Top 20 Punk Songs And The Lyrics Behind Them
Music and poetry have been intertwined for thousands of years. In ancient Greece, poems were often sung, as poets performed their work accompanied by the lyre, and in Chinese poetry, the oldest anthology was a collection of songs called Shijing. During the middle ages in Europe, the troubadour poets were granted a level of unprecedented freedom of speech and social influence for their time, as their lyrical work would influence the history and legends of European poetry for centuries.
Rarepeace is happy to bring you this brand new segment dedicated to the lyrics and songwriters behind some of the most amazing songs of the past couple of decades.
This week we’re starting
with punk music. As some of you may already know, punk and its derivatives are undeniably our favorite genres to cover on the platform, therefore we really hope you enjoy this curated selection also available on our new Spotify channel.
Here’s the top 20 in no specific order:
1.The Damned - New Rose Released: 1977 Album: Damned Damned Damned “I got a feeling inside of me It's kind of strange like a stormy sea
I don't know why I don't know why I guess these things have got to be. I gotta new rose I got it good Guess I knew that I always would I can't stop to mess around I got a brand new rose in town See the sun see the sun it shines Don't get too close or it'll burn your eyes Don't you run away that way You can come back another day”
2.Death - Politicians In My Eyes Released: 1976 in Vinyl - 2009 Digital
Album: ...For the Whole World to See “They could care less about you They could care less about me/ As long as they are to end The place that they want to be They're always wearing false smiles I guess it goes with the style Politicians in my eyes Always trying' to be slick when they tell us the lies They're responsible for sending young men to die We have waited so long for someone to come along And correct our country's law, but the wait's been too long It's really sickening to see The way they lie on TV The truth is that he can be A better man than you see But when decision time comes That's when they have all the fun Politicians in my eyes”
3.Bam Bam - World Of Your Future Released: 2019
“I won't exist in the world of your future
Living life almighty today, making room for hell tomorrow
Misused your chance, ain't gonna make me pay for your mistakes;
That's your children's sorrow
I don't wanna live in the world of your future
I want to get out. I've got to stick it out
Held judged before the fires of sin; I’ve been singed, but not quite destroyеd”
4. X-Ray Spex - Identity Released: 1978
Album: Germfree Adolescents “Identity Is the crisis Can't you see Identity identity When you look in the mirror Do you see yourself Do you see yourself On the t.v. screen Do you see yourself In the magazine When you see yourself Does it make you scream When you look in the mirror Do you smash it quick Do you take the glass And slash your wrists Did you do it for fame Did you do it in a fit Did you do it before You read about it”
5.Bad Brains - I Against I Released: 1986 Album: I Against I “In the quest for the test to fulfill an achievement Everybody's always going to pursue themselves When the fact of the matter is they just don't care To extend a helping hand to anyone else So tell me uh-why, did you have to lie? And try to make me all confused about the U.S.A When the fact of the matter is you just don't hear To comprehend or understand a single word I say I said who's gonna tell the youth about the drugs About the drugs, mugs, bugs, and the police thugs About the rotten, stinkin' rackets and the fantasy Around the nation, around the nation Oh what are you gonna do? I tell you the truth is looking' straight at you Oh baby, baby, baby what are you gonna do? I tell you the truth is looking' straight at you”
6.The Distillers - Sick Of It All Released: 2002 Album: Sing Sing Death House “Murder, murder, a ripe blood stain Pulled the fucking trigger 'cause I'm sick of it all Murder, murder, a ripe fucking hate Pulled the fucking trigger 'cause I'm sick of it all I went to school today with an Uzi There's this kid, he teased me, so I shot him in the face All the world's light won't ease my pain It won't cease, I'm diseased, will you hang me please? I'm a nihilist, raised on violence What should I do? I'm American youth All my life I've lived in silence I'm gonna snap, I'll get you back shit I'm a girl, I'm only 13 My body rots 'cause I won't fucking eat I'm a silent star on the b-roll I'm a mirror fucking image of no control Give me an award, I conquered food again What else is better in life than to purge my pain? If I cut, I won't look like that If i cut, if I cut, I won't feel like this shit"
7.The Casualties - On the front line
Release date: 2004 Album: On The Front Line “Coming from the ghetto there's no future for the poor
Where the cops don't care if a bullet hits a bone
Where there's unemployment and no work for you and me
A youth culture will rise to fight you all
On the front line
This is my town not a pretty place to be
Where a kids life is lost taking him into drugs
See him fucking drown each day more and more
Rebel youth wake up and hear the call
On the front line
These boots i wear are strong and they are for work
For the dead end jobs with no future or hope
I've been victimized and oppressed for too long
Generation of scars fucking hear the call
On the front line”
8.Rancid - Radio Released: 1994 Album: Let's Go
“Never fell in love 'til I fell in love with you
Never knew what a good time was 'til I had a good time with you
If you wanna get the feelin' an' you wanna get it right
Then the music's gotta be loud
For when the music hits I feel no pain at all
Y'know
One summer night I was drinkin' with my dad
He tried to give me love that I never had
But he gave more love to his bottle of wine
So I had to go out and find love of another kind
Here it is, here I am
Turn it up fuckin' loud
Radio radio radio radio radio radio radio
When I got the music I got a place to go
Radio radio radio radio radio radio radio
When I got the music I got a place to go”
9.The Devotchkas - Negative Reaction Released: 2000 Album: Live Fast... Die Young
“You like to mock us but don't you know
You're just like the rest-you're society's clone
And just like a product on a shelf
