Updated 1 October 2023
I put these songs in chronological order. Pick your favourites! My personal favourite is Youth of Today's "No more", of course. I bought a German pressing of the "We're not in this alone" album on a school trip to France in, I think, 1995.
Many of these songs I had not even come across until recently. And some of these songs I had in my "record collection" but I did not know the lyrics because the respective records did not come with a lyrics sheet.
For example, for the Beefeater song "A dog day" ... and technically, this is the best, most ingenious of all these songs ... the CD booklet (I had the combined "Plays for lovers/House burning down" CD) does contain the printed lyrics of pretty much all of the sings, with the exception of this song! Massive blunder, Ian MacKaye, Dischord, Tomas Squip. What were you thinking?
I also had a Euro release of the Cro-Mags' "Age of Quarell/Best wishes" (combined CD again) which had no printed lyrics. Until more recently, I didn't even know that John Joseph and Harley Flanagan were vegetarians. Of course, the cool punks have criticzed these NYHC fellas for their ribald behaviour, being macho, idiotic, superstitious, violent posers, etc. ... But hey, these guys have managed to become massively famous ... not always a clear sign of brilliance and integrity, of course ... and have written these anthemns about vegetarianism. And have been speaking out for animals (especially John Joseph), while the cool punks have not.
Be sure not to overlook the 1984 Conflict song "Whichever way you want it", which includes the line "Human freedom, animal rights, it's one struggle, one fight". Sounds familiar?
Below, in brackets, you can always see the album or EP (extended play, whoever came up with that term) on which the song, to my knowledge, first appeared.
1.
Flux of Pink Indians: "Sick butchers" (Neu Smell EP, 1981)
Lyrics (Sick butchers):
"I used to graze in a field
Lyrics (Sick butchers):
"I used to graze in a field
I used to breathe
I used to be alive
Did chew the grass in the field
Could see and hear the world around me
See and fear man around me
Had a virgin skin but now sold in supermarkets
Now studded blankets
Used to hear the cars and the birds going by
And the people going by
Did chew the grass in the field
Could see and hear the world around me
See and fear man around me
Had a virgin skin but now sold in supermarkets
Now studded blankets
Used to hear the cars and the birds going by
And the people going by
They were my destiny
They were my reason, my purpose in this field
For their plates, their cold bodies, their car seat covers
My soul for your soles