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.
Vacation
MxPx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back here at home there's nothin' to do
Now that I'm away I wish I'd stayed
Tomorrow's a day of mine that you won't be in
When you looked at me I should have run
But I thought it was just for fun
I see I was wrong and I'm not so strong
A week without you, thought I'd forget
Two weeks without you and I still haven't gotten over you yet
Vacation, all I ever wanted
Vacation, had to get away
Vacation, meant to be spent alone
Vacation, all I ever wanted
Vacation, had to get away
Vacation, meant to be spent alone
A week without you, thought I'd forget
Two weeks without you and I still haven't gotten over you yet
Vacation, all I ever wanted
Vacation, had to get away
Vacation, meant to be spent alone
Vacation, all I ever wanted
Vacation, had to get away
Vacation, meant to be spent alone
Vacation, all I ever wanted
Vacation, had to get away
Vacation, meant to be spent alone
The song "Vacation" by MxPx is about a person who goes on vacation to clear their mind and get away from the constant reminders of their ex-lover back home. The lyrics suggest that the person can't seem to stop thinking about their ex, even though they are physically away. They regret not ending the relationship sooner, as they now realize that time alone would have been the best medicine for them to move on.
Throughout the song, the person struggles with the realization that they are not as strong as they thought they were. Their trip was meant to be a chance to get over the break-up, however, they can't seem to shake their former partner from their thoughts. The person recognizes that being alone is supposed to be part of the healing process, but it is not enough for them.
The chorus "Vacation, all I ever wanted, Vacation, had to get away, Vacation, meant to be spent alone" is repeated several times throughout the song, emphasizing the person's desire for independence and escape. The song then ends abruptly, as if displaying a sense of resignation to their current emotional state.
Overall, MxPx's "Vacation" is a relatable tune that perfectly encapsulates the ups and downs of a broken heart, and highlights the difficulty in trying to escape from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't seem to get my mind off of you
I can't stop thinking about you
Back here at home there's nothin' to do
Being at home is boring without you
Now that I'm away I wish I'd stayed
I regret leaving because I miss you
Tomorrow's a day of mine that you won't be in
I'll be alone tomorrow without you
When you looked at me I should have run
I should have known better when I first saw you
But I thought it was just for fun
I thought our relationship was just casual
I see I was wrong and I'm not so strong
I realize my mistake and now I'm vulnerable
I should have known all along that time would tell
I should have realized that our relationship wouldn't last
A week without you, thought I'd forget
I thought I could forget you in a week
Two weeks without you and I still haven't gotten over you yet
After two weeks, I'm still not over you
Vacation, all I ever wanted
I wanted a break from my feelings for you
Vacation, had to get away
I had to distance myself from you
Vacation, meant to be spent alone
I wanted to spend my vacation alone to focus on myself
Vacation, all I ever wanted
I needed a vacation to get over you
Vacation, had to get away
I had to get away from you and my feelings for you
Vacation, meant to be spent alone
I wanted my vacation to be a time of solitude and reflection
Vacation, all I ever wanted
My desire for a vacation was really a desire to escape my feelings for you
Vacation, had to get away
I had to physically remove myself from you to move on
Vacation, meant to be spent alone
I needed to spend my vacation alone to process my emotions
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group
Written by: Charlotte Caffey, Jane Wiedlin, Kathy Valentine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind