The Poetry of Punk

Gerfried Ambrosch holds a PhD in English and American Studies from the University of Graz. He spent several years working and researching in London. He currently lives in Vienna, where he works for an international NGO. As a touring musician, he has intimate knowledge of the goings-on in international punk communities.

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