The Decline of Western Civilization

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1

That stupid punk rock.

I don't, you know...

I just think of it

as rock 'n' roll

'cause that's what it is.

You know?

PENELOPE:

What do you like about it?

Well, I like that it's like...

It's something new

and it's just reviving

like old rock 'n' roll.

And it's like it's raw again.

It's for real.

And it's fun, and you know...

It's like, it's not bullshit.

There's no rock stars now,

you know.

Okay, attention!

Attention!

For the third time, attention!

Hey, wait a minute!

Attention! Shut up!

Attention!

Attention, please be advised...

Please be advised that...

Please be advised that by

your entry upon these premises...

...that by your entry

upon these premises...

...you are consenting

to being photographed.

...you are consenting

to being photographed.

This means they're gonna take

photos of your ugly faces right?

...and you having your likeness

used in motion pictures.

...and having your ugly likeness

used in a filthy motion picture.

...and for other purposes.

...and for other purposes.

...and for other purposes.

...and other purposes.

...and for other purposes,

God knows what!

...and for other purposes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And at the bottom,

it says, "Thank you."

And you can tell them

to f*** off.

[GUITAR STRUMMING]

LEE VING:
So how come they let

all you long hairs

in here tonight?

- What's the problem?

- MAN:
It's not a big...

This is 1980. Can't you afford

a f***ing haircut?

[GUITAR STRUMS]

JOHN:
It's a f***ing movie

representing f***ing LA.

Dance!

You want people in Philadelphia

to see a bunch of deadbeats?

MAN:
Yeah!

- One, two, three, four!

-[TAPPING STICKS]

[NAUSEA PLAYING]

[SINGING] Today you're

Gonna be sick so sick

You'll prop your forehead

on the sink

Say Oh, Christ!

Oh, Jesus Christ!

My head's gonna crack

Like a bank

Tonight you'll fall asleep

In clothes so late

Like a candy bar

Wrapped up for lunch

That's all you get

To taste poverty

And spit poverty

Nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to sleep

Today you're gonna

Be sick so sick

You'll prop your forehead

on the sink

Say, Oh, Christ!

Oh, Jesus Christ!

My head's gonna crack

Like a bank

Tonight you'll fall asleep

In clothes so late

Like a candy bar

Wrapped up for lunch

That's all you get

To taste poverty

And spit poverty and spit

Nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to sleep

You're talking out of harmony

You can't remember what you said

Cut it out

You feel retarded

Take the scissors

Saw the head

You're talking out of harmony

You can't remember what you said

Cut it out

You feel retarded

Take the scissors

Saw the head

Nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to nausea

Bloody red eyes

Go to sleep

- WOMAN:
Yeah!

-[CROWD APPLAUDING]

Punk music generally,

that is, hardcore punk

is characterized by its speed.

It has a lot of "fuzz"

as musicians call it,

cranked into the music,

it's high volume, high speed,

usually monotone volumes,

vocals,

uh, characterized

by protest type lyrics.

I think a lot of the time that

it gets out of hand is because

of the speed of the music,

which is way above

the normal rhythm of a dance.

You know, if you take

a four-four disco

time signature,

you know, just comfortably,

you can kind of...

...dance easily to the disco

rhythm which is,

I understand,

126 to 132 heartbeats a minute.

[PUNK ROCK PLAYING]

Whereas the kind of music that

the Germs or the Black Flag

is playing

is upwards of 250,

300 beats a minute.

Which is not comfortable

or normal to dance to.

One, two, three, four!

One, two, three...

[PUNK ROCK PLAYING]

And this is why this dance that

you'll see in the film,

the Pogo dance,

which is, you know,

jumping up and down

and bouncing off walls

and stuff like that.

This kind of an abnormal

level of adrenalin.

And uh...

And so sometimes,

some violence breaks out.

Wow! Man!

Nowadays, I don't...

I think the kids are,

I don't know,

more desperate or something

like that or more bored.

Some of the better of the punk

bands that developed into,

son of, like, folk music.

I don't mean folk music

as a traditional folk music.

But the allegory can be drawn

in the 60s

when protesters used

acoustic guitars.

Now, instead of

acoustic guitars,

you know, they have high-speed,

300 beats a minute speed rock.

And yelling about

the same things.

About how their air

was poisoned out there.

You know, the air in utopia

is poisoned.

You know, the final joke, so...

It's Black Flag.

It's Black Flag.

[PLAYING PUNK ROCK]

We're gonna be a white minority

We won't listen to the majority

We're gonna feel inferiority

We're gonna be white minority

White pride

You're an American

Fm gonna hide

Anywhere I can

Gonna be a white minority

We don't believe

There's a possibility

We, you just wait and see

We're gonna be white minority

White pride

You're an American

White pride

Anywhere I can

Gonna be a white minority

There's gonna be large cavity

Within my new territory

We're a gonna die

[MIC FEEDBACK]

[SCREAMING]

[SINGING]

Okay, the Church, uh...

It used to be a Baptist church

and now they just rent out

all the rooms in it and stuff.

And there's some

other bands in here.

We practice here.

And Ron lives here

and Robo lives here.

PENELOPE:
What's the most people

that ever lived here?

[GIGGLES]

A bunch of hippies rent.

PENELOPE:
What about the hippies?

You get along with the hippies?

They're okay

'cause they just get loaded.

And they're pretty mellow.

[LAUGHING]

Mellow dudes!

They're neutralized.

The smoke so much pot

that they're neutralized.

And you don't smoke pot?

Even if they get pissed off,

they have a joint

and they talk about it,

instead of doing

something about it.

Ron, can you show us

where you live, please?

You mean, like, specifically,

where I sleep?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

Well, this room is where I live.

[SIG HS]

This is a two-room

apartment here.

Rig ht here,

this is a three-room.

It's not exactly

what you would call

a penthouse or anything

like that but this is my...

[WHOOPING]

This is where all the action

goes on, rig ht?

So, yeah, all these, uh...

There's autographs from all

these girls and stuff, you know.

Some used panties

and sh*t like that.

[WOMAN LAUGHING]

This is one of

my victims, right?

[BAND MEMBERS LAUGHING]

Robo's place is a little

less sleazier than mine.

He's up here.

[LAUGHING]

- PENELOPE:
Has that got a bed?

- Mmm...

PENELOPE:
Okay, let's see.

Is that a bed?

- Yeah, it is a bed.

- PENELOPE:
How much does it cost?

Uh, $16 a month.

How much do you make per month,

when you, uh... as a performer?

Uh...

- Pretty much nothing.

- BAND MEMBER:
Negative.

Negative, yeah, actually.

And I mean

Well, like Greg was saying,

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