Music Meaning Behind the Screaming

As punk evolved and developed throughout the ages, generations would create certain meanings for it: a movement, a rebellion, a revolution and even as (and this one was just ridiculous when I typed 'punk' in WordWeb) "An aggressive and violent young criminal" and also used as an adjective meaning "of very poor quality". Commercialism branded it with certain untrue stereotypes. The word punk connotes different definitions as by the generalizations of people who have little or no understanding on the subject. The essential aspect of punk is shrouded. The idea basically is whatever fad there is goes. And right now the fad is punk, even if many believe that by just wearing punk small black shirts and having long hair gelled so as to cover one eye and wearing Vans or Chuck Taylor Converse shoes means that they are as, to utilize the colloquial term, punkistas. Many still proclaim that punk is nothing but mere music. However, anyone taking a closer look and divulging into the matter, this thing that popped up in the 70's can see that even with all its separation into subgenres and styles and different sounds can see that punk is not merely some small movement, or even a revolution. Words that accompany the definition of punk suggest that it is merely a short, linear progressive event, a fashion statement or fad that begins and ends. Those who label punk as such have failed to realize a very important aspect of it, that it is not a flowing current that starts from a waterfall and ends at the sea, it is more than mere sound and perhaps more than just a culture to some, it has become a lifestyle.

The history of punk could be traced back from the beginning of the Vietnam War. Anti-war activists were getting into the scene in not just in the United Sates but as well as in Europe and Australia. As some may stereotype many of these individuals as 'Hippies', this actually was the foundation of the rebellious do-it-yourself culture we now know as punk. The sub-culture of punk originated from many influences. The evolution of music from rag-time to jazz and to rock and roll genre built the stepping stones for the musical origins of punk. the music and art basically is an underground movement against conformity and social norms, although it had its part in mainstream. Later on the there were many aspects of society that came into play. Mainly of these influences was the Socio-Political and Economic aspect. Punk basically began as an off-shoot from the hippies groove funk style. Who ever did start the punk genre? The Sex-Pistols? The Ramones? Crass? Or Black Flag? Maybe perhaps it began in a dumpy old trailer park with friends tired of their boring lifestyle of throwing stone at empty tuna and beer cans or maybe some kid got too tired of his parents' yelling of his poor grades and not taking out the trash that he went in the garage with his guitar, pen, and paper and started creating music of what he felt. In actuality, punk never was made by any single one. It existed mainly in the personalities and ideologies individuals who just won't eat crap out from anyone. To be a punk, one does not swallow bullshit that's fed to him. A punk questions for the reasons of authority. A punk does not conform to societal orthodoxy and to what advertisers portray. A punk thinks for himself. And in a very distinct way, a punk can be called a philosopher

Those that would research and study on the subject on punk might have the impression of punk being a thing of the 70's and that what we have now is just post-post punk. Has punk really died because it became a corollary to the rebel movement and activism in the western world during the war in Vietnam? If this is true then why would there exist many sub-genres of punk? the existence of over 40 subgenres means only one thing, that punk not only survived the test of time but it evolves and it thrives thus would continue in redefining the rules and killing the trends. Individuality is complimentary to punk, and as long as we see ourselves as individuals we could say that "Punk is not Dead".