MxPx started as three 15-year-old kids calling themselves Magnified Plaid pounding out music inspired by and similar to The Descendents and other Southern California punk rock bands. They didn’t really love their band name, however, which was a tribute to the original guitarist’s penchant for wearing one particularly loud plaid shirt. Consequently, the name was abbreviated to M.P., but in Yuri’s handwriting, periods become “X“‘s and since he made up the show posters for the band, the four-letter moniker stuck.
Andy Husted, the former guitarist, left the band in 1995 to continue college.
Andy was replaced by Tom to solidify the line-up that would take the band into their post-teen years. Maybe Tom’s background as a drummer made up for his relative inexperience playing guitar (he had only played for a year at the time). He and Yuri lock into backbreakingly fast rhythms that rank with vintage Minor Threat for speed and percussive attack. Mike then adds to the mix his signature sing-along melodies that call to mind SoCal punk bands from the early ’80s.
Bremerton had been a town most famous for its naval shipyards until MxPx caught the attention of Tooth & Nail Records when they played a “showcase” for the T&N label in 1993 in Herrera’s parents’ garage. Mike Herrera had practiced so much before the first show, he lost his voice.
MxPx released three albums with Tooth & Nail Records: Pokinatcha in 1994, Teenage Politics in 1995, and Life in General in 1996. After a falling out with Tooth & Nail, MxPx left the label and signed with A&M Records.
In July 2010 drummer Yuri Ruley announced he would be retiring from the band to focus on his family. Ruley played his last show with the band in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 18, 2010. In a recent video message from Mike, he stated that Tom and Yuri have both finished touring full time, but will continue to play one-off shows with the band.
I'm The Bad Guy
MxPx Lyrics
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I wonder what makes them tick? I want to go puke on it
Ephesians verse 2:8 states God has saved us not by works but by grace
So what's it gonna take? there's no getting through to you
So what's it gonna take?
There's no getting through to you
I'm way to young
To have a point of view
This whole thing just bums me out, Jesus knows my heart
But you don't care you've already made up you mind
I try to change my attitude but it's really hard
I'm so sick of you, God is gonna pull through
The lyrics to MxPx's song "I'm The Bad Guy" reflect the singer's frustration with legalistic individuals who focus more on obeying strict rules and regulations rather than on the grace and love that define the Christian faith. The singer questions what motivates these people and expresses his disgust at their behavior when he says, "Legalistic people suck legalism makes me sick / I wonder what makes them tick? I want to go puke on it." He then cites Ephesians 2: 8, which states that salvation is based on God's grace and not on good works, but realizes that these people are impervious to reason and persuasion. This causes him to feel discouraged and helpless, as he states, "I'm way too young to have a point of view / This whole thing just bums me out, Jesus knows my heart / But you don't care, you've already made up your mind."
The singer tries to combat his negative feelings towards these individuals, but his attempts at changing his attitude are arduous, and he expresses his weariness with the situation by saying, "I try to change my attitude but it's really hard / I'm so sick of you, God is gonna pull through." The song ends on an optimistic note, with the singer believing that God will ultimately triumph over legalism and restore the focus to grace and love.
Overall, the lyrics to "I'm The Bad Guy" demonstrate the frustration and exhaustion that can come from dealing with legalistic people and the singer's conviction that God's grace will ultimately prevail.
Line by Line Meaning
Legalistic people suck legalism makes me sick
I despise legalistic people and their dogmatic ways that are tedious to tolerate
I wonder what makes them tick? I want to go puke on it
I am curious about the reasons behind their behavior and find it nauseating
Ephesians verse 2:8 states God has saved us not by works but by grace
The bible says that God has saved us based on his benevolence and not our actions
So what's it gonna take? there's no getting through to you
What do I have to do to get you to understand? You are so stubborn and unyielding
So what's it gonna take? There's no getting through to you
I am frustrated and feel powerless to connect with you
I'm way too young to have a point of view
I am too inexperienced and immature to form a particular stance on this matter
This whole thing just bums me out, Jesus knows my heart
This entire scenario depresses me, but I believe that Jesus understands my true emotions
But you don't care you've already made up your mind
You are indifferent to my perspective because you have already decided what to believe
I try to change my attitude but it's really hard
I make an effort to alter my outlook, but it is exceedingly difficult
I'm so sick of you, God is gonna pull through
I am tired of dealing with you and your ways, but I trust that God will come through in the end
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN ROBERT SETZER, MIKE HIMELSTEIN, RENATO CAROSONE, NICOLA SALERNO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind