumstances in August 1832.

"Take Em' Down" is a pro-union song dedicated to Wisconsin workers protesting the anti-labor legislation passed by Governor Scott Walker.

"[6][7] The album also features guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, NOFX vocalist Fat Mike, Chris Cheney from The Living End and actor/comedian Lenny Clarke.

[11] The music video for the first single, "Going Out in Style" was released on March 1, 2011 (the same day the album was released) and features cameos by Fat Mike, Chris Cheney, Lenny Clarke, Bobby Orr, Micky Ward, Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon, Shawn Thornton, Milan Lucic, Heidi Watney among many others.

100 copies have been held aside for the band to sell directly to fans attending the March 14/15/16 homecoming shows at Boston’s House of Blues.

Regarding the album's concept they added: "The fictional character Cornelius Larkin is just the kind of man you would expect to find on a Dropkick Murphys release: a rough-around-the-edges working-class Irish immigrant who predictably can hold his liquor and knows his way around a good old fashioned brawl."

Rolling Stone summed up the album by saying "The Boston Irish-punk septet never met a shout-along chorus they didn't want to crash into, with a bagpipe tooting along for an extra shot of old-world poignancy."