Punk Rock Themes

Punk rock music has been used for decades to express dissatisfaction with society, government, or any idea common in mainstream media. Yet punk rock is not simply a tangent of the mainstream, it is a dynamic and fluid genre with many distinct songs. Don Letts, a mainstay in the London punk scene during the 70’s and 80’s, went as far to say that hip-hop was essentially “black” punk. While punk and hip-hop music are stylistically different, the fundamental tone of the two genres is the same. Even throughout the decades, hip-hop has sang the same issues as punk, including the plight of the lower class, police brutality, and gang violence.

In the film remember the titans directed by Boaz Yakin is a film set in Alexandria Virginia in 1971. There are many themes portrayed. An example of one of the themes is a change in the character towards overcoming racism and uses effects such as camera angles and symbolism. These changes will be shown by Gerry’s character in the movie.

Thesis Paragraph: The Cold War was a period of time where there was political and military tension between the United States and the USSR. Punk rock bands had a lot to say about everything that was happening during this period of time. Including revolutionary changes or almost having a nuclear war and they expressed their thoughts through loud and fast songs. Punk rock was very popular in Britain and the United States but mostly Britain.

What is punk rock? How many people know the real definition? Punk rocks values, attitude, and ideologies? Punk rock isn’t just a style or a scene but a way of life. It all started in the late 1970s, originating from the working class angst and frustrations many youth were feeling about the economic inequality. One of punks’ main oppositions was rejection of mainstream, corporate mass culture and its values. It continued to evolve its ideology of anti-racist and anti-sexist belief systems as the movement spread from its origins in England and New York to Northern America.

Though many will jokingly argue that “punk is dead” Punk is still very much alive in today’s society. From Mohawks to mosh pits punk has had an impact on today’s culture. Ironically enough punk once known as being a counterculture to the mainstream has now become a large part of it. It can be seen in fashion and dance and especially music. Overtime punk has changed and evolved. It has branched out into numerous sub genres such as pop punk, glam punk, skate punk, and many more. Bands like Fall Out Boy, Greenday, Paramore, The Wonder Years, and All Time Low are modern examples of punk. These bands continue to draw in the younger audiences, because they still exemplify the free and rebellious nature of punk. Punk will continue to live as long

Punk music is usually defined by power chords, raw vocals and high energy performance. Punk rock is the best music ever created. It is, in short, a thinking man’s rock music. And to some, it’s like God himself ordained punk rock as His preferred music of choice. Why? Because it’s just that good. Hundreds of faithful teens and twenty-something adults pack themselves into basements shows like sardines in a tin, just to have their holy gospel delivered to them by guys with names like “Johnny Rotten,” “Justin Sane” or “Davey Havok.” Punk rock is the best musical style for numerous reasons. The reasons might seem simple, but the difference between punk and mainstream music is that punk is just better. It’s clever, thoughtful and passionate. On

     The time was in the mid-seventies, there was a void in the music industry that needed to be filled. This need for a new sound was aptly filled by punk rock, a new type of sound that had evolved from mostly rock and a little pop music. The focus of this paper is on punk rock and it’s ample beginnings, early pioneers of the new sound, punk rock listener’s cultural background and their ideas as a whole, bands influenced by the punk rock movement, and the state of punk rock today.

the cat sat on the log “I come down to pick peas” , “we did nothing wrong” . During the course of both the book “The Stone Boy” and the television episode “Pretty Boy Blue” the complex themes of grief, guilt and authority were ever-present, but constantly misunderstood. The constant inability to understand or relate to these themes was a character trait shared by both Aaron and Arnold, being unable to express their emotions or address concerns clearly throughout the film/book. The lack of understanding or sympathy expressed towards the characters is undeniable; no character tried very effectively to assist either of them in their time of utmost misery. The varying forms of authority constantly misunderstood the characters lack of ‘true’ emotion and instead interpreted it as a sign of disorder or lack of guilt for what they had done, always assuming that they had the worst intentions.

In the early 1950s when Rock and Roll was born, it was so new and so different than anything heard before that by the time the above song was released more than 25 years later, it seemed like nothing had existed before it. Punk Rock had a similar effect on the

69% of the victims of police brutality in the United States who are African-American/black were suspected of a non-violent crime and were unarmed.Social injustice, racism, and prejudice against minorities has been a continuous occurrence throughout our country yet not many people, specifically students are not educated on these topics; however, fictional literature allows young people to carry out meaningful conversations about sensitive topics. In the novel, “The Hate U Give”, the author, Angie Thomas tells the story of a teenage girl, Starr Carter, who witnesses multiple traumatic events that ultimately change her perspective of police and her place in America. Fiction books are a necessary factor for students as these books act as gateways that allow authors to provide context on real world issues that need to be addressed. To many students this is their main source of information as they may

Hip Hop as a genre has always been stylistically, sonically, and emotionally unique. Forming itself as a result of the most fundamental human emotions, hip hop sought out to be seen as serious in presenting itself. Something to not be taken lightly. There’s a good reason for this too, as a genre predominantly controlled by minorities and predominantly criticized by people not belonging in those minorities, it needed a way to defend itself. Rap would have never become what it is today if it didn’t take itself seriously and the artists didn’t write about things that mattered or connected to people. However, Hip Hop as we know it is transforming directly in front of us and is becoming a new form of rap entirely;

“We are tired of your abuse / Try to stop us, it's no use” Black Flag, ‘Rise Above’

One of the major underlying conventions of punk music is that it tends to reject an association with the mainstream. Punk rock is an all-encompassing out of the ordinary form of music. It goes against mainstream ideals in every possible way, from its grungy sound to the off-putting lyrics and influential ethos. Anti-Flag’s lyrics, message and political/social influences are a perfect example of what the 21st century punk ethos is and means.

As a teenager growing up in 1970s Washington D.C. one might rise out of bed in the morning, squeeze into their bell bottoms and skin-tight t-shirts, not expecting that that would be the day they ran into a group of kids dawned in black with clothes pins in their shirts, who called themselves punks and were looking to make a change in DC music history. In a time where the country was divided by political beliefs, a raging war, and racial tensions, smack dab in the center of Washington D.C. came the punk scene. It was said that the hippie scene majorly influenced the punk scene, some would say that the hippies were “the real punks”(Punk: Attitude, 3:12). The punk scene consisted of kids who opposed hippies, so in retrospect the hippies are what

Punk is one of the most written and talked about music and political movements of the twentieth century. What perhaps makes punk special is the way a generation incorporated the attitudes and practices of the music into an entire subculture. In her book Punks: A Guide to an American Subculture, author Sharon M .Hannon argues that "there is no universally accepted definition for punk ."To some, punk mean rebellions against conformity or against parents, school, work, and society at large"(2).Punk means different things to different people depending on whom you ask. One thing that everyone can agree on is that the punk subculture was not just about the music, it was a way of self-expression and undoubtedly a way of life. Punks used their bodies as a way of self-expression. They shaved and styled their hair in unnatural ways. Clothing was often ripped and many used patches of their favorite bands to adorn it. Most were also tattooed and had various facial piercings. Perhaps one of the most significant things in the punk subculture was punk rock, which mostly consisted of loud instruments, hard vocals, and political lyrics.