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.
Tom Sawyer
Mindless Self Indulgence Lyrics
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The mean with the stride
The Tom with the sawyer
And the mean, mean, mean, mean pride.
And though his mind is not for rent,
Don't put him down as arrogant.
His reserve, a quiet defence,
The river
What you say about his company
Is what you say about society.
Catch the mist mist, catch the myth-myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift-drift.
The world is the world is,
Love and life are deep,
Maybe as his eyes are wide.
The Tom with the sawyer
With the eye on the you,
the space he invades
He gets by by by by
No his mind is not for rent
To any God or government.
Always hopeful, yet discontent,
He knows changes aren't permanent,
But change is.
And what you say about his company
Is what you say about society.
Catch the witness, catch the wit-wit,
Catch the spirit, catch the spit-spit.
The world is the world is,
Love and life are deep,
Maybe as his skies are wide.
Exit the warrior,
The Tom with the sawyer,
The eye on the you,
Energy trade
Right on to,
The friction of the day.
The lyrics of Mindless Self Indulgence's song "Tom Sawyer" are a reinterpretation of Rush's original 1981 song of the same name. However, the lyrics by MSI are more sarcastic and mocking of the original lyrics, which were meant to praise individualism and non-conformism.
The opening lines "The Modern with the warrior / The mean with the stride / The Tom with the Sawyer / And the mean, mean, mean, mean pride" seem to mock the idea of individuals being warriors against conformity and society. The next lines "And though his mind is not for rent, / Don't put him down as arrogant. / His reserve, a quiet defense, / Riding out the day's events" highlight that these individuals are not really non-conformists but rather they are stubborn and unwilling to listen to others. The line "The world is the world is, / Love and life are deep, / Maybe as his eyes are wide" is another sarcastic take on the original lyrics, as if to say that these are clichés that mean nothing.
The chorus "And what you say about his company / Is what you say about society. / Catch the witness, catch the wit-wit, / Catch the spirit, catch the spit-spit" implies that criticizing and mocking these individuals is not just about them but also about the society that produces them. The closing lines "Exit the warrior, / The Tom with the Sawyer, / The eye on the you, / Energy trade / Right on to, / The friction of the day" seem to suggest that these individuals are not really changing anything but just going along with the status quo.
Overall, the lyrics of "Tom Sawyer" by Mindless Self Indulgence seem to be a satirical take on the original song by Rush and the idea of non-conformism and individualism.
Line by Line Meaning
The Modern with the warrior
The present times are characterized by ruthless competition and aggression.
The mean with the stride
The cruel and heartless thrive while the weak and kind are left behind.
The Tom with the sawyer
Tom Sawyer, a fictional character in a book by Mark Twain, represents individualism and non-conformity.
And the mean, mean, mean, mean pride.
A callous and self-centered attitude is prevalent and celebrated.
And though his mind is not for rent,
Tom Sawyer's independent streak cannot be bought, sold or suppressed.
Don't put him down as arrogant.
He is not haughty, but rather confident in his beliefs and actions.
His reserve, a quiet defence,
His reticence is a shield against conformity and oppression.
Riding out the day's events.
He navigates life's challenges through perseverance and adaptability.
The river
The flowing waters symbolize the ever-changing course of life.
What you say about his company
Your opinion of his friends reflects your view of society.
Is what you say about society.
The behavior of individuals mirrors the values and norms of the larger community.
Catch the mist mist, catch the myth-myth
Perpetuated falsehoods and illusions deserve scrutiny and exposure.
Catch the mystery, catch the drift-drift.
Unfathomable truths and hidden meanings require perceptiveness and intuition.
The world is the world is,
The world is as it is, regardless of interpretation or perspective.
Love and life are deep,
Love and life are profound and multifaceted experiences.
Maybe as his eyes are wide.
Perhaps his openness and curiosity enable him to appreciate the complexity of existence.
With the eye on the you,
He focuses on others, recognizing their humanity and worth.
the space he invades
His mere existence challenges and disrupts societal norms and expectations.
He gets by by by by
He survives by maintaining his individuality and resisting conformity at all costs.
To any God or government.
He refuses to bow down to religious or political authority, asserting his own values and beliefs.
Always hopeful, yet discontent,
He remains optimistic despite the struggles he faces, yet never completely satisfied with the status quo.
He knows changes aren't permanent,
He recognizes that everything is temporary and in a constant state of flux.
But change is.
Despite the fleeting nature of transformation, it is nevertheless an integral part of existence.
Catch the witness, catch the wit-wit,
Be aware of those who bear witness to injustice, and those who use humor to subvert authority.
Catch the spirit, catch the spit-spit.
Embrace the energy and vitality of dissent and rebellion, even in the face of hostility.
Exit the warrior,
The fighter and defender of individualism departs.
The Tom with the sawyer,
The non-conformist and free thinker is departing as well.
The eye on the you,
Leaving behind a legacy of recognizing and respecting others' unique perspectives and identities.
Energy trade
The exchange and transformation of energy and ideas between people.
Right on to,
Continuing to push forward, determined to resist conformity and complacency.
The friction of the day.
The conflict and tension that arise from a society that values conformity over individuality and creativity.
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: DUBOIS PYE, ALEX ZIVOJINOVICH, GARY LEE WEINRIB, NEIL ELWOOD PEART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind