Line Out Music & Nightlife

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Song / ??!! Why Does Punk Rock Hate California?

Posted by Megan Seling on Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 12:03 PM

Listening to Smoke and Fire's "California's Burning" (over and over and over again) got me thinking—there sure are a lot of punk and rock songs about wanting to destroy the Golden State. Sink it, burn it down, whatever. Punk rock hates California.

"Wake up, grab your bags. California's burning to the ground.... Burn it down! Burn it down!" - Smoke or Fire, "California's Burning"

"I wish California, without any warning, would go and start a burning tonight/I wish California would fall in the ocean and everyone would die." - Blatz, "California"

"California sucks, just look who you've produced/Ronald Reagan, Jerry Brown and countless other fools/West Coast sun-tanned morons, you don't know how to think/I can't wait 'til your state erodes and you fall into the drink." - Screeching Weasel, "California Sucks"

"So with no evacuation, let California fall into the fucking ocean!" - Rancid, "Antennas"

"I'm getting higher, I think I'll start a forest fire/There's a forest fire climbin the hill/Burning wealthy California homes/Better run run run run run run from the fire." - Dead Kennedys, "Forest Fire"

Perhaps the backlash is because everyone's sick and tired of hearing about how great California is?

"We’re all so sick of California songs/Yeah we know you love L.A./But there’s nothing left to say/Please no more California songs/And fuck New York too." - Local H, "California Songs"

What are some others? If we could get a half dozen or so more, this could make for a pretty great West Coast road trip mix...

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Comments (16) RSS

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mackro 1
Well, you're ignoring the ten-fold number of songs about how GREAT California is. The Beach Boys smother all these bands alone. Now add The Eagles and many other 60s/70s California rock bands who have their token "we love California" songs, and well there you go.
Posted by mackro http://mackro.blogspot.com on June 25, 2009 at 12:11 PM
2
Youth Brigade - Sink With Kalifornija, although it's not hating on CA. Just a rad song.
http://tinyurl.com/koajq3
Posted by robby1066 on June 25, 2009 at 12:25 PM
J. Burns 3
Man, if I were only the type to shamelessly self-promote...
Posted by J. Burns on June 25, 2009 at 12:36 PM
4
I think we should open this up to individual cities within California.
Posted by Nick on June 25, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Jeff Kirby 5
Police Tooth! They sing that song "Danny California."
Posted by Jeff Kirby on June 25, 2009 at 1:46 PM
6
San Diego country rock band Rookie Card's "The Sun Always Shines on Christmas" : "'Got a lover needs lovin' 'er, got a Nazi for a Governor, Get me out of here."
Posted by big pete on June 25, 2009 at 2:11 PM
7
bad religion probably has a ton of songs hating on california.. Land of Competition sticks out from the little i can remember from my 1980's punk rock days.
Posted by gtownmike on June 25, 2009 at 2:25 PM
8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_son…
Posted by gtownmike on June 25, 2009 at 2:30 PM
9
okay so i doubt you could pass the presidents off as punk rock, but "fuck california" is a prime example of anti cali rock n roll.
Posted by jesseweed on June 25, 2009 at 2:52 PM
alithea 10
i can only think of songs about LA. this includes LAX by big d and the kids table (video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUFnG9Bvf… ) and goldfinger - the city with two faces ("i have had my motorcycle stolen here more times than Nirvana has songs about heroin.").
Posted by alithea http://www.facebook.com/alithea.odell on June 25, 2009 at 3:29 PM
T 11
@10 Get out of my head! I was going to post exactly those 2 songs.

There's also "Cobra Skullifornia" by Cobra Skulls, "Los Angeles is Burning" by Bad Religion, and "Hell Looks a Lot Like LA" by Less Than Jake.
Posted by T on June 25, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Estey 12
Well, Fear took a stand for California in a round about way with "New York's Alright" ... which could have been sung from anywhere, but I bet they were kicking East Coast for the City of Angels.
Posted by Estey on June 25, 2009 at 5:29 PM
13
TOOL - Ænema
Some say the end is near. Some say we'll see armageddon soon. I certainly hope we will. I sure could use a vacation from this bullshit three ring circus sideshow of Freaks here in this hopeless fucking hole we call LA The only way to fix it is to flush it all away. Any fucking time. Any fucking day. Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay. Fret for your figure and Fret for your latte and Fret for your hairpiece and Fret for your lawsuit and Fret for your prozac and Fret for your pilot and Fret for your contract and Fret for your car. It's a bullshit three ring circus sideshow of freaks here in this hopeless fucking hole we call LA The only way to fix it is to flush it all away. Any fucking time. Any fucking day. Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay. Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves. Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dipshits. Some say the end is near. Some say we'll see armageddon soon. I certainly hope we will cuz I sure could use a vacation from this Silly shit, stupid shit... One great big festering neon distraction, I've a suggestion to keep you all occupied. Learn to swim. Mom's gonna fix it all soon. Mom's comin' round to put it back the way it ought to be. Learn to swim. Fuck L Ron Hubbard and Fuck all his clones. Fuck all those gun-toting Hip gangster wannabes. Learn to swim. Fuck retro anything. Fuck your tattoos. Fuck all you junkies and Fuck your short memory. Learn to swim. Fuck smiley glad-hands With hidden agendas. Fuck these dysfunctional, Insecure actresses. Learn to swim. Cuz I'm praying for rain and I'm praying for tidal waves I wanna see the ground give way. I wanna watch it all go down. Mom please flush it all away. I wanna watch it go right in and down. I wanna watch it go right in. Watch you flush it all away. Time to bring it down again. Don't just call me pessimist. Try and read between the lines. I can't imagine why you wouldn't Welcome any change, my friend. I wanna see it all come down. suck it down. flush it down.
More...
Posted by brokn2pieces on June 26, 2009 at 6:38 AM
14
California Über Alles, Dead Kennedys
Posted by left coast on June 26, 2009 at 4:26 PM
15
"Boston not LA" - The Freeze
Posted by lenora on June 27, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Ride That Bullet Train To Vegas 16
Why Does Punk Rock Hate California?

This is a question worthy of a PhD dissertation. I think it requires looking at what was going on in the state at the time. I would think that some of it can be figured out by looking at the rest lyrics in those songs, too. Yes, I know I'm taking all the fun out of it.
Posted by Ride That Bullet Train To Vegas http://welcometoflavorcountry.wordpress.com on June 28, 2009 at 10:46 AM

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