The Poetry of Punk: The Meaning Behind Punk Rock and Hardcore Lyrics

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List of Figures
Foreword: On Punk Lyrics
Greg Bennick
Introduction: 'Three Chords and the Truth'
Chapter 1: Definitions
Etymologies
Defining Punk
Defining Poetry
Chapter 2: Punk Lyrics in Form, Function, and Delivery
The Meaning of Punk Vocalization
The Economy of Punk Songs: Text-Music Reciprocity
Text and Paratext
Form
Intertextuality in Punk Songs
The Levels of Communication in Punk Songs
The Functions of Punk Lyrics
The Anatomy of Punk Lyrics
Chapter 3: The 'Punk Ideology': The Language of Politics in Punk's Poetry
Anarchy
Anticapitalism and DIY
Religion
Gender and Sexuality
Race and Ethnicity
Vegetarianism and Animal Rights
Chapter 4: "Anarchy in the UK": Genealogies of British Punk and Post-Punk
Sex Pistols: A Crudely Poetic Revolution
Anarcho-Punk: A Crass Threat to the Establishment
'UK 82': The Austere Poetics of Thatcher-Era Punk
Eclecticism and Diversification: British Punk in the Twenty-First Century
"The Queen Is Dead": From Punk to Post-Punk
Chapter 5: "Rise Above": A History of North American Punk and Hardcore
The Ramones: Punk as Pastiche
Dead Kennedys
The Harsh Poetics of Reagan-Era Hardcore
Straight Edge: A Sober Revolution?
'Neo-Punk': Between Underground Credibility and Mainstream Appropriation
The 1990s and Early 2000s: Modern Hardcore's Defining Years
Index

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Punk bands have produced an abundance of poetic texts, some crude, some elaborate, in the form of song lyrics. These lyrics are an ideal means by which to trace the developments and explain the conflicts and schisms that have shaped, and continue to shape, punk culture. They can be described as the community’s collective ‘poetic voice,’ and they come in many different forms. Their themes range from romantic love to emotional distress to radical politics. Some songs are intended to entertain, some to express strong feelings, some to provoke, some to spread awareness, and some to foment unrest. Most have an element of confrontation, of kicking against the pricks. Socially and epistemologically, they play a central role in the scene’s internal discourse, shaping communities and individual identities.

The Poetry of Punk is an investigation into the Anglophone punk culture, specifically in the UK and the US, where punk originated in the mid-1970s, its focus being on the song lyrics written and performed by punk rock and hardcore artists.

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