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Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing to the present, there has evolved a distinctive and largely cohesive system of thought associated with the Punk subculture (often simply referred to as Punk). Individualism, anti-authoritarianism, political anarchism, free thought, and ethical enlightenment are concepts, among others, that receive some of the greatest attention in Punk thought. Punk ideology views the world as deeply corrupt and wrong but seeks to change this through the
encouragement of enlightenment. Punk thought usually achieves its highest level of expression through punk music, fanzines, and spoken-word albums.
This article focues on general punk ideology. For information on more specific types of punk ideologies see the section titled Other Punk Ideologies. The rest of this article will use the word "Punk" to refer to punk ideology or to a person who espouses Punk ideology. It should be noted that fundamentally, Punk is a lifestyle of non-conformity and freedom of thought. Therefore, this article can only provide a rough generalization of typical Punk thought and is not likely to completely represent the views of any individual person.
History
Punk, since the mid-1970s, has been a movement of rebellion and discontent. As time has progressed, Punk has increasingly become an overt socio-political movement. Bands like Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion, Crass, Conflict, Subhumans and many others helped to contribute to this ideological climate. In their lyrics, these bands expressed serious discontent with the systems and institutions that organize and control the world. They also offered analysis and potential solutions to the world's problems. This spirit is active to this day in Punk music and has matured and expanded in its range.
Anti-classist, anti-military student protester The political ideology most often associated with Punk is that of anarchism. A lot of Punk activism has been done in support of anarchist goals. Whether a Punk subscribes to anarchism or not, he or she almost certainly is discontent with his or her government. Punks are often very active in trying to change their governing political systems to some extent. When Punks engage in activism their demands can usually be described as progressive. Despite the similarities Punk may have with the left wing, Punk perceives the efforts of the left as ineffectual and sometimes just as objectionable as the right wing.
See songs on government.
In Punk thought, authority corrupts humans to intolerable extremes. Police, religion, governments and any other institution that has the ability to coerce is seen as dangerous and despicable. Authority leads always to corruption and abuse. Punk ideas concerning authority derive in part from the political ideology of anarchism. Police brutality and institutionalized
discrimination against Punks also account for this bitter stance on authoritarianism.
See songs on authoritarianism.
Conformity is viewed as dangerous social coercion which prevents people from seeing the true nature of society and forces people to be obedient to the desires of those who hold power.
See songs on conformity.
For many Punks, the dissatisfaction they feel for the actions of their governments is so strong that they have developed elaborate conspiracy theories to explain the motivations of their governments. Some of these theories are plausible and are taken seriously. Others are blatant fantasies used to convey deep cynicism. Many songs have been written to express these theories - some serious, others satirical.
See songs on conspiracy theories.
Punk ideology uncompromisingly rejects the use of military force. The military is the most extreme form of authoritarianism. Militaries commit the most brutal crimes imaginable and are instruments of state power. Because of these views, militaries are seen as the lowest form to which humanity can sink.
See songs on militarism.
Compromising one's ethics in exchange for some reward is harshly condemned by Punks. Working for a perceived unethical organization like a major record label or a company that does nothing for, or even harms, the community are examples of selling out that receive criticism from Punks.
Many important Punk bands have been offered contracts with major record labels. Sometimes these contracts are accepted and their music
and message become radically changed, presumably to make the band's product more marketable.
See songs on selling out.
Many Punks songs have lamented the conformity that religion inspires and the coercive authority of the
church. Most Punks are not religious and believe that religion offers more problems for humanity to deal with than solutions.
See songs on religion.
Most Punks are very discontent with their governments and do not express a great deal of patriotism. Furthermore, patriotism is a devotion to the state so it conflicts with the anti-statism of anarchism. Punks often object to patriotism as being used as an excuse
for governments to act in immoral ways.
Punks often portray the mass media as a dangerous instrument of social control. Television is, for the most part seen as a waste of time and a distraction from reality and healthier habits. Punk music often laments the commercialism and the power interests that control the media. The Do It Yourself Punk ethic is a reaction to this perceived imbalance of power in the media.
See songs on the media.
Many Punks are practicing environmentalists. "While there will always be different opinions coming from under the Punk banner, the most evident environmental philosophy closely resembles something called 'Deep Ecology'"*. This is a non-anthropocentric
form of environmentalism meaning it is a philosophy that sees humans as merely one of many species with no special importance. This idea of Deep Ecology is seen in the last lyrics to the Bad Religion song Modern Day Catastrophists:
- What makes you think you can cure our disease?
- Maybe it's just our biology,
- Maybe it's time to make room for another species,
- This is the 21st century
See songs on environmentalism.
Punk music is loud, fast, and usually didactic. The sound is meant to express nonconformity and discontent. It also expresses aggression by being loud and fast. The rhythm is very spontaneous. Punk music intentionally defies the expectations that the listener has become accustomed to from listening to other, more commercial forms of music. The lyrics are usually sung too fast to be understood by the listener who is forced to read them from the lyric sheet which is usually supplied with the album.
In the early 1980's, a very distinct Punk fashion became visible in the subculture. It expressed many of the things that Punk music expressed: aggression, rebellion, individualism and so forth. This use of fashion being used as a way to be shocking may have been influenced in part by the Futurist. As the Punk movement matured, fashion became less important as Punk ideas became more important. Punk fashion has also received criticisms for being meaningless and for being conformist as the fashion grew in popularity.
Visual art is usually straightforward with a clear message. Album covers contain potent messages concerning social injustice, economic disparity, and images of suffering to shock and create a feeling of empathy in the viewer. Alternatively, they may contain images of selfishness, apathy, and other things that may provoke contempt in the viewer. Much of the earlier art work was in black and white. This was because earlier art was distributed in fanzines created at copy shops.
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As explained in the other sections of this article, Punk ideology sees the world as deeply corrupt and in need of serious change. Because of this world view, a distinct system of beliefs has emerged from the Punk movement which tries to explain the way people ought to behave in such a bleak world.
As the section on conformity pointed out, Punks see this social phenomenon as deceitful and coercive. Being a nonconformist is one of
the most valued of all Punk virtues. To achieve complete nonconformity means to achieve complete freedom and complete clarity in one's perception of society. Punks instinctively practice non-conformity by continually seeking the true nature of things without regard to conventional wisdom. The unique, and to many abrasive, sound of Punk music expresses not only aggression and discontent but also a refusal to sound mainstream or to sound acceptable to a wide audience. Punk fashion is an obvious expression of nonconformity at least until a particular look becomes uniform.
See songs on On Non-Conformity.
In the late 1970s, the Punk movement was operating in an environment controlled to an unacceptable degree by outside influences. Because this impinged on the freedom of the movement, people in the Punk scene began creating their on record companies, organizing their own concerts, and creating there own print media. This became known as the DIY movement. "Don't hate the media, become the media" is a famous motto for this movement.
Punks often participate in direct action to accomplish desired goals. In addition to protests, boycotts and so forth, Punks are also known for the use of sabotage. Though Punks are usually pacifist, more active and radical members of the community have been known to bomb gas stations, destroy animal research laboratories, and alter billboards to include political messages. Recently the phenomenon of hactivism has been used as an additional method of sabotage. These acts are committed in an effort to create social change when it is thought that the normal channels for change have been proven ineffective. Destruction of private property is often deemed acceptable by Punks because it conveys a powerful message of disapproval without hurting people. Because Punks tend to disdain materialism, the destruction of someone else's private property does not receive much sympathy.
See songs on direct action.
Some Punks see the exploitation of animals for food, clothing, and research as an extension of the oppression committed against humans. Punks in Europe were some of the first to adopt a vegetarian diet. North American Punks later began practicing veganism. Other Punks unconcerned with the treatment of animals have also converted to vegetarians/veganism based on the belief that raising livestock destroys land and water resources. Some Punks believe that the brutal way humans treat animals is psychologically connected to the way humans oppress each other. Another animal rights issue that Punks are concerned with is vivisection and other types of experimentation conducted on animals for cosmetic and medical purposes. These practices have prompted protests from the Punk community and the creation of direct action organizations like the
Animal Liberation Front.
See songs on vegetarians, veganism, and animal rights.
Links to Songs
- A Commercial (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2874), Bedtime for Democracy, Dead Kennedys
- Bleed For Me (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2867), Plastic Surgery Disasters, Dead Kennedys
- California Über Alles (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2797), Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, Dead Kennedys
- Dear Abby (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2847), Bedtime for Democracy, Dead Kennedys
- Government Flu (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2834), Plastic Surgery Disasters, Dead Kennedys
- I Am The Owl (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2869), Plastic Surgery Disasters, Dead Kennedys
- Stars and Stripes of Corruption (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2828), Frankenchrist, Dead Kennedys
- Heads Of State (http://www.plyrics.com/lyrics/subhumans/headsofstate.html), Worlds Apart, Subhumans
- Get Off The Phone (http://www.skaponk.com/lyrics/19309/), Free Souls in a Trapped Environment, Citizen Fish
- Against the Grain (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=5&key=60&SongName=Against%20The%20Grain), Against the Grain, Bad Religion
- Individual (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=9&key=106&SongName=Individual), Stranger Than Fiction, Bad Religion
- Inner Logic (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=9&key=110&SongName=Inner%20Logic), Stranger Than Fiction, Bad Religion
- Chickenshit Conformist (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2878), Bedtime for Democracy, Dead Kennedys
- Terminal Preppie (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2837), Plastic Surgery Disasters, Dead Kennedys
- Come Join Us (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=272), The Gray Race, Bad Religion
On Heroes
On Consumerism
- Part III (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=1&key=3&SongName=Part%20III), How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, Bad Religion
- Atomic Garden (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=7&key=79&SongName=Atomic%20Garden), Generator, Bad Religion
- Let them Eat War (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=74&key=525&SongName=Let%20Them%20Eat%20War), The Empire Strikes First, Bad Religion
- Rambozo the Clown (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2849), Bedtime for Democracy, Dead Kennedys
- All Good Soldiers (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=222), Recipe for Hate, Bad Religion
- Charity (http://www.skaponk.com/lyrics/19312/), Free Souls in a Trapped Environment, Citizen Fish
Of Social Criticism
- Faith in God (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=1&key=4&SongName=Faith%20in%20God), How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, Bad Religion
- Voice of God is Government (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=1&key=12&SongName=Voice%20Of%20God%20Is%20Government), How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, Bad Religion
- Destined for nothing (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=15&key=165&SongName=Destined%20For%20Nothing), The Process of Belief, Bad Religion
- American Jesus (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=219), Recipe_for_Hate, Bad Religion
- Moral Majority (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2815), In God We Trust Inc., Dead Kennedys
- Religious Vomit (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2814), In God We Trust Inc., Dead Kennedys
- Religious Wars (http://www.plyrics.com/lyrics/subhumans/religiouswars.html), EP-LP_(album), Subhumans
- Only Entertainment (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=7&key=83&SongName=Only%20Entertainment), Generator, Bad Religion
- Television (http://www.thebrpage.net/songs.asp?AlbumID=9&key=105&SongName=Television), Stranger Than Fiction, Bad Religion
- Fleshdunce (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2851), Bedtime for Democracy, Dead Kennedys
- M.T.V.--Get Off the Air (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2823), Frankenchrist, Dead Kennedys
- Triumph of the Swill (http://www.skaponk.com/view_lyrics.php?id=2856), Bedtime for Democracy, Dead Kennedys
- Aversity (http://www.punkbands.com/lyrics/bands/subhumans/cradle.htm#7), From the Cradle to the Grave, Subhumans
Books on Punk Ideology
Important People in Punk Ideology
Other Punk Ideologies
See also
External links
Bibliography
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