Read Between The Frets: The Philosophy of Rock Music

Modern rock has many faces—too many to count. Grunge, pop, punk, reggae, indie, progressive, metal, ska; the list goes on. Rock continues to branch off from what has previously been played into new styles that redefine the genre. Two categories mentioned above, ska and punk, have exhibited an unusual behavior which contradicts this trend. Originating in different times and in different places, the two styles have grown together in recent years: spawning what many call the musical genre of “ska-punk.” Beyond the musical fusion, this new style also brought about a joining of ideals from both types of music: the racial unity of Jamaican ska and the political fire of British and American punk. However, while ska-punk began with two fundamental ideologies, it has shifted towards bleakness and escapism—devoid of the strong philosophy of its founders.

In order to examine the philosophy of ska-punk music, it is important to first examine the two genres that came together to form it.

ELEMENT 1: PUNK

Punk music developed in the 1970s with the formation of bands such as the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, and the Clash. Initially punk rock started out as a backlash to the seemingly sentimental or pretentious style of popular music during the 60s. The philosophy of early punk rock could be considered nihilistic, with lyrics such as: “There is no future / In England’s dreaming / No future / No future for you / No future for me”¹ from the Sex Pistols. The lyrics also included political messages advocating anarchy and insulting current governments. This trend of political activism through punk music has remained throughout its history: a recent example of this is 2004’s Rock Against Bush, a protest compilation album from various punk artists.²

ELEMENT 2: SKA

An example of classic Rude Boys

Ska was born during the late 1950s in Jamaica, largely influenced by American Jazz as well as the local sounds. First wave ska had a slow beat, which was easy to dance to (commonly known as “rocksteady”). The primary fans of ska music were young, defiant Jamaican kids, referred to as “Rude Boys.” The Rude Boys were rebels without jobs, fighting against the social conditions of the era. Their dress—black suits and hats with thin ties—was meant to be a symbol of irony, accentuating their poverty. The Rude Boys and their new dances and hard attitudes contributed to the quicker, edgier sound that ska developed with time. Other factors, such as the immigration of Jamaicans to the United Kingdom, lead to the Two Tone ska movement, and eventually to modern third wave ska.³ 

THE CULMINATION

While the influences of punk music on ska began during the Two Tone era of the late 1970s, with bands such as The Specials, The English Beat, and Madness, the sound did not fully develop until the 1980s and 90s with the birth of third wave ska. California-based band Operation Ivy stands as the first true ska-punk band. Their first (and last) full-length album Energy, released in 1989, took the horns from ska, the tempo from punk, and the lyrics from both. The coarse, violent punk sound was met with cries for peace. The tracks on Energy called for an end to war and racial hate (”unity!”), and they did so with the youthful energy of a group of boys in their late teens or early 20s that echoed the views and attitudes of the Rude Boys of 1950s Jamaica. 

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While much of Operation Ivy’s ideals were antiquated, there was something universally appealing about them. Operation Ivy wanted to figure out the world’s problems and make a difference; a struggle felt by almost everyone of that age.

Band Operation Ivy performing

Unfortunately, Operation Ivy split up only two years after its founding due to the pressures of their success. Ska-punk would never be quite the same. 

THE SHIFT

The transition from the 80s to the 90s brought with it much growth and success for the ska-punk genre. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones became a big hit with their song “The Impression That I Get” in 1997. Other bands, such as Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, and Save Ferris also gained popularity. The lyrical message of the music began to change as ska-punk grew. The meanings faded as humor and fantasy became the central themes. Matt Wong, bassist for Reel Big Fish, explained: “In the beginning it was really about social change. Nowadays a lot of ska bands focus on fun. And an escape is nice. You can get away from all the crap that’s going on.”⁴ Ska-punk lyrics turned more to the nihilistic style of punk rock-making songs about beer, girls, or superheroes: things that were fun to listen to, but didn’t have the same philosophy behind them that the previous generations had. The band NOFX verbalized this shift in the lyrics of one of their songs, “I’m not insane / I’m not bummed out / I’ve got no one to blame/ nothing to change / I got no evil to fight / One thing’s for sure/ I’m all outta angst / Society don’t bother me.”⁵ Possibly because of this shift, ska-punk’s popularity declined sharply.

The Aquabats

Since 2001, ska-punk has not maintained the same status it had during the 90s. Many of the bands from that time period, such as the Hippos and the Aquabats, have changed their style completely, losing much of their ska roots. Synthesizers replaced horns, and free-flowing guitar solos replaced classic ska beats.

Ska-punk has been successful in combining two different musical styles into something new and exciting, and also in launching some talented bands into stardom. Yet, as a recent phenomenon, it has quickly moved away from the deeper meanings of the ska and punk genres—and their founding visions. While there is always a place for escapism, it is hard to think that music with such a rich history to its founding could resort to such simplicity. Perhaps this philosophical mildness is fine, but perhaps there is more to be gained from the genre. Newcomers such as Streetlight Manifesto, Big D and the Kids Table, and The Mad Caddies understand this, and they are trying to bring back the older ska and punk initiatives (hence the title of Big D’s newest album, Strictly Rude). With the next wave of ska-punk music on the horizon, the genre is poised to reinvent itself yet again.

¹ From the Sex Pistols’ album “Nevermind the Bollocks” (1977)
² http://punkmusic.about.com/od/punk101/a/punkhistory2.htm
³ http://users.bigpond.net.au/lvisser/skahistory.html
⁴ Matt Wong (http://www.mfyi.com/r/reelbigfishquotes.html)
⁵ NOFX, The Greatest Songs Ever Written