Before starting the band Mindless Self Indulgence, James Euringer launched a solo album in 1995, called Mindless Self-Indulgence, which he had produced by himself and was limited to 500 copies. Contrary to popular belief, this was not an album by the band Mindless Self Indulgence, however, Steve Righ? played guitar for the track "Bed of Roses".
Another large influence in the band's music comes from early 1980s culture. Frequently the music contains samples of early 80's hip-hop or rock, as well as Atari-style beeps and tones. Their second album as a band, 1999's Tight, was even allegedly mixed on Atari equipment. Many of Urine's dress styles consist of the juxtaposition of popular 1980s clothing or bastardized versions thereof.
Later in February 2000, MSI launched the album Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy, featuring 30 tracks that were sorted alphabetically. Kitty (Drummer) designed and ran the official site of MSI when the album came out.
After Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy , Vanessa YT (Bass player) decided to leave MSI to start a family. Her replacement in the band was Lyn-Z (Bass player).
Mindless Self Indulgence is distinguished from mainstream punk, however, by their incorporating lyrics about being gay and related topics into nearly all of their songs - even titling one of their songs Faggot. Also, Euringer and Steve, Righ? (Guitarist) possess wide vocal ranges, stretching from tenor to high falsetto. The band also has no qualms about using words deemed offensive by some, such as nigga (Jimmy Urine argues that he doesn't say the word out of anger, and often it is more or less used in the sense that it is used in the hip-hop world), and faggot heavily in many of their songs. Many critics have used their word choice to dismiss the band as juvenile.
And although this may be the case, with some songs being of a 'juvenile' subject and tone, they also use clever lyrics and stance to give meaning to songs, such as You'll rebel to anything, which is a song that talks about how punk culture is being exploited by misdirected youths as a way to be unique or get noticed.
In keeping with their confrontational posture, Euringer has been arrested for pulling his penis out of his pants and attempting to set his pubic hair on fire, allegedly succeeding on one such occasion. Other notable stage antics include him drinking his own urine, inviting audience members to punch him in the face and/or throw objects at him, making out with both genders during the show, and roaming through the audience after the set blaring hip-hop music from a boom box perched on his shoulder.
The band's energetic live shows have gained them much recognition. The band is known to stay after the show has finished, signing whatever fans want until not one person is left wanting an autograph. They also take photographs with all desiring fans. They have opened for a number of popular bands, including System of a Down, KoRn, Staind, Sum 41, Mushroomhead, Insane Clown Posse, My Chemical Romance, and Rammstein. They have also played many large musical festivals including Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans in October of 2003 (and in Memphis, TN after Hurricane Katrina in 2006), as well as headlining the Mojave tent at the 2004 Coachella Festival, and the main stage of 2007's Give It A Name. They also headlined the second stage of the Projekt Revolution tour in Summer 2007.
Their DVD, called Our Pain, Your Gain, was released on September 11, 2007, featuring one of their concerts in New York.
On 29th April 2008, their 4th studio album, If, was released. The standard edition contains 15 tracks, the deluxe edition has the same tracklist and a bonus DVD. The Clean version has 16 tracks, Uncle being the additional track. The International edition (UK version) has 21 tracks; 3S as bonus track and four Never Wanted To Dance remixes.
On 25th October 2012, they began a Kickstarter to crowdfund their next studio album, which reached its goal by December 24th of that year. Digital downloads for their fifth studio album, How I Learned To Stop Giving A Shit And Love Mindless Self Indulgence, were released on 13 March 2013. There are three different versions of the album, with each including the standard 13-song tracklist as well as bonus tracks. The Kickstarter exclusive downloads include the bonus tracks Angel, I Am Not Here to Make Any Friends, and Last Gay Song. The Kickstarter exclusive digipak CD includes the bonus track Sex for Homework. The tour edition CD includes the bonus track Seven Minutes in Heaven. The Metropolis Records released CD includes the bonus cover, The Logical Song (originally by Supertramp).
After the 2014 tour concluded, Mindless Self Indulgence began a hiatus from touring to spend time with their families. On 18 September 2015, the band released the supposed "lost" album Pink, a 19-song album of remastered versions of the "Pink Demos" from 1990-1997, including covers Personal Jesus (originally by Depeche Mode and Girls On Film (originally by Duran Duran). The album includes redone versions of tracks from the self-titled EP from 1995. It’s also known that there are 31 “lost” tracks from 1990-1997 (“Pink Demos” era), and that 15 of those tracks were added onto Pink, then also implying that there are another 16 “lost” tracks that could be released in future, however chances are slim due to recent events.
Bullshit
Mindless Self Indulgence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After this the rest is all bullshit - Oooh
After this the rest is all bullshit - Oooh
After this the rest is all bullshit
I'm so down underground
I'll be scalping all my tickets
Floating up like scouts can
The mission fishin' for the missin' prissy little kids
We shoot 'em in a barrel
It's so easy when they're pissed
Under educated
Extra caffeinated
I just masturbated
Now I'm gonna bait it
Can't live with us
You can't live without us - Oooh
I take it then I break it
Then you write my paycheck
You can call me Little Miss Piss with a kiss
And after all this the rest is all bullshit
And you love it
You love it
You love it
You love it
After this the rest is all bullshit - Oooh
After this the rest is all bullshit - Oooh
After this the rest is all bullshit - Oooh
After this the rest is all bullshit
I'm bumping like a pimp on the stage to save face
I overcompensate with very bad taste
No offense, no romance, sick of your parents
I'm about to take a stance
And drop off my underpants
It's no accident
You will pay my rent
(synthesized voice: and I am free to download all the porno on the internet)
Carried on a stick - stick
Not too fucking quick - quick
Now that I'm a prick - prick
Y'all can jack my dick
Say no to brains
It's a no-brainer
Lowest common denominator
It pays the bills
To be this sterile
Fuck me now, rip me off later
And you love it
You love it
You love it
You love it
After this the rest is all bullshit - Oooh
After this the rest is all bullshit - Oooh
After this the rest is all bullshit - Oooh
After this the rest is all bullshit
You can call me Little Miss Piss with a kiss
You can call me Little Miss Piss with a kiss
You can't live with us, you can't live without us
You can call me Little Miss Piss with a kiss
You can call me Little Miss Piss with a kiss
You can't live with us, you can't live without us
[Repeat: x14]
Oooh
The lyrics of Mindless Self Indulgence's song Bullshit express the singer's disdain for societal norms and expectations. The chorus "after this the rest is all bullshit" signifies that everything that follows the initial "bullshit" is meaningless and unimportant. The rest of the lyrics are a rebellion against the established way of life. At first, the singer asserts their underground status and implies they'll make a profit selling tickets. They defy the norm, saying everyone looks the same to them. They then mention a mission to catch the missing innocent children, which is likely a jab at society's hypocrisy when it comes to child welfare. The lyrics draw attention to the singer's contempt towards the system by repeating the phrase "can't live with us, can't live without us," which emphasizes the notion that they are essential but still not accepted.
Line by Line Meaning
After this the rest is all bullshit - Oooh
The following events will all be meaningless and untrue.
I'm so down underground
I am intentionally isolated from mainstream culture.
I'll be scalping all my tickets
I intend to sell tickets to my show for a much higher price than they are worth.
Floating up like scouts can
I am becoming more successful and popular.
Like y'all can tell the difference
The quality of my music remains the same despite my growing success.
The mission fishin' for the missin' prissy little kids
My goal is to attract naive and immature fans.
We shoot 'em in a barrel
Our fans are easy targets for our marketing and manipulation.
It's so easy when they're pissed
Our fans are more easily influenced when they are angry or discontented.
Under educated
Our fans are not highly intelligent.
Extra caffeinated
We frequently consume excessive amounts of caffeine.
I just masturbated
I have just masturbated.
Now I'm gonna bait it
I am now prepared to manipulate and control my fans.
Can't live with us
Our music is unconventional and not accepted by mainstream culture.
You can't live without us - Oooh
Despite the attitude towards our music, many people are still drawn to it.
I take it then I break it
I use and exploit my fans.
Then you write my paycheck
My financial success is due to the support of my fans.
And after all this the rest is all bullshit
Despite my manipulation and exploitation, the rest of the music industry is still pretending to be genuine.
I'm bumping like a pimp on the stage to save face
I am performing with confidence and flair in order to maintain my reputation.
I overcompensate with very bad taste
I make up for my lack of talent with offensive and extreme behavior.
No offense, no romance, sick of your parents
I do not care for or respect the preferences and opinions of older generations.
I'm about to take a stance
I am preparing to assert my own beliefs and opinions, regardless of the response from others.
And drop off my underpants
I am willing to engage in outrageous behavior in order to shock and gain attention.
It's no accident
My success is intentional and deliberate.
You will pay my rent
My fans are financially supporting my lifestyle.
(synthesized voice: and I am free to download all the porno on the internet)
I have access to anything I want and choose to indulge in pornography.
Carried on a stick - stick
I am being idolized and celebrated by my fans.
Not too fucking quick - quick
Despite my fame, I am not rushing to make decisions and am taking my time.
Now that I'm a prick - prick
Now that I am successful, I am more aggressive and difficult to work with.
Y'all can jack my dick
I do not care for the opinions or criticism of others.
Say no to brains
I am advocating for living without higher intelligence and critical thinking.
It's a no-brainer
My ideas and suggestions do not require much thought or consideration.
Lowest common denominator
My music and ideas appeal to the most basic and simple aspects of human nature.
It pays the bills
My controversial and offensive behavior results in financial success.
To be this sterile
I am willing to strip away all emotion and authenticity in order to maintain my image and success.
Fuck me now, rip me off later
I am willing to engage in relationships or deals that may have negative implications in the future.
You can call me Little Miss Piss with a kiss
I am proud of my controversial and offensive behavior.
You can't live with us, you can't live without us
Despite the offensiveness of our music, many people are still drawn to it.
Oooh
A vocalization expressing attitude and emotion.
Lyrics © JAMES IS A GIRL MUSIC C/O CITRIN COOPERMAN, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES EURINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind