Page "Punk rock" Paragraph 11

Punk rock lyrics are typically frank and confrontational ; compared to the lyrics of other popular music genres, they frequently comment on social and political issues.

Trend-setting songs such as The Clash's " Career Opportunities " and Chelsea's " Right to Work " deal with unemployment and the grim realities of urban life.

Especially in early British punk, a central goal was to outrage and shock the mainstream.

The Sex Pistols classics " Anarchy in the U. K ." and " God Save the Queen " openly disparage the British political system and social mores.

There is also a characteristic strain of anti-sentimental depictions of relationships and sex, exemplified by " Love Comes in Spurts ," written by Richard Hell and recorded by him with The Voidoids.

Anomie, variously expressed in the poetic terms of Hell's " Blank Generation " and the bluntness of the Ramones ' " Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue ," is a common theme.

Identifying punk with such topics aligns with the view expressed by V. Vale, founder of San Francisco fanzine Search and Destroy: " Punk was a total cultural revolt.

It was a hardcore confrontation with the black side of history and culture, right-wing imagery, sexual taboos, a delving into it that had never been done before by any generation in such a thorough way.

" However, many punk rock lyrics deal in more traditional rock ' n ' roll themes of courtship, heartbreak, and hanging out ; the approach ranges from the deadpan, aggressive simplicity of Ramones standards such as " I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend " to the more unambiguously sincere style of many later pop punk groups.