Punk rock — sometimes the lyrics are very realistic, worldly, and thought-provoking. At other times, they’re the work of an idiot with a crayon. Can you tell the difference?
Below, we’ve given 15 examples of punk rock lyrics, from the sublime to the moronic. We challenge you to identify the song by the couplet.
Image Credit: iStock/Marc Elias.
1. ‘Hey ho, let’s go.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ by the Ramones
The first words on the first album by the Ramones announced the four ne’er-do-wells from New York City as talents to be reckoned with. While they were able to form coherent sentences too, many of their best lyrics are not so much words as mouth noises.
Image Credit: Plismo / Wikimedia Commons.
2. ‘Phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘London Calling’ by the Clash
The Clash could always write lyrics that were a cut above those of their brethren, and the title track on their album “London Calling” showed them crafting some great material. The phrase “phony Beatlemania” alone is brilliant.
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
3. ‘We’re tired of your abuse, try to stop us; it’s no use.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Rise Above’ by Black Flag
This song introduced Henry Rollins to the world and it’s still one of the best things he ever recorded. He’s since left the music business but the stuff he did with Black Flag and Rollins Band left an indelible mark.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
4. ‘It doesn’t matter much to me as long as it’s dead.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Last Caress’ by the Misfits
A lot of people think this is a Metallica song since they covered it in 1987, but the Misfits were indeed first, and they take full responsibility for this one. Many of the lyrics cannot be printed in family-friendly publications, but they’re widely available for your leisurely perusal.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
5. ‘I only get sleepless nights alone here in my half-empty bed.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘What Do I Get?’ by the Buzzcocks
The Buzzcocks were a little more personal than political in their lyrics, and they weren’t afraid to tackle such un-punk topics as love and even S-E-X. Frontman Pete Shelley wrote some of the better lyrics of the punk genre, in part because he wasn’t afraid to tackle subjects that the guys in the Exploited wouldn’t touch.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
6. ‘I’m not a cool guy anymore, as if I ever was before.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Coolidge’ by the Descendents
Self-deprecation in rock music was not really a thing until punk rock came along, and then it seemed like everyone wanted to get into the act. The Descendents’ observation that they have never been cool at any time – past, present, or future – was as punk rock as the mohawk or the safety pin.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
7. ‘All I know is that I don’t know nothing.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Knowledge’ by Operation Ivy
Operation Ivy’s mix of hardcore and ska was pretty revolutionary, but sadly they were a short-lived band who didn’t get to record a whole lot of music. Oh well, seek out their music anyway – the sheer quality of it has kept it alive while a lot of artists who were their contemporaries have been forgotten.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
8. ‘Ms. Babylon, your queendom is doomed.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘We Will Not’ by Bad Brains
Most people would not consider combining hardcore with reggae, but Bad Brains aren’t most people. In addition to being some of the best musicians in the business, their music from the 1980s is absolutely ferocious and still holds up. This song comes from “Rock for Light,” which was produced by Ric Ocasek of the Cars.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
9. ‘I’ll be the paint on the sign if you’ll be the tin.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Love Song’ by the Damned
Even Dave Vanian and Captain Ssensible can get sensitive when they want to. While “Love Song” will never pose a serious threat to “All by Myself” in terms of sales, it’s neat to hear them make an unpredictable stylistic choice.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
10. ‘Chain-store, chain-smoke, I consume you all.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Oh Bondage Up Yours!’ by X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex was one of the better punk rock bands to emerge, and their 1977 single “Oh Bondage Up Yours!” remains their signature song. Sadly, the band’s lead singer, Poly Styrene, passed away in 2011 of breast cancer at the age of 53.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
11. ‘Generalissimo sets up shop…’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Coup d’Etat’ by Circle Jerks
The Circle Jerks appeared briefly in the classic movie “Repo Man,” and for a glorious, fleeting moment, you can hear this song playing in the background. You can also hear their lounge version of one of their songs in a different scene, and while we can’t write its title, we can say that it’s about fans and things hitting them.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
12. ‘The sounds, the metals driving us mad.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘We Must Bleed’ by the Germs
In their original incarnation, the Germs only lasted for a few years before the death of singer Darby Crash brought things to an end. He would never gain any recognition for it, but Crash was one of the better lyricists in punk rock.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
13. ‘I’m a streetwalking cheetah with a hide full of napalm.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Search & Destroy’ by the Stooges
Iggy Pop and the Stooges are regularly named alongside the MC5 and the Velvet Underground as the forefathers of punk. “Search & Destroy” is a good example of their mastery of the form. The album it appeared on, “Raw Power,” was produced by David Bowie and sounds like it was recorded for $50.
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
14. ‘I don’t want a baby that looks like that.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Bodies’ by the Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols sang this song about the choice to terminate a pregnancy, except they didn’t say it that way and a lot of the lyrics have aged horribly. Luckily, it’s hard to get canceled for a 45-year-old song whose lyrics no one can understand without closed captions.
Image Credit: Billedbladet NÅ/Arne S. Nielsen / Wikimedia Commons.
15. ‘I picked up my belongings in a nylon carry-all, heard the porter call.’
Image Credit: MediaFeed/iStock/trumzz.
Answer: ‘Chartered Trips’ by Hüsker Dü
Calling Hüsker Dü “punk” always did them a disservice, since their musicianship and songwriting were simply too good to fit the label. However, the punk section at the back of the record store was the only place you would find their albums, so we must include them here.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
More from MediaFeed
How many of these ’60s songs can you name based on just the lyrics?
- Science says this ‘70s rock hit is the catchiest song of our time
- 20 incredible movies so disturbing we never want to see them again
Like MediaFeed’s content? Be sure to follow us.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