You can be bought or you can be sold
But your negative reaction
Won't bring me down
No matter what you say or do
I'll keep standing my ground
You love to point fingers and yet just the same
What's unique about you when you're a pawn in a game
Just like a window-front mannequin
Your face has no identifiable name”
10.Vice Squad - You Can’t Do That Released: 2006 Album: Vermin “Everybody's telling me
You can't do that you can't
Face up to reality
You can't do that you can't
Everybody's down on me
Spreading round the misery
You can't do that you can't do that
I get so breathless running circles in my brain
I get back up so you can knock me down again
I live to serve and carry round this ball and chain
But I ain't gonna give it up
I've got a heart like lead, a millstone round my neck
Up the hill backwards I can never get ahead
I can't work fast enough to get my daily bread
But I ain't never giving up”
11.Leftover Crack - Nazi White Trash Released: 2001
Album: Mediocre Generica “One of us will be betrayed
And it's not enough for you to say
"I'm sorry" or lie about it all
You're a megalo-nymph and your mating call is
Money and religion
Segregation and division
Dirty cash in the pockets
Of the wicked politicians
Lobbying for slavery
In a new and modern way
Repenting when you're caught
But this is what I say:
You're sick; I hate you, ya stupid motherfucker
You're so fucking blind; you have no fucking mind
You're Nazi White trash; your words out come like shit
You're so fucking sick; you're such a fucking prick”
12.Jack Off Jill - Fear Of Dying Released: 2000 Artist: Jack Off Jill
“I'm not afraid of standing still
I'm just afraid of being bored
I'm not afraid of speaking my mind
I'm just afraid of being ignored
I'm not afraid of feeling and I'm not afraid of trying
I'm just afraid of losing and I am afraid of dying
Without you, yes, I do and I hope that you do too
Without you, yes, I do
Without you, yes, I do and I hope that you do too
Without you, yes, I”
13.Gang Of Four - Damaged Goods Released: 1979
Album: Entertainment! "The change will do you good
I always knew it would
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweat running down your neck
Sweat running down your back
Heated surface in the sun
Colder surface in the night (never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour"
14.Big Joanie - Fall Asleep Released: 2018 Album: Sistahs “If I ever fall asleep now, would you
Wake me from the dream that's kept me
Crying now for weeks? That's kept me
Crying now for weeks?
If I ever fall asleep now, would you
Wake me from the dream that's left me
Shaking now for weeks? That's left me
Shaking now for weeks? Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah If I ever fall asleep now, would you (I want to get down with you)
Wake me from the dream that's left me (I want to get down with you)
Aching now for weeks, that's left me (I want to get down with you)
Aching now for weeks (I want to—)
If I ever fall asleep now, would you (I want to get down with you)
Wake me from the dream that's kept me (I want to get down with you)
Way down on my knees, that's kept me (I want to get down with you)
Way down on my knees (I want to—)”
15.The Buzzcocks - What Do I Get? Released: 1978
Album: Another Music in a Different Kitchen “I just want a lover like any other, what do I get?
I only want a friend who will stay to the end, what do I get?
What do I get, oh-oh, what do I get?
What do I get, oh-oh, what do I get?
I'm in distress, I need a caress, what do I get?
I'm not on the make, I just need a break, what do I get?
What do I get, oh-oh, what do I get?
What do I get, oh-oh, what do I get?
I only get sleepless nights
Alone here in my half-empty bed
For you things, seem to turn out right
I wish they'd only happen to me instead
What do I get, oh-oh, what do I get?
What do I get, oh-oh, what do I get?”
16.Minor Threat - Straight Edge Released: 1984
Album: Minor Threat
“I'm a person just like you
But I've got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don't even think about speed
That's something I just don't need
I've got the straight edge”
17.Adolescents - L.A Girl Released: 1981 Album: Adolescents
“We don't really care if you say we're too young
We don't waste our time tanning in the sun
We don't even care what you now or think
Spoiled rich brat you ain't so neat
L.A. girl, L.A. world
Don't tell us how to act
Don't tell us what to wear
L.A. girl, L.A. world
You didn't create our scene We don't care
We can't see why
We dont live our lives
To keep you satisfied
Stuck in your world of dreams again
My life starts where your life ends
You've burned out your battery has died
If it wasn't for O.C. your scene wouldn't be alive”
18.Discharge - Protest And Survive Released: 1982 Album: Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing “The savage mutilation of the human race
Is set on course
Protest and survive It's up to us to change the course
Protest and survive
Protest and survive”
19.T.S.O.L - Abolish government/ silent majority Released: 1987 Album: Thoughts of Yesterday 1981-1982 “Abolish government, it's nothing to me
Forget about god, He's not here to see
We live by a system a perfect mold
People perfect people who are poor and old
Lives were spent on the ladder of success
Working for nothing in this, in this worthless mess
Presidents a name, presidents a label
Highest man on the government table
America, land of the free
Free to the power of the people in uniform
People are so blind they just can't see
Send your son to boot-camp, send him off to war
If he comes back he'll be dead and nothing more
Struggle for a land, for a country, for a freedom
All you mindless people looking for someone to lead them
Wake up to the same old shit
Live your life to suit their fit
Some people, they don't like your hair
Police, they just don't care”
20.The Exploited - Alternative
Released: 1982 Album: Troops of Tomorrow “Something's happened what's gone wrong
Going down the dole got to sign on
Millions of kids with nowt to do
You better watch out they're after you
Alternative
I don't wanna join the army
Alternative
I know it's a waste of time
Alternative
No alternative is what they say
Alternative
The choice is mine Politicians what do they care
They're all money grabbers they're after their share
They don't give a shit if you get shot
Cause there ain't no way they'll be there”