Taking Barker from blink-182 and David Kennedy they recorded their self-titled album, "Box Car Racer", in 2002. On the album Tom did all the bass work, but Anthony Celestino was their touring bass player. Guests on the album included Mark Hoppus from blink-182, Tim Armstrong from Rancid and also Jordan Pundik from New Found Glory.
Tom and Travis claim the band was heavily influenced by Dischord Emo, citing influences such as Rites of Spring, Fugazi and later era post hardcore bands such as Quicksand.
Box Car Racer took a hiatus after their headlining tour in 2003. Tom has stated publicly that Box Car Racer is now defunct and will never reunite. Their website was taken off the Internet in late March 2005 and has since been put back online. Many people speculated that Tom's new project was going to be a new Box Car Racer album when he initially announced that he was working on a new album but those rumors were dismissed after the announcement of +44 and Angels & Airwaves. But now blink-182 is back - and touring!
Origin of Name
The band's name comes from the B-29 Bomber which dropped the second atomic bomb (to be used in warfare) on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. The plane's name was "Bockscar". Tom has said in an interview that he has seen the name misspelled as "Boxcar".
Members
Tom DeLonge - Vocals, Guitar (blink-182, Angels & Airwaves)
Travis Barker - Drums (blink-182, +44, The Transplants, The Aquabats)
David Kennedy - Guitar (Over My Dead Body, Hazen Street, Angels & Airwaves)
Anthony Celestino - Bass (Over My Dead Body)
My First Punk Song Version )
Box Car Racer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for the light that's green
Waiting for a reason
Take them all and stack them up
Not in my collection
Hit them all and watch them fly
Fuck them all and watch them drown
What is with these bands that keep comin' with their politics
That they were full of shit
I didn't really either
But fuck I guess it really doesn't matter
You took this time to listen to me
So I'll say hey I fucked your brother
There's one problem
I got brownies
From your mother
They gave me syphilis
Now I got no dick
There's one problem
I got brownies
From your mother
They gave me syphilis
Now I got no dick fucker
The song "My First Punk Song" by Box Car Racer is a commentary on punk music itself, with the lyrics mocking the political messages often present in the genre as well as the rebellious attitude associated with it. The opening lines reference the score of a game, using it as a metaphor for the singer waiting for something to happen in his life. He's waiting for a reason to act on his emotions, but instead he's just collecting grievances to fuel his anger.
The lyrics then criticize punk bands for espousing political beliefs without really understanding them. The singer admits that he doesn't completely understand politics himself, but dismisses the idea that it even matters. He seems to be mocking the idea that having an opinion makes someone important or superior to others, and that it's all just a big game of one-upmanship. The final lines about sleeping with someone's brother and contracting an STD from their mother are a final jab at the idea of rebellion for the sake of rebellion, with the singer reveling in being an outsider who does not conform to societal norms.
Overall, "My First Punk Song" is a self-aware critique of punk music, with the lyrics mocking the very ideas of rebellion and political activism that are often associated with it. Instead, the message seems to suggest that people should focus on what they enjoy and not worry about the opinions of others. In doing so, the song challenges the very ideals that it is often associated with.
Line by Line Meaning
It's 24 to nothing and I'm at the intersection
I'm at the crossroads and my life is going nowhere, feels like I'm losing
Waiting for the light that's green
I'm waiting for my chance to move forward in life
Waiting for a reason
I'm waiting for a reason to keep going, to keep striving
Take them all and stack them up
Take all the obstacles in my way and stack them up, ready to overcome
Not in my collection
I don't want to collect these obstacles
Hit them all and watch them fly
I want to smash through these obstacles and watch them fly away
Fuck them all and watch them drown
I want to destroy these challenges and leave them behind for good
What is with these bands that keep comin' with their politics
Why do so many bands feel the need to push their political agenda in their music?
They never went to school to find out
These bands haven't educated themselves before preaching their political beliefs
That they were full of shit
Their political opinions are useless and meaningless
I didn't really either
I don't have all the answers either
But fuck I guess it really doesn't matter
In the grand scheme of things, none of this really matters
You took this time to listen to me
Thank you for taking the time to hear me out
So I'll say hey I fucked your brother
I'll say something outrageous just for shock value
There's one problem
I have one major issue
I got brownies
I received brownies as a gift
From your mother
They were given to me by your mother
They gave me syphilis
The brownies gave me a sexually transmitted disease
Now I got no dick fucker
This is a crude insult directed at someone, with no real meaning
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TOM DE LONGE, TRAVIS BARKER, TRAVIS L BARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind