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Rating: One thing is certain: MDC is one of the angriest bands that hardcore punk has ever spawned.
In 1980, vocalist Dave Dictor (a committed anarchist and vegetarian New York squatter, also openly homosexual) formed the group in Austin, Texas. Initially, they were called Stain, but soon changed their name opting for the acronym of a much more direct "Millions Of Dead Cops" (in the future, they'd enjoy adopting different names practically for each new album: More Dead Cops, Millions of Damn Christians, Missile Destroyed Civilization, Millions of Dead Congressmen, etc.). Within a year, they had already founded their own label, the glorious R Radical, and self-produced a 45 rpm record. When they moved to San Francisco in '82, after finishing recording this first LP, they played a blazing fast and essential thrash, characterized by a raw and distorted sound that favors aggression over technical skill. They had much in common with the Dead Kennedys, the sound, and the harsh social critique, first and foremost. But MDC's music was more violent, faster, and the critique even more direct and radical. While Jello Biafra's lyrics were soaked in sarcasm and black humor, Dictor's were pure declarations of hatred. No irony or double meanings, just a lot of anger.
The 14 deadly hardcore splinters making up the record (which altogether lasts just over 20 minutes) shook (indeed, let's say gave a good kick in the balls to) the reactionary soul of Reagan's America. Nothing is forgiven to today's ruthless society: the rotten capitalism of the corporations ("Business On Parade", "Corporate Deathburger", "Greedy & Pathetic"), hatred towards any form of authority, especially cops (harshly insulted in the furious "Dead Cops/America’s So Straight" and "I Remember", explicit incitements to revolt), the tragic awareness of living an empty life in a gray and hostile world ("American Achievements"). The themes touched upon are varied, some of which were discussed for the first time within a punk song: such as homophobia and vegetarianism, but also contempt for work (the overwhelming and super-fast "I Hate Work") and for typical southern USA redneck bigots, ridiculed in the furious ride "Violent Redneck", just 39 (intense) seconds long. Not even the family is spared, whose progressive degeneration is described with a grotesque caricature in "My Family Is A Little Weird", which nevertheless represents one of the more "light-hearted" episodes of the album, vaguely similar to early Circe Jerks' works.
But the real cherry on top is the vitriolic portrayal of a genuine icon of the American (and therefore universal) imagination, all machismo and warlike violence: none other than John Wayne. He is paid tribute, on the occasion of his death, with a song destined to become the group's symbol and a milestone of the genre: "John Wayne Was A Nazi". Introduced by a bass line that follows an almost funk rhythm, it continues relatively slow until the first chorus, when the barely contained rage erupts wild and liberating ("he was a nazi / but not anymore / he was a nazi / life evens the score / (...) you're roastin' now well John, we’ve got no regrets as long as you died a long and painful death"). A classic.
The album was co-produced by Jello Biafra who, through his Alternative Tentacles, also took care of distribution (and even wanted them as the opening band for a long European tour of the Dead Kennedys).
It is worth mentioning that Dictor's voice, which manages to stand out and emancipate itself from the surrounding sound holocaust, is (almost) always clear and understandable: a detail that suggests the group's precise desire to make the words as clearly understood as possible. Precisely because of the "strong" lyrics, many within the punk hardcore scene of the time criticized the band, accusing them of excessive politicization, in their view alien to the ideals of punk. Indeed, unlike what happened with many of their contemporary groups (like Adolescents, Descendents, Social Distortion or others), the repudiation of any form of authority and the rage against injustices did not end in typical nihilistic and self-destructive attitudes but became an invitation to lift one's head and rebel: against oppressive society, against conformism, but especially against violent and fascist police. All of this in a period when punk was something important, a true movement that scared the bourgeois and right-thinking people, and not just a trend to exploit or a musical genre to cash in on.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Business on Parade (01:26)
We're here to warn you
They're gonna say shut up and buy
We're here to warn you
They're gonna say buy or die
Business is on parade
Corporate scam charade
Business is on parade
Corporate scam charade
Crumbs for the poor
Rich man's profits soar
Government by the rich
Poor man's life a bitch
Don't believe what the
politicians do
Don't believe a word they say
All they wanna do is fuck you
Get fat on their pay
03 Born to Die (01:57)
I'm born to die
I'm born to fry
My life in a cage
Show my outrage
I'm misunderstood
I did what I could
I made my try
I was born to die
Goin' home
My mind is blown
I spilled my race
I found my case
I'm shot down on a fence
I'm dead in self defense
I live in a world of hate
With no regret a Nazi state
A racist dream, a world of hate
With no regret a Nazi state
No war
No KKK
No fascist U.S.A.
04 Corporate Deathburger (01:16)
Ronald laughs as millions starve
And profits forever increase
Your stenching farts as they smile
They say they try to please
Plastic chairs and fake shakes
To help it all go down
Polluting your children with their lies
And trying to destroy your mind
Corporate deathburger, Ronald McDonald
Change from your five
Ankles deep in blood
Make it your career
Sell billions every year
Golden arches and Ronald smiles
Ronald laughs as billions starve
And profits forever increase
Feeding all your grain to cows
Dead children rest in peace
The stench of humans rotting
Smells just like fish filet
Your sign neglects to mention
50,000 starved today
Corporate deathburger, Ronald McDonald
Change from your five
Torture camps for cows
Slaughter and starvation
From death Corporation
Golden arches and Ronald Smiles
You say you're Christians but you're a fake
Multinationals on the take
Starving children deserve a break today
06 I Remember (01:59)
I remember when I first went to school
They said, Don't be a joker, don't be a fool
Pledge your allegiance to the red, white and blue
Don't expect your country to do nothin' for you
They said your forefathers loved you
but I only had one
And I watched him die in the heat of the sun
Suckin' up the bullets of a policeman's gun
There was nothin' I could do but stay away
In the U.S.A. you gotta take your chances
If you plan on stayin' free
They call this the land of the living
But they're trying to make a dead man out of me
I remember when I first hit the road
I was runnin' from the lenders of the money I owed
Came to Austin, heard a knock at my door
Crossed another border and I'm runnin' some more
They say they're gonna get me but it ain't happened yet
Burnin' my fingers on my last cigarette
It's time to remember time to forget
Nothin' I could do but get away
I remember all the stories I heard
How a man's supposed to be 'bout as free as a bird
My brother's in prison, my father's dead
Me, I'm tired of living with a price on my head
I wonder if there's a place to be
In the whole wide country for a fella like me
Name's in the paper, face on T.V.
Nothin'I can do but get away
07 John Wayne Was a Nazi (02:27)
John Wayne was a Nazi
He liked to play SS
Kept a picture of Apolph,
Tucked in his cowboy vest
Sure he would string up your mother
Sure he would torture your pa
Sure he would march you up to the wall
Sure he would hang you by your last ball
[Chorus:]
He was a Nazi
But not anymore
He was a Nazi
Life evens the score
John Wayne slaughtered our Indian brothers
Burned their villages and raped their mothers
Now he has given them the white man's lord
Live by this, or die by the sword
[Chorus]
John Wayne killed a lot of gooks in the war
We don't give a fuck about John anymore
We all heard his tale of blood and gore
Just another pawn for the capitalist whore
[Chorus]
John Wayne wore an army uniform
Didn't like us reds and fags that didn't conform
Great white hero had so much nerve
Lived much longer than he deserved
[Chorus]
Late show Indian or Mexican dies
Klan propaganda legitimized
Hypocrite coward never fought a real fight
When I see John I'm ashamed to be white
Death bed Christian of this you avowed
If God's alive, you're roastin' now
Well John, we got no regrets
As long as you died a long and painful death
08 Dick for Brains (01:03)
Oh Goddess I love you it's true
I'll do anything you want me to
Why? Why?
Dick for brains, dick for brains
Why am I your dick for brains?
You know it drives me so insane
You know I love your power
I wait on your golden shower
Why? Why?
Dick for brains, dick for brains
Not a woman with a clit for brains
You know it drives me so insane
You know how I try to please
Got carpet burns on my knees
Why? Why?
Why? Why?
Dick for brains, dick for brains
Why am I your dick for brains?
You know it drives me so insane
I love it when you treat me cruel
Let me have the whole damn rule
Why? Why?
Dick for brains, dick for brains
Why am I your dick for brains?
You know it drives me so insane
I'm your maid and your chauffeur too
Why do I feel so black and blue?
Why? Why?
Dick for brains, dick for brains
Why am I your dick for brains?
09 I Hate Work (00:55)
work, work, work it's a lot of jive
never gonna work 9 to 5
tell mr. bossman i said goodbye
never gonna work another day in my life
i hate work, yeah
i do i hate work,
and you should to i hate work,
ain't no clerk i hate work,
ain't no jerk
never gonna work in a factory
or sweat my life in misery
work like that never meant to be
work like that is not for me
i hate work, yeah
i do i hate work,
and you should to i hate work,
ain't no clerk i hate work,
ain't no jerk
work work work away the years of your life
work work work never see your wife
work work work sweat and tears
work work work lost my years
i hate work, yeah
i do i hate work,
and you should to i hate work,
ain't no clerk i hate work,
ain't no jerk
we're not gonna work in your crummy jobs
we're not gonna fight in your stinkin' wars
we're not gonna vote in your phony elections
take a good look we're your reflection
i hate work, yeah
i do i hate work,
and you should to i hate work,
ain't no clerk i hate work,
ain't no jerk
11 Greedy & Pathetic (01:23)
never tell the truth, so full of lies words so hollow, depth so shallow you lie to us from the 40th floor don't even know us we're desperate and sore you jack the rent can't save a cent money we've earned we already spent sorry to say, we're gonna blow you away careful starting your car today so greedy, so pathetic, you're a liar a slumlord, a thief, you're house is on fire we see you through your office walls and fancy chairs gonna watch you crumble you better beware
13 Kill the Light (01:14)
i control you through your fear kept you shackled all these years you were bought and sold in hell before you were born your life is mortgaged so grovel and sweat it's paid for my ego kept you in debt my thoughts- cash, cash need cash cash wheel and deal and steal feeding our lust it's just us you're a race of slaves half in your graves i'm a cancer cell here to tell you need me, i own you i deserve the light hanging around, cold and wet i'm out of work and desperate urine subways the stench of puke empty alleys beggars disease sweatin' on my cot which illness i got fight to survive just to stay alive pawn my tv set i got no regrets gotta make it home shoot some hope feel the warmth kill the light
14 American Achievements (02:15)
abandoned child, no one's baby ward of the state, a human mistake institutional living, will drive you crazy grey buildings, grey people, grey food, grey walls life has just started, roommate is retarded friends you got none, treated just like scum no where to go, nowhere to hide "ain't no love, ain't no pity, ya' stole me away from my mama's titty" grey buildings, grey people, grey food, grey walls turned 18, see any hope? think you'll fit, don't give a shit forget your past, cuz nothin' lasts see some die, see shallow lies no going back no going home it's all pitch black stuck on drugs goin' drinkin' feelin' nuts goin' crazy feel like shit feelin' queer they got a label for this misbehavior call this living goin' drinkin' call this living i think i'm dying nowhere to go nowhere to hide no one to trust no on to confide in no going back no going home it's all pitch black big brother's a spy and he's watching you so do as your told and fit in the mold treat you cold, eat your soul he's your guardian angel, he's the master of control grey buildings, grey people, grey food, grey walls no going back, no going home it's all pitch black and there's no god in heaven so get off your knees
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