Just some thoughts

Ok so I've been thinking about what is considered punk today, I know that there a variety of punk subgenres eg hardcore, street punk etc but the punk im interested in, for this particular question, is what the media has constructed as punk to the youth of today - pop/rock punk.

The reason as to why I think pop/rock punk has become popular - It's pretty hard to be considered contraversial and to shock people these days, which are two elements that helped define the orginal punk movement of the 70s. There is now a space in the mainstream market for those bands that criticise society and provide an anti-authoritarian voice for those who often feel invisible within society. There will always be people who are discontent with society, so there will always be a space for those bands who are willing to voice their true feelings, its just that in today's society, its no longer shocking to have people swearing and openly criticising society in their songs. So, does the music have the same affect these days?

The Sex Pistols "God Save The Queen"

God save the queen
The fascist regime
They made you a moron
Potential H-bomb

God save the queen
She ain't no human being
There is no future
In England's dreaming

Don't be told what you wan
tDon't be told what you need
There's no future, no future,
No future for you

God save the queen
We mean it man
We love our queen
God saves

God save the queen
'Cause tourists are money
And our figurehead
Is not what she seems

Oh God save history
God save your mad parade
Oh Lord God have mercy
All crimes are paid

When there's no future
How can there be sin
We're the flowers in the dustbin
We're the poison in your human machine
We're the future, you're future

God save the queen
We mean it man
We love our queen
God saves

God save the queen
We mean it man
And there is no future
In England's dreaming

No future, no future,
No future for you
No future, no future,
No future for me

No future, no future,
No future for you
No future, no future
For you

Green Day's "American Idiot"

Don't want to be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation under the new media
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mind fuck America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue

Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along to the age of paranoia

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.

Don't want to be an American idiot.
One nation controlled by the media.
Information age of hysteria.
It's calling out to idiot America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.

Ok i know that it's only two examples but it will do for now, ill post some more lyrics and look at the voice they convey and how it reflects the punk mentality.

Now back to the above two songs ...
They both deal with social issues, the bands obviously have an angst about their countries current situation. It is this angst and anti-authority attitude, aswell as the actual sound of the music that makes the subculture - people identified with the raw/harsh music and the lyrics spoke to them because it voiced their concerns. The themes of the two songs reflect the different periods of the bands - "God Save the Queen" was an affective song because it was released during a conservative period (and a conservative event) The song voiced the band members concerns with their country. Whereas "American Idiot" reflects the 21st century and its infatuation with media and the effect its had on the nation and its people. Both songs succeeded in capturing the angst of their time.

Hmmm so what then can be said about the music of so called punk bands Good Charlotte and Simple Plan?? Does their music and attitude reflect the punk mentality, or are their songs more concerned with dating dramas and not pleasing Daddy rather than creating a revolutionised voice that is willing to critque its society?