The Poetry of Punk The Meaning Behind Punk Rock and Hardcore Lyrics

Punk bands have produced an abundance of poetic texts, some crude, some elaborate, in the form of song lyrics. These lyrics are an ideal means by which to trace the developments and explain the conflicts and schisms that have shaped, and continue to shape, punk culture. They can be described as the community?s collective ?poetic voice,? and they come in many different forms. Their themes range from romantic love to emotional distress to radical politics. Some songs are intended to entertain, some to express strong feelings, some to provoke, some to spread awareness, and some to foment unrest. Most have an element of confrontation, of kicking against the pricks. Socially and epistemologically, they play a central role in the scene?s internal discourse, shaping communities and individual identities.

The Poetry of Punk is an investigation into the Anglophone punk culture, specifically in the UK and the US, where punk originated in the mid-1970s, its focus being on the song lyrics written and performed by punk rock and hardcore artists.

List of Figures

Foreword: On Punk Lyrics Greg Bennick

Introduction: ‘Three Chords and the Truth’

Chapter 1: Definitions

Etymologies

Defining Punk

Defining Poetry

Chapter 2: Punk Lyrics in Form, Function, and Delivery

The Meaning of Punk Vocalization

The Economy of Punk Songs: Text–Music Reciprocity

Text and Paratext

Form

Intertextuality in Punk Songs

The Levels of Communication in Punk Songs

The Functions of Punk Lyrics

The Anatomy of Punk Lyrics

Chapter 3: The ‘Punk Ideology’: The Language of Politics in Punk’s Poetry

Anarchy

Anticapitalism and DIY

Religion

Gender and Sexuality

Race and Ethnicity

Vegetarianism and Animal Rights

Chapter 4: "Anarchy in the UK": Genealogies of British Punk and Post-Punk

Sex Pistols: A Crudely Poetic Revolution

Anarcho-Punk: A Crass Threat to the Establishment

‘UK 82’: The Austere Poetics of Thatcher-Era Punk

Eclecticism and Diversification: British Punk in the Twenty-First Century

"The Queen Is Dead": From Punk to Post-Punk

Chapter 5: "Rise Above": A History of North American Punk and Hardcore

The Ramones: Punk as Pastiche

Dead Kennedys

The Harsh Poetics of Reagan-Era Hardcore

Straight Edge: A Sober Revolution?

‘Neo-Punk’: Between Underground Credibility and Mainstream Appropriation

The 1990s and Early 2000s: Modern Hardcore’s Defining Years

Index

Gerfried Ambrosch holds a PhD in English and American Studies from the University of Graz. He spent several years working and researching in London. He currently lives in Vienna, where he works for an international NGO. As a touring musician, he has intimate knowledge of the goings-on in international punk communities.