Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Greatest punk songs!
You can quibble around the margins, but its a strong list for those who follow the genre, and choosing might be tough. The Clash, The Jam, Sex Pistols, Operation Ivy, Dead Kennedys, Ramones, Buzzcocks: they're all there, plus many more.
UPDATE
It was very difficult choosing but I've cast votes for the following tunes:
The Clash-White Man in Hammersmith Palais Great on so many levels, I was always particularly drawn to its punky reggae beat. It also describes a white kid drawn to Jamaican music, something I can and do strongly relate to.
The Jam-Down in the Tube Station at Midnight A great great song from a great and underappreciated band, it tells the chilling tale of a mugging of a man on the way home to his wife. Conciousness slipping away, the last lyrics haunt: I think back on my life, think about my wife, cause they took my keys, she'll think its me.
Operation Ivy-Sound System - OI came on the scene about ten years after the glory days of punk, and introduced a whole new subgenre: ska-core. Their CD Energy was among my most played discs back in the summer of '91. It just kicks ass, pure and simple.
The Dead Milkmen-Bitchin' Camaro Loved seeing this on the list. Back in my college radio days this was a popular request, simply because it rules on all possible metrics. Band name? Awesome. Song name? Awesome. The song itself? Innovative and funny with its long conversational intro and furious finish. Drunk on unleaded, indeed.
"Bitchin' Camaro"
- Hey Jack, what's happenin'?
- I don't know.
- Well uh, rumour around town says you mighht be thinkin' 'bout goin' down to
the shore.
- Uh, yeah, I think I'm gonna go down to thhe shore.
- Whadda ya gonna do down there?
- Uh, I don't know, play some video games, buy some Def Leppard t-shirts.
- Don't forget your Motley Crue t-shirt; y'know all proceeds go to get their
lead singer out a' jail.
- Uh huh.
- Can't wait to go down. Hey uh, were ya gonna check out the sand bar while
you're down there?
- Uh, what's the Sand Bar?
- Ah, it's a place that lets sixteen year-old kids drink.
- Ah, cool.
- Ya hey, guess who's gonna be there?
- Uh, who?
- My favourite cover band, Crystal Ship.
- Wow.
- Yeah, they do a Doors show, you'd be reallly impressed, in fact, it goes a
little like this:
Love me two times baby
Love me twice today
Love me two times girl
Cause I got AIDS
Love me two times baby,
once for tomorrow,
once cause I got AIDS
- Uh...
- Pretty good Jim Morrison impersonation thhere. I hope those guys have a
good sense a' humour and don't take us into court.
- Uh, what's the court?
- Never mind that, the important thing heree...
- You mean the People's Court.
- The... Now, that's another story. The impportant thing here is that we get
to the part where you ask me how I'm gonna get down to the shore.
- Oh, how you gettin' down to the shore?
- Funny you should ask, I've got a car now..
- Ah wow, how'd ya get a car?
- Oh, my folks drove it up here from the Bahamas.
- You're kidding!
- I must be, the Bahamas are islands. Okay, the important thing here is
that, uh, you ask me what kinda car it is.
- Uh uh, what kinda car do ya' got?
- I've got a bitchin' Camaro...
(1.2.3.4)
Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
I ran over my neighbors
Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
Now I'm in all the papers
My folks bought me a bitchin' Camaro
With no insurance to match
So if I happen to run you down
Please don't leave a scratch
I ran over some old lady
One night at the county fair
And I didn't get arrested
Because my dad's the mayor
Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
Donuts on your lawn
Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
Tony Orlando and Dawn
When I drive past the kids
They all spit and cuss
Cause I've got a bitchin' Camaro
And they have to ride the bus
So you'd better get out of my way
When I come through your yard
Cause I've got a bitchin' Camaro
And an Exxon credit card
Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
Hey man where ya headed?
Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
I'm drunk on unleaded!
4 Comments:
By 
Jinbon H Wrong aka Sloop John B, at
Wed Jun 14, 03:16:00 PM:
Dead Milkmen had many wondrous tunes. I nominate "Animal Boy" by the Ramones. Very salient commentary. In fact, that whole CD was worthwhile.
By K. Pablo, at
Wed Jun 14, 06:24:00 PM:
gotta wonder about a.) the presence of bands like Social D and Sleater-Kinney: PUNK?? and, b.) the absence of Agnostic Front and pre-Mike Patton Faith No More.
By Jimmy K., at
Wed Jun 14, 09:42:00 PM:
I went to Google to get a translation page. Closest I could get was Swahili: Translation of this page: Blogger has lost marbles.I have no idea of what the heck you are talking about. I must be too old....
By 
, at
Thu Jun 15, 02:52:00 PM:
Holidays in the sun by the Sex Pistols
a cheep holiday in other peoples misery
i don't wanna holiday in the sun
i wanna go to the new belsen
i wanna see some history
'cause now i got a reasonable economy
now i got a reason, now i got a reason,
now i got a reason and i'm still waiting
now i got a reason, now i got a reason to be waiting
the berlin wall
sensurround sound in a two inch wall
well i was waiting for the communst call
i didn't ask for sunshine and i got
world war three i'm looking over the wall
and they're looking at me
now i got a reason, now i got a reason
now i got a reason and i'm still waiting
now i got a reason, now i got a reason to be waiting
the berlin wall
well they're staring all night and
they're staring all day
i had no reason to be here at all
but now i gotta reason it's no real reason
and i'm waiting at the berlin wall
gotta go over the berlin wall
i don,t understand it...
i gotta go over the wall
i don't understand this bit at all...
claustropfobia there's too much paranoia
there's to many closets i went in before and
now i gotta reason, it's no real reason to be waiting
the berlin wall
gotta go over the berlin wall
i don't understand it...
i gotta go over the wall
i don't understand this bit at all...
please don't be waiting for me
