PUNK IS A STATE OF MIND, AN ATTITUDE, A WORLD VIEW

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Punk is a state of mind. Mental conformity is out and originality and freedom of expression are in. Punk is an attitude. Which is a shrewd social awareness that critically analyses our own society on the one hand, and that values integrity, fairness, and decency, and despises injustice on the other. Punk is a world view. It is a way of understanding the world amidst the ongoing chaos of economic collapse and forever wars.

Punk isn’t shy about speaking out. Punk calls out colonialism, militarism, police violence, and class oppression. Punk is political but rarely seeks to engage in party politics. Punk prefers grassroots community action over the grandstanding of politicians.

Punk has many tones and modes but primarily utilises anger as a force for good. Behind the anger is an eternal optimism. Things can be better, but we will have to get angry first.

Punk transcends mindless fashion and social media atomisation. Punk is the subcultural glue that binds social awareness with community activism. As well as do-it-yourself enterprise with anti-capitalist approaches to housing and music production. And of course, musical talent with brilliant lyrics.

Punk nearly always has a message to share. Perhaps the most consistent punk message over the past 50 years has been that all meaningful social change must first begin as an idea within the mind of the individual.

These songs are but a small taster of what the punk movement has served up. Most, if not all, are from the early days of punk, that is, the 1970s and 1980s. Enjoy.

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Mighty and superior | Conflict

Mighty and invincible as they boil the seas for power
Recruiting armies on the land to protect the state that cowers
From the Ruskies – from the dollar
One’s investment one’s our enemy
These people why can’t they love?
Human feelings don’t that matter?
Much rather they would rule, building castles and tycoons
Throwing a crust out to the third world, sending rockets to the moon

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Holiday in Cambodia | Dead Kennedys

You’re a star-belly sneech, you suck like a leech
You want everyone to act like you
Kiss ass while you bitch so you can get rich
But your boss gets richer off you

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State violence / state control | Discharge

Kept in line with truncheons
Rifle butts and truncheons
This is state control, this is state control
Beaten up behind closed doors
Cracked and bruised ribs, bloody mouth
Cracked and bruised skull, bloody mouth

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God save the queen | Sex Pistols

God save the Queen
The fascist regime
It made you a moron
Potential H-bomb

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Concrete jungle | The Specials

Concrete jungle, animals are after me
Concrete jungle, it ain’t safe on the streets
Concrete jungle, glad I got my mates with me

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National insurance blacklist | The Business

In our country so fair and free
So say the holders of the economy
There is a monster said not to exist
They call it the employers blacklist

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Riot squad | Cock Sparrer

He’s in the riot squad
The wanna fight squad
The shoot-on-sight squad
For law and right

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We are the one | Avengers

I am the one who brings you the future
I am the one who buries the past
A new species rises up from the ruins
I am the one who is made to last

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Big A, little a | CRASS

Be exactly who you want to be, do what you want to do
I am he and she is she but you’re the only you
No one else has got your eyes, can see the things you see
It’s up to you to change your life and my life’s up to me

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Rise above | Black Flag

Society’s arms of control
Rise above! We’re gonna rise above!
Think they’re smart, can’t think for themselves
Rise above! We’re gonna rise above!
Laugh at us behind our backs
Rise above! We’re gonna rise above!
I find satisfaction in what they lack
Rise above! We’re gonna rise above!

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it’s no use

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Nobody’s hero | Stiff Little Fingers

Don’t wanna be nobody’s hero
Don’t wanna be nobody’s star
Don’t wanna be nobody’s hero
Get up get out be what you are

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Teenage warning | Angelic Upstarts

13, 14: It’s a teenage warning
15, 16: But nobody’s listening
17, 18: Who takes the blame
19, 20: The twentieth century

Is my image right
For your fashion parade
If it don’t look right
Your days are numbered

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Never surrender | Blitz

Never surrender, never give in
Never let the enemy win
Never say why, never say die
It’s always worth another try

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Blind ambition | The Partisans

Don’t put me down cos I’m different to you
Don’t slag me off and I won’t slag you
Beat me up if it pleases you
You are Mr. Nobody I can see through you

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Outlaw | Chron Gen

You can’t go in if you don’t look right
Doesn’t the music make it right?
It seems fashion, keeps the youth confined
We have missed the whole idea
I thought we listened with our ears
But we keep them closed with fear

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I remember | MDC

I remember when I first went to school
They said, “Don’t be a joker, don’t be a fool
Pledge your allegiance to the red, white, and blue
Don’t expect your country to do nothin’ for you”
They said your forefathers loved you, but I only had one
Watched him die in the heat of the sun
Suckin’ on the barrel of a policeman’s gun
Nothin’ I could do but stay away

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Freeze up | Operation Ivy

Empty factories to the east and all our waste
The shape of things that came show on the broken worker’s face
To the west you’ll find a silicon promised land
Where machines replace our minds for systematic profit plans

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Stay free | The Clash

We met when we were at school
Never took no shit from no one, we weren’t fools
The teacher says we’re dumb, we’re only havin’ fun
You know we piss on everyone in the classroom

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They (The eternal myth and paradox) | Antisect

The rich and the poor and the weak and the strong
The black and the white and the old and the young
For givers and takers and daughter’s and son’s
For good against evil our work has begun
We must all stand together to rid this world of war
And of want and of suffering, so open your door
To harmony to unity to equality to sharing
Start breathing start feeling start living start caring

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It’s time now | Tutti Parze

The struggle continues until we win and all are free

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Music videos sourced from YouTube. Check YouTube for full details. Wherever possible primary source material (the band’s own channel) has been linked above.

Partial song lyrics sourced from Genius.com. See Genius for complete song lyrics.

All documentary materials are shown here as historical evidence of punk culture.

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