Following the demise of the critically and commercially successful Jane's Addiction project, frontman Perry Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins formed Porno for Pyros after acquiring guitarist Peter DiStefano and bass player Martyn LeNoble. Farrell named the band after viewing an ad for fireworks in a pornographic magazine. The name has also been connected through song lyrics to the LA riots which occurred in the band's hometown around the time of Porno for Pyros inception. Prior to releasing their eponymous first album, Porno for Pyros embarked on a nationwide tour to support the new band. By the time the band's debut album (Porno for Pyros) was released in 1993, anticipation surrounding the project was enough to briefly drive the album to the #3 position on the Billboard top 200 list. Reaction to the album was mixed, with some fans ecstatic and others disappointed. The video for the album's first single, "Pets," received heavy airplay on MTV. Following the album's release, Porno for Pyros continued a heavy touring schedule, including an appearance at Woodstock '94. Unlike the relatively straight-ahead rock shows that were the hallmark of live Jane's Addiction, Porno for Pyros live shows relied heavily on props, extras and special-effects (including, but not limited to, pyrotechnics).
For the band's follow-up album, Good God's Urge, bass player LeNoble quit after completing the majority of the bass tracks. Ex-Minutemen bassist Mike Watt was brought in to finish up the album tracks and join the band on tour. The album also featured the post-Jane's Addiction reunion of Farrell with guitarist Dave Navarro, who made a guest appearance on "Freeway," along with Red Hot Chili Peppers' bass player Flea. The band again set forth on a heavy touring schedule. On several tour stops Porno for Pyros played "Mountain Song," a popular Jane's Addiction tune, and was a foreshadowing of the later Jane's Addiction reunion efforts. Further touring by the band was scuttled when DiStefano was diagnosed with cancer in 1997.
Perkins and Watt subsequently formed the punk jazz improvisation group Banyan and, along with DiStefano, occasionally perform sets of the Stooges cover versions in the Los Angeles area under the band name Hellride.
The Jane's Addiction/Porno for Pyros book Whores (by Brendan Mullen) states that a third Porno for Pyros album was penned but never recorded.
In April 2009, the original lineup of Farrell, Perkins, DiStefano, and LeNoble performed at Farrell's 50th birthday party.
Packin' .25
Porno for Pyros Lyrics
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Out for a cup of coffee
I shaved
Then I combed my hair
A man who don't know me
Said something to my back
I stopped to turn around and face it
I pack my .25
Where nobody knows
Right above my boot
It's the law
No one there to serve you
Why not be the hero?
Why not be your own?
Swear I'll kill you!
Swear that I'll kill you!
The law, it's the law
And every man out on the street knows!
I swear I'll kill you
I dreamt all yesterday
How I might make a man feel
With a gun up to his face!
Show respect to me
I don't care what you're thinking
I'll wipe that thought away!
That is why
I pack my .25
Where nobody knows
Right above my boot
It's the law
With no one there to serve you
Why not be the hero?
Why not be your own?
Swear I'll kill you!
Swear that I'll kill you! Oh!
The law, it's the law
And every man out on the street knows!
I swear I'll kill you
So why not be your own?
The song "Packin' .25" by Porno for Pyros is a commentary on the idea of taking the law into one's own hands. The lyrics describe a man who is tired of being disrespected and threatened by strangers on the street. He decides to carry a gun, a .25 caliber pistol, in his boot, as a way to defend himself and assert his own authority. The song describes the sense of power and control that this man feels, reveling in the idea that he can make someone else feel fear and respect by pointing a gun at them.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the phrase "Swear I'll kill you!", is particularly striking. It suggests a willingness to use violence to enforce one's own sense of justice. The man in the song believes that he is above the law, and that he has the right to take matters into his own hands. The lyrics highlight the dangers of this kind of thinking, showing how easily it can lead to a cycle of violence and vengeance.
Overall, "Packin' .25" is a provocative and thought-provoking exploration of the darker side of human nature. It offers a warning to those who would seek to impose their own will on the world, and a challenge to those who believe that justice can only come from the barrel of a gun.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday morning I went
One day, I went out in the morning
Out for a cup of coffee
I left my house to get coffee
I shaved
I groomed myself
Then I combed my hair
I styled my hair
A man who don't know me
An unknown man
Said something to my back
He said something behind me
I stopped to turn around and face it
I stopped walking and turned to confront him
That is why
This is the reason
I pack my .25
I carry a firearm
Where nobody knows
I conceal it from others
Right above my boot
I carry it on my person
It's the law
It is my legal right to carry a firearm
No one there to serve you
You are responsible for your own safety
Why not be the hero?
Why not protect yourself and others?
Why not be your own?
Be self-reliant
Swear I'll kill you!
I will use deadly force if necessary
Swear that I'll kill you!
I will make a promise to use lethal force
The law, it's the law
I am within my legal rights to protect myself
And every man out on the street knows!
People are aware of my reputation and capability
I swear I'll kill you
I will defend myself with lethal force if needed
I dreamt all yesterday
I spent the whole day imagining
How I might make a man feel
How to exert power over someone
With a gun up to his face!
Using my firearm and intimidation to control someone
Show respect to me
Demonstrate deference to me
I don't care what you're thinking
I am not concerned with your thoughts or feelings
I'll wipe that thought away!
I will eliminate any challenges to my authority
So why not be your own?
Take responsibility for your own protection and well-being
Contributed by Grayson O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.