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.
Mark David Chapman
Mindless Self Indulgence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No possible intention to even bother
It doesn't matter what is said or how we say it
Coincidentally, we all sound exactly the same
We all want to swindle kids out of their money
If you're still doing this 'cause you believe in it
You are so fucking lame!
Hey
When the world's overrun
With too many bands
Who is it time for
Mark Chapman
Hey
When they all seem absurd
He will thin out the herd
Ladies and gentleman
Mark Chapman
Now
There is no heart
There is no fear
We all just cry
The same old tear
Don't look to me
I do not lead
I'm just in front
And they're all following
Some other motherfucker
Without the balls or cojones
To take a hold of the reins
And use them
Why is something so obvious so elusive?
There is nothing on the menu that will turn abusive
I am part of the problem
Not the solution
I'm just a prisoner
In the same prison as you
We wait for other shoes to fall into positions
Already obsolete
No one will miss us at all
Hey
When the world's overrun
With too many bands
Who is it time for
Mark Chapman
Hey
When they all seem absurd
He will thin out the herd
Ladies and gentleman
Mark Chapman
Now
There is no awe
There is no fear
We all just cry
The same old tear
I can not tell
Is it just me
Or do we all
Look just like
Adolph fucking Hitler
With this swoopy emo-boy dreamy haircut
Dangling in our faces
Making us all indescribably indistinguishable from each other
Or maybe I'm just another megalomaniac
Reginald, release the hounds
The lyrics to Mindless Self Indulgence's song Mark David Chapman are a critique on the music industry and the lack of originality that is prevalent within it. The song references Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon, as a symbol for the violent act that needs to occur to bring attention to the over-saturation of generic and uninspired music. The opening lines, "Indistinguishable from one another, No possible intention to even bother," speak to the lack of effort or creativity within the industry, and the following lines, "It doesn't matter what is said or how we say it, Coincidentally, we all sound exactly the same," further emphasize the homogeneity and repetition of music.
The chorus of the song, "When the world's overrun, With too many bands, Who is it time for, Mark Chapman," is a call to action for someone to make a statement and stand out from the crowd. The lyrics, "We all want to swindle kids out of their money, If you're still doing this 'cause you believe in it, You are so fucking lame," criticize the industry's focus on capitalization and the exploitation of young audiences.
The last verse, "I am part of the problem, Not the solution, I'm just a prisoner, In the same prison as you," indicates that the singer is not exempt from the issue of unoriginality, but rather a product of the same system. The song's message is powerful as it calls for change in an industry that prioritizes profit over artistic integrity.
Line by Line Meaning
Indistinguishable from one another
We are all the same, impossible to tell apart.
No possible intention to even bother
We don't care enough to try to be different.
It doesn't matter what is said or how we say it
Our speech doesn't matter, it all sounds alike.
Coincidentally, we all sound exactly the same
We just happen to sound alike, with no differences.
We all want to swindle kids out of their money
Our goal is just to make money off of gullible kids.
If you're still doing this 'cause you believe in it
If you're still here because you think it means something,
You are so fucking lame!
You're pathetic!
When the world's overrun
When the music industry is oversaturated.
With too many bands
With too many indistinguishable groups.
Who is it time for
Who is the solution for this problem?
Mark Chapman
Mark David Chapman, who killed John Lennon.
When they all seem absurd
When all bands seem ridiculous.
He will thin out the herd
Chapman will reduce their numbers.
Ladies and gentleman
The solution is here.
Now there is no heart
Nowadays, there's no passion for music.
There is no fear
We are no longer scared of being different.
We all just cry the same old tear
We have nothing original to say anymore.
Don't look to me
I am not your guide.
I do not lead
I am not in charge.
I'm just in front
I'm just ahead of everyone else.
And they're all following
And they're all blindly following what I do.
Some other motherfucker
Someone else without any courage,
Without the balls or cojones
Without any bravery.
To take a hold of the reins
To take control of the situation.
And use them
And use it to make something unique.
Why is something so obvious so elusive?
Why is it hard to see something that's so obvious?
