AFI has released eleven studio albums, ten EPs, one live album and one DVD. The band first reached substantial commercial success with their fifth album, The Art of Drowning (2000), which peaked at number 174 on the Billboard 200. They then broke into the mainstream with their sixth, Sing the Sorrow (2003), which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 51 weeks. The album was supported by popular singles "Girl's Not Grey" and "Silver and Cold", both of which peaked at number seven on America's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2003. "The Leaving Song Pt. II" was also released as a single, reaching number 16 on the chart. Sing the Sorrow was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2006 and is AFI's best-selling release, having sold over 1.26 million copies as of September 2009.
AFI's seventh album, Decemberunderground (2006), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and featured the hit single "Miss Murder", which topped the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, "Love Like Winter", reached number four on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2013.[6] Decemberunderground was followed three years later by Crash Love (2009), and then four years later by Burials (2013); both albums were also successful, peaking at number twelve and number nine, respectively, on the Billboard 200. The band's tenth and latest album, AFI (The Blood Album), was released in 2017, and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, making it their second-highest chart position.
I Wanna Get a Mowhawk
AFI Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wear my Cramps shirt almost every single day
I want to sag my pants
I want to pogo dance
But mom won't let me so I might just run away
I - I wanna ride my skate
I wanna stay out late
I - I wanna go to shows
Don't wanna pierce my nose
I wanna mohawk but mom won't let me get one
I may be in fourth grade but I know what's going on
I listen to the Misfits every single day
Don't want to take a nap
I want a TV tat
But mom won't let me so I might just disobey
I - I wanna ride my skate
I wanna stay out late
I wanna mohawk but mom won't let me get one
I - I wanna go to shows
Don't wanna pierce my nose
I wanna mohawk but mom won't let me get one
In "I Wanna Get a Mowhawk," AFI's frontman Davey Havok sings about wanting to rebel against his parents' rules. At the time, AFI was known as a punk rock band, and this song showcases their youthful, angst-ridden energy.
The first verse describes a young boy who's into punk rock culture, as evidenced by his t-shirt featuring the band The Cramps. He wants to express his rebellion by wearing saggy pants and pogo dancing, but his mom won't allow it. The chorus repeats the message that the boy wants a mohawk, but his mom won't let him get one. He wants to go to punk shows and stay out late, but his mom won't let him do those things either.
The second verse paints a similar picture, with a young boy who listens to The Misfits, doesn't want to take a nap, and wants a TV tat (a temporary tattoo featuring a TV show or movie character). He's frustrated by his restricted life and is willing to disobey his parents to assert his individuality. The chorus repeats the same desire for a mohawk and the freedom to attend punk shows and avoid piercing his nose.
Overall, "I Wanna Get a Mowhawk" is a rebellious and cathartic anthem for anyone who's ever felt restricted or misunderstood by their parents or society. It was released on AFI's 1996 album "Very Proud of Ya" and remains a fan favorite to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
I may be ten years old but I still know what's up
Even though I'm young, I'm aware of what's cool and popular.
I wear my Cramps shirt almost every single day
I love my Cramps shirt and wear it all the time because it's an awesome band.
I want to sag my pants
I think it looks cool to wear my pants low on my hips.
I want to pogo dance
I want to dance in a mosh pit at a punk rock show and jump up and down like crazy.
But mom won't let me so I might just run away
My mom doesn't let me do what I want, so I might consider running away to escape her control.
I - I wanna ride my skate
I want to ride my skateboard to feel the wind in my hair and have fun.
I wanna stay out late
I don't want to go to bed early because I want to hang out with my friends and have fun.
I wanna mohawk but mom won't let me get one
Having a mohawk is cool and rebellious, but my mom doesn't want me to get one.
I wanna go to shows
I want to attend live punk rock shows and experience the energy and excitement of the crowd and the music.
Don't wanna pierce my nose
I don't want to get my nose pierced even though it's a popular punk rock look.
I may be in fourth grade but I know what's going on
Even though I'm young, I'm not clueless about the punk rock scene.
I listen to the Misfits every single day
I love listening to the Misfits because their music is raw and authentic.
Don't want to take a nap
I don't want to take a nap because I don't want to miss out on anything exciting.
I want a TV tat
I want to have a tattoo of my favorite TV show because it's a way to express myself and show my love for that show.
But mom won't let me so I might just disobey
My mom doesn't let me do what I want, so I might consider disobeying her and doing it anyway.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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