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.
Punk Rawk Show
MxPx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So let's go to the punk rawk show
Darling take me by the hand
We're gonna see a punk rawk band
There's no use in TV shows, radio, or rodeo
want to get into the crowd
want to hear it played real loud
Repeat
Ain't got no money to pay
We'll get in anyway
Doesn't matter I don't care
If we do we should share
We're going to the punk rawk show
Repeat
We ain't got no place to go
So let's go to the punk rawk show
Darling take me by the hand
We're gonna see a punk rawk band
There's no use in TV shows, radio, or rodeo
want to get into the crowd
want to hear it played real loud
Ain't got no money to pay
We'll get in anyway
Doesn't matter I don't care
If we do we should share
We're going to the punk rawk show
Repeat
The song "Punk Rawk Show" by MxPx is an anthem that represents the punk subculture. The lyrics suggest a lack of interest in mainstream entertainment such as TV shows, radio, or rodeos, and instead encourages attending live punk shows and being part of the scene. The song also touches on the importance of companionship, as the singer asks their "darling" to go with them to see a punk band. The lyrics are simple, but they capture the essence of punk and the desire to rebel against the mainstream.
Aside from the lyrics, the song's upbeat tempo and driving guitar riffs contribute to the energetic and passionate atmosphere of punk rock music. The repetition throughout the song emphasizes the simple message of the song, making it a rallying cry for punk fans everywhere. The song's message is increasingly relevant today, as the punk subculture continues to exist as a counterbalance to mainstream society and pop culture.
Line by Line Meaning
We ain't got no place to go
We have nowhere specific to go.
So let's go to the punk rawk show
Let's go attend a punk rock concert.
Darling take me by the hand
Take my hand, dear companion.
We're gonna see a punk rawk band
We're going to see a specific punk rock band.
There's no use in TV shows, radio, or rodeo
Other forms of entertainment aren't fulfilling for us.
want to get into the crowd
We want to stand among the fans.
want to hear it played real loud
We desire to hear the music blasted at high volume.
Ain't got no money to pay
We don't have any currency to offer.
We'll get in anyway
We'll find a way of attending the show regardless.
Doesn't matter I don't care
It doesn't affect my emotional state.
If we do we should share
If we do obtain money, we should divide it evenly between us.
We're going to the punk rawk show
We're still heading to the punk rock show.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: MICHAEL ARTHUR HERRERA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PhilHoy97
2020 Version:
We ain’t got no place to go
Can’t even go to punk rock shows
Darling please go wash your hands
Corona virus, touching’s banned
We’ll have to do with TV shows, radio, I don’t know
We have to stay away from crowds
Please wear a mask, don’t speak too looouuuddd ooh ohh oohhh
@Ryo-sj8wn
"Punk Rawk Show" Lyrics
we ain't got no place to go
so let's go to the punk rock show
darling take me by the hand
we're gonna see a punk rawk band
there's no use in tv shows
radio or rodeos
i wanna get into the crowd
i wanna hear it played real loud
we ain't got no place to go
so let's go to the punk show
darling take me by the hand
we're gonna see a punk rawk band
there's no use in tv shows
radio or rodeos
i wanna get into the crowd
i wanna hear it played real loud
ain't got no money to pay
we'll get in anyway doesn't matter i don't care
it fells good so we should share
we're going to the punk rawk shooooow! oooooh!! ooohh!!
ain't got no money to pay
we'll get in anyway doesn't matter i don't care
it fells good so we should share
we're going to the punk rawk shooooow! oooohh!! ooohh!!
we ain't got no place to go
so let's go to the punk rock show
darling take me by the hand
we're gonna see a punk rawk band
there's no use in tv shows
radio or rodeos
i wanna get into the crowd
i wanna hear it played real loud
ain't got no money to pay
we'll get in anyway doesn't matter i don't care
it fells good so we should share
we're going to the punk rawk show! oooohh!! ooohh!!
ain't got no money to pay
we'll get in anyway doesn't matter i don't care
it fells good so we should share
we're going to the punk rawk shooooow! shooooow!! shooooow!!
shooooooooooooow!!
@isetmfriendsofire
MxPx is so underrated for being such an important band in the pop punk scene.
@ryanserp87
True dat
@frarfarf
It's sad and unfair - Blink, Green Day and to a lesser extent NOFX all hit it super big and made bucketloads of cash... MxPx were around the same time and were just as good if not better, but somehow it just didn't quite hit for them
@isetmfriendsofire
2 reasons. I think they really goofed it up after "Buffalo" and even more after "Ever Passing" as they changed their style to sorta blend in a little more with the other pop punk bands. And their "Before Everything and After" album really softened them up for a few years, leaving a lot of people to say they were just another generic pop punk band. Not that I don't like these albums, but you get what I'm saying I'm sure.
I also don't think that the Christian label they used to have helped with this either. You know how the punk scene is.
It's still unfair, though, and I wish people could look at them for what they are, throughout their entire career. Earlier pop punk bands HAD to have been influenced by them. "Life In General" especially, along with this song.
@frarfarf
completely agree - it's crazy how different the first releases are with those super fast, short songs.. LIG is awesome, then with buffalo you start to see it just becoming a little bit more mainstream/radio-friendly, but at this point it is a good blend of their old style and new style, this was their peak. You are right, after that they lost their 'uniqueness' and just blended into the background. I also agree, sadly, that the christian thing probably hurt them. People are just judgmental. I'm not religious but the fact that they are never bothered me one little bit - but some folks are funny like that
@isetmfriendsofire
Yeah, and after "Before, Everything, and After" they drifted back, but by then the mainstream was sorta over the punk/pop punk thing, sadly.
Fun fact, they're actually not Christian anymore. At least Mike isn't, but I don't know about the other two.
@itsjoeyyyyyyyyy
Last year, Mike Herrera played an acoustic show in St Pete, FL. At the very end of the show, he invited the whole crowd to come up on stage and sing this song with him. I'll never forget it.
@potterportraits
That sounds like a disaster
@saulspeaks2557
The 90s truly were the best decade
@Miumiu0404
When I was 14, my cousin who was 17 lived with us for a while. He would constantly play this and got me hooked to it.