The band was formed two years later when the other three original members (Steve, righ?, Vanessa Y.T. and Kitty) joined. They have released four albums, two EPs, one live album, and one live DVD. Rather than signing traditional record contracts, the band has preferred to license their albums to record labels, thus retaining ownership of their music. Their latest record is licensed to The End Records.
The band maintains a devout fanbase, and has opened for many famous bands such as Linkin Park, System of a Down, Korn, Staind, Sum 41, My Chemical Romance, Insane Clown Posse, Rammstein and Fu Manchu. They have also participated in the Voodoo Music Experience. They have also had many well known bands open for them such as Tub Ring, Fake Shark - Real Zombie! and Dog Fashion Disco.
In January 2009 the band headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Energy Drink tour, supported by Bring Me The Horizon, Dir en grey, Black Tide and In Case of Fire, though Lyn-Z did not participate due to her pregnancy.
1989
MSI Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rock my white shoes, polo tie
The next big thing for five years running
It's not your turn
It's not your turn - yet
(Woo) Back off you little shits
I see they breed you by the boatload
Back off you little whores
Get 'em on all fours
And let me beat you to the fucking punch bowl
My body's not even cold
My act is just getting old
Goodbye 1989, I wanna be the one in control
Rock my white shoes, polo tie
The next big thing for five years running
It's not your turn
It's not your turn - yet
(Woo) Back off you little shits
Gnawing at my bits
I see they breed you by the boatload
Back off you little whores
Get 'em on all fours
And let me beat you to the fucking punch bowl
My body's not even cold
My act is just getting old
Oh, oh, oh (Woo)
Some babies wanna get down like this
We hate what we like
Oh, oh, oh (Woo)
Some babies wanna get down like this
We hate what we like
Back off you little shits
Gnawing at my bits
I see they breed you by the boatload
Back off you little whores
Get 'em on all fours
And let me beat you to the fucking punch bowl
My body's not even cold
My act is just getting old
MSI's song 1989 is a sarcastic commentary on the self-proclaimed 'cool kids' of the late 80s and early 90s who wanted to stay relevant and in control of the trends. The song is written from the perspective of someone who was once the cool kid, but as time went on, their act became old and tiresome, and they were no longer in control. The lyrics "Goodbye 1989, I wanna be the one in control" are a nod to the idea of staying young and hip forever, refusing to age, and refusing to let go of the past. The mention of "white shoes and polo tie" reveals the shallow, status-driven nature of these attitudes, and how these materialistic standards are used to judge and exclude others.
The song also critiques the younger generation who are trying so hard to be the next big thing, but in reality, they are just imitating their predecessors. The lyrics "back off you little shits, gnawing at my bits, I see they breed you by the boatload, back off you little whores, get 'em on all fours, and let me beat you to the fucking punch bowl" reveal how the cool kids of the past are threatened by the younger generation who are ready to replace them. They try to maintain a sense of control and power over them, and even resort to violent means to keep the younger generation at bay.
In summary, Song 1989 is a biting commentary on the shallow, materialistic nature of the cool kids of the late 80s/early 90s who refuse to let go of their youth and remain in control of the ever-changing trends, and the younger generation who are vying for their spot at the top.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodbye 1989, I wanna be the one in control
I want to say goodbye to the past and take charge of my future.
Rock my white shoes, polo tie
I like to dress sharply and stand out from the crowd.
The next big thing for five years running
I have been successful for a while, and I want to maintain my success.
It's not your turn
Others should not be trying to take my place.
It's not your turn - yet
I acknowledge that others might have potential, but they have not surpassed me yet.
Back off you little shits
Young, inexperienced people should not be interfering with me.
Gnawing at my bits
They are trying too hard to criticize my work.
I see they breed you by the boatload
There are too many people who are unqualified and try to be like me.
Back off you little whores
I don't respect those who compromise their values for attention.
Get 'em on all fours
They should be submissive to me.
And let me beat you to the fucking punch bowl
I will succeed before any of these people can.
My body's not even cold
People are already trying to replace me before I even leave.
My act is just getting old
I need to change and innovate to stay relevant.
Some babies wanna get down like this
Some people imitate me, but they don't understand me.
We hate what we like
I do things that others might find objectionable but they secretly admire.
Contributed by Alaina I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.