There is nothing on the menu that will turn abusive
We can't find anything bold or dangerous to do.
I am part of the problem
I'm also part of this epidemic.
Not the solution
I don't have any answers.
I'm just a prisoner
I'm just a victim of the same circumstances.
In the same prison as you
All in the same trap.
We wait for other shoes to fall into positions
We hope other solutions will present themselves.
Already obsolete
We're already out of date.
No one will miss us at all
No one will care if we disappear.
I can not tell
I can't see a difference anymore.
Is it just me
Am I the only one who sees this?
Or do we all look just like
Or do we all just resemble one another?
Adolph fucking Hitler
We all look like Hitler with this hairstyle.
With this swoopy emo-boy dreamy haircut dangling in our faces
With this same haircut covering our eyes like a veil.
Making us all indescribably indistinguishable from each other
Making us all look the same, and impossible to differentiate.
Or maybe I'm just another megalomaniac
Or maybe I'm just full of myself.
Reginald, release the hounds
A demand for something drastic to happen.
Lyrics © JAMES IS A GIRL MUSIC C/O CITRIN COOPERMAN, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES EURINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wayne de Zwart
@Ross Hurst It's about bands that all look and sound the same and how they flood the market and saying it's time for Mark david Chapman to thin the herd. but also the rebellious Audience being manufactured too, then at the end, the last four that come off the line are the guys in the band. It's satire, and satire is based on truth. It's about what happens to genre stagnation, most genre's fall victim to it.
Here's the lyrics for context
Indistinguishable from one another
No possible intention to even bother
It doesn't matter what is said or how we say it
Coincidentally, we all sound exactly the same
We all want to swindle kids out of their money
If you're still doing this 'cause you believe in it
You are so fucking lame!
[Jimmy's mom speaking Spanish]
"Yo supe que nadie iba a comprender tu musica
pero tu no me hiciste caso,
yo te dije, no te vistas en color rosa"
Hey
When the world's overrun
With too many bands
Who is it time for
Mark Chapman
Hey
When they all seem absurd
He will thin out the herd
Ladies and gentleman
Mark Chapman
Now
There is no heart
There is no fear
We all just cry
The same old tear
Don't look to me
I do not lead
I'm just in front
And they're all following
Some other motherfucker
Without the balls or cojones
To take a hold of the reins
And use them
Why is something so obvious so elusive?
There is nothing on the menu that will turn abusive
I am part of the problem
Not the solution
I'm just a prisoner
In the same prison as you
We wait for other shoes to fall into positions
Already obsolete
No one will miss us at all
[Jimmy's mom speaking Spanish]
"Yo te dije, no debes de firmar con una compaáia de discos tan grande,
ellos no te aprecian, yo no veo en MTV"
Hey
When the world's overrun
With too many bands
Who is it time for
Mark Chapman
Hey
When they all seem absurd
He will thin out the herd
Ladies and gentleman
Mark Chapman
Now
There is no heart
There is no fear
We all just cry
The same old tear
I can not tell
Is it just me
Or do we all
Look just like
Adolph fucking Hitler
With this swoopy emo-boy dreamy haircut
Dangling in our faces
Making us all indescribably indistinguishable from each other
Or maybe I'm just another megalomaniac...
Reginald, release the hounds
[Jimmy's mom speaking Spanish]
"Donde esta todo el dinero que me debes? LADRON!"
No One
Darby Petersen It's a metaphor, my friend.. Mark David Chapman has been described as "killing the music industry" because of his assassination of John Lennon. Not everything is as it seems.
I feel the title fits seeing as music of now-a-days is just killing music for me.. I have so much trouble trying to find unique bands.
If you read the lyrics, it's basically saying we need to get rid of a lot of the usual and same stuff/bands we see in the music industry. MSI is saying they want to see more creativity.
Here's the lyrics as to why Mark''s name is the name of the song:
Hey
When the world's overrun
With too many bands
Who is it time for
Mark Chapman
Hey
When they all seem absurd
He will thin out the herd
Ladies and gentleman
Mark Chapman
It's a joke, really.. saying to just get rid of all the same trash (factory produced bands) and help clear the way for the unique bands. In some of their other lyrics they describe "being in prison" as basically saying they're stuck in an industry full of carbon copied bands and they can't really get recognized for their creativity cause there is just too much garbage in the music industry.
I hope you understand, now..
Im_avaf
LYRICS:
Indistinguishable from one another
No possible intention to even bother
It doesn't matter what is said or how we say it
Coincidentally, we all sound exactly the same
We all want to swindle kids out of their money
If you're still doing this 'cause you believe in it
You are so fucking lame!
Yo supe que nadie iba a comprender tu musica
Pero tu no me hiciste caso
Yo te dije, no te vistas en color rosa
Hey, when the world's overrun with too many bands
Who is it time for? Mark Chapman!
Hey, when they all seem absurd, he will thin out the herd
Ladies and gentlemen, Mark Chapman!
Now there is no heart
There is no fear
We all just cry the same old tear
Don't look to me, I do not lead
I'm just in front and they're all following
Some other motherfucker without the balls or cojones
To take a hold of the reins and use 'em
Why is something so obvious so elusive?
There is nothing on the menu that won't turn abusive
I am part of the problem, not the solution
I'm just a prisoner in the same prison as you
We wait for other shoes to fall into positions
Already obsolete, no one will miss us at all
Yo te dije, no debes de firmar con una compañia de discos tan grande
Ellos no te aprecian, yo no veo en MTV
Hey, when the world's overrun with too many bands
Who is it time for? Mark Chapman!
Hey, when they all seem absurd, he will thin out the herd
Ladies and gentlemen, Mark Chapman!
Now there is no heart
There is no fear
We all just cry the same old tear
I cannot tell, is it just me
Or do we all look just like
Adolph fuckin' Hitler with this swoopy emo boy dreamy haircut dangling in our faces
Making us all indescribably indistinguishable from each other
Or maybe I'm just another megalomaniac, ooh-hoo-hoo!
Reginald, release the hounds!
Run, Pooky!
Donde está todo el dinero que me debes, ladrón?
Y además, dónde esta todo el dinero que me debes, ladrón?
Y además...
realfake02
Spanish parts:
1st Verse.
[Yo supe que nadie iba a comprender tu música, pero tú no me hiciste caso. Yo te dije, no te vistas en color rosa].
"I knew that nobody would understand your music, but you wouldn't listen. I told you, don't dress in pink".
2nd Verse.
[Yo te dije. No debes de firmar con una compañía de discos tan grande, ellos no te aprecian. Yo no te veo en MTV].
"I told you. You shouldn't sign with a record company so big. They don't appreciate you. I don't see you on MTV".
3rd Verse.
[¿Dondé está todo el dinero que me debes? ¡LADRÓN!.
Y ademas, ¿Dondé está todo el dinero que me debes? ¡LADRÓN!] {FADING}.
"Where´s all the money you owe me? THIEF!.
And Besides, Where´s all the money you owe me? THIEF!".
Mr. Moon The Goon
MSI is proof music can be catchy, and enjoyable as well as forward a message.
MADDIE •
Garrett G nice compliment yeah, but i think this song is one of their only ones with an actual message, unless im not thinking hard enough. the other shit is fuckall
Paul Keough
@MADDIE • yeah most of their music bops but is about random crap
Mike Williams
@MADDIE • Kill You All in a Hip Hop Rage is another great one with a message.
Past Project
What do they Know, Bullshite, Due, you rebel to anything, Pay For it, Two Hookers and a 8 ball, wack and bite your rhymes all have a message and there's even more songs that have a message
Nimirium
I love songs with meanings behind them, surprisingly many of MSI's songs have much deeper meaning than most of the things we listen to.
fucknow333
Nimirium true :). Thats what makes them badasses :]
Myotic Tesseract
Damn, how have I not watched this before?
That twist at the end that the rebellious audience was manufactured too is powerful af.
BETAPVNK
For real, I've had this album since it came out and I've never seen this
monowavy
gosh man...