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In 1994 I had begun the early teen years, the rebellion years as it’s called in a few parenting circles, and not surprising I found something of a home within the sound and message of punk records. The records were holy; completely separate from the world I was just then trying to understand. The records spoke of something I wanted to be a part of, to see a world full of cold rules handed out by the soulless and not just fight them but to win over them. This huge feeling of fighting back mixed with fast guitars was all I needed to feel as a part of something big. Onward punk soldier I marched, to fight the undefined but quite powerful man.
I had no idea how to take out the big authority figures, so annoying teachers, writing band logos on all notebooks in a compulsion like manner and bucking dress codes as a freshman had to be my training until the real rebellion came. It never came though, but I stayed as faithful as I could. With every metaphorical middle finger I threw out during that time I would sing “The Cause” to myself.
It’s a plan, a scam, a diagram
It’s for the benefit of everyone
…The cause- we’re just doing it for the cause.
Those words by Fat Mike were my anthem and my detention hymn of hope, while the whole record Punk in Drublic by NOFX was my salvation; at least for that year. The record had everything I needed, which was apparent from the opener “Linoleum”, which laid out the simple ideal that as long as you have something to call your own, you have something to believe in. The fast Descendents-like riffs mixed with power pop hooks became all that was in my head that year.
Now I look back at the record that was the flag for my first rebellions and I see a lot more than 15 songs about fighting back and catchy lowbrow jokes. I see two songs within each song; one could easy see an adolescent like rebel yell, but always beneath that fact was the admittance of that or of something more. “Linoleum” had within it the honest confession of that fact.
Possessions never meant anything to me
I’m not crazy (Cause I got none)
Well that’s not true, I’ve got a bed and a guitar
The first two lines of the song held the classic punk ethos of why care about anything when you have nothing, but soon to follow that was the admittance that the previous line was not a full truth. This is how much of the band had written that album and most since then. I believe this second story to each song can only be seen when looked through eyes with some age behind them.
Later in 1994 I wouldn’t listen to Punk In Drublic that much, in fact I would trade in their records and other punk records for the seemingly progressive rebellion of hardcore. By this time Punk In Drublic had gone gold, something I never thought possible for a band no one in school knew of the year before. Graduating classes were using Green Day songs as themes of their proms and most moms’ in vans picking up their kids thought that one Offspring song was cute. The demons that everyone once feared had become smurfs, for the most part this rebellion was now family safe.
Now I’m older and rebellion means nothing to me, such a silly word that is now just a marketing gimmick. I still listen to Punk In Drublic though, as well as most NOFX albums. I like to listen to them when I’m off to do typical adult things, like couple double date night. The minute the chorus of “Linoleum” hits the speakers I’m transported back to a simpler time, when annoying someone actually meant something so much more.
love this album to this day
This is still one of my favorite records!
Ahhh.. this story hit home. I miss the days of riding in the car with the windows down, blasting this album, hoping the girls in the school parking lot would look our way.
Ahh I miss the fun and high school rebellion. One of the few punk rock kids in nowhere, South Carolina.
Green Day was my NOFX. They changed my life…1994 was a great year.
That record was freshman year of high school for me.
so long and thanks for the shoes was my favorite NOFX album. just the other week I listen to it again, after not listening to it for probably 2-3 years. and since then I’ve probably listened to it another 15 times or so.
all this came about after hearing the new MxPx album. causing me to dig up some of my old pop punk stuff. good times.
Yeah, I still pull this one out from time to time. I still like White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean more, though.