Born Free - Bouncing Souls Born Free has a wonderful sense of urgency and purpose. It knows exactly where it’s going, it came to deliver a message as fast as possible, in a just a little over a minute. I can’t help but think of this as a libertarian anthem. The way that dictators and “progressives” of all types have always gained power is through playing on fears that come innately as humans. The antidote to tyranny is the renunciation of fear:
Fear is in the air that’s the way they want it to be “Don’t trust friends or neighbors everyone’s your enemy!”
They’ll put a chip in your arm. Keeping track of where you are. With all of this technology have we come so far? It’s easy to get lost, forget who you are
Don’t forget that you’re born free It’s better to die on your feet Than to live on your knees
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jgQseZ4-40&w=420&h=315] Say Anything - Bouncing Souls This song is even shorter than the last, at 1:17. Punk rock is great because one minute it can be purposeful and serious in it’s messaging, and then minute it can be whimsical, self deprecating, and highly relatable. This song is the latter.
But I’m so nervous that I lose my cool Every time I pick up the phone and try to call you Standing out in the freezing cold until I’m numb Wondering why I’m always acting so dumb I don’t wanna be this way I kick myself I wish I could say That I have no regrets today Things just happened to turn out this way I can’t say I have no regrets today
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4kdNIcCEHU&w=420&h=315] Are You There Margeret? It’s me God - The Lawrence Arms This song is from my favorite Lawrence Arms album called Oh! Calcutta. The Lawrence Arms have two singers who equally share the songwriting and vocal duties. This album deviates from the bands usual formula of alternating between softer “Chris songs” and harder hitting “Brendan songs”. Instead, the band decided they were going to sing all the songs together, often alternating singing individual lines and often just singing together in solidarity. This is a dynamic song is a fantastic sampling of this technique. It’s so good. Although it feels really weird to type out the lyrics because the vocal delivery does so much for this song, here is my favorite refrain, which is the chorus and the apex of the raw energy emotion in this song:
Aeroplane, aeroplane Don’t leave without me ‘Cause I’m out here all by myself And I got no place to sleep
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx_WQczLkL4&w=560&h=315] Journey To The End of the East Bay - Rancid …And Out Come The Wolves is a fantastic album and a punk rock Classic. Like the name alludes to, the East Bay (which is where the band is from) is a central topic of this song, in particular the punk rock scene in which the band has its roots. I love that this song references Operation Ivy, a band that both Tim Armstrong and Matt Freemen were in before Rancid, which although it lasted only 2 years has achieved fabled and legendary status.
started in 87 ended in 89 got a garage or an amp we’ll play anytime it was just the 4 of us, yeah man the core of us too much attention unavoidably destroyed us 4 kids on tour, 3000 miles in a 4-door car not know what was goin’ on we got a million years tourin’ out like this hell no, no premonition could’ve seen this
Even if you don’t know anything about the East Bay and Operation Ivy, this is still a great song it it’s own right. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pph1tnEydQM&w=420&h=315] East Bay Night - Rancid Coincidentally this is another Rancid song about the East Bay. I love the East Bay and it’s fun to hear references to it in song. One of the reasons this is in my top 100 list is because my dad and I have bonded over this song as he is also a fan of the East Bay.
Well grandma stands on the very same land on the old house up on the hill, you can see the San Francisco bay Alcatraz, Albany landfill, and reminisce on the front porch under a yellow light Another East Nay Night
spotify:track:0fJH378O6bjtlXaznTzu0L Same In The End - Sublime. Despite the fact that I hate all of the Sublime radio hits, I think they have some great stuff. I heard this song before my teenage years, and I was blown away how exciting and dangerous this song was. The track starts off with thumping bass and fast ska upstrokes, and transitions seamlessly into punk power chords with signature Brad Nowell vocals on top (like a cherry), and then back to the upstrokes as if nothing happened. No one can pull this song off except Brad Nowell (RIP). I love his weird drunken vibrato, his little hiccup, and the “theygiveitupandtheygiveitupandtheygiveitup”. This track has his personality all over it. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNIvCM_3hYg&w=420&h=315] Uptown Top Ranking - Althea and Donna I first heard this as a cover done by Big D and the Kids Table, I like that version a lot, but as is usually the case, the original version is even better. If you are at all interested in Reggae or early Ska, I highly recommend this track. This was a surprise hit in 1977 by two teenagers from Jamaica named Althea Forrest and Donna Reid. This song hit No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. I have a lot of crazy, fast, loud tunes in my collection, it’s nice to slow the pace town and groove to some reggae songs. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsCgrrrPHF0&w=420&h=315] Nervous Breakdown - Black Flag Back in 1978 a little band called Black Flag recorded the Nervous Breakdown EP which was self financed and self released in true punk rock fashion. This song is fast, short and berserk with the punk rock warrior Keith Morris (who will make more appearances on my list with another band) screaming about having a nervous breakdown. And the thing is, he actually sounds like he’s going to have a nervous breakdown. This is classic Black Flag and I like it enough that I put it my top 100. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=302oEzSPCqE&w=420&h=315] The YMCA Down the Street - The Lawrence Arms This is from one of The Lawrence Arms newer albums, and the band sounds older and more seasoned, but nothing has changed in how they can somehow perfectly capture a “snapshot” of a particular emotion. This song contains lyrics about homelessness like so many of their songs, and captures a general melancholy gloom that’s…well, captivating.
And there’s a sad old man with a sad, saggy ass Just crying under the electric dryer for your hands And he’s wet, and he’s dying and the spiders on his nose Seem to indicate that he’s been keeping warm out in the cold And he’s a lot like me, I guess….but we’re somehow not the same They say you really die the last time anybody says your name I got these black rotten teeth Cracking off in bloody beef And I haven’t seen the dentist in at least six thousand weeks And I’m high on this TV and these whiskeys and these dreams That I wouldn’t dare to follow because I couldn’t dare succeed
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL1Sae4h5vQ&w=420&h=315] We Can Live Anywhere - Big D and the Kids Table You know how couples sometimes have songs they consider to be “their” songs? This is one of those songs for my wife and I. It’s a song in a style that Dave McWane has dubbed “Stroll”. It’s about being able to move to wherever you want. There few love songs that I can stomach, and this is one of my favorites. Maybe this is me being overly quixotic but I love the idea of being able to move wherever we feel like. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYWdLundJzU&w=560&h=315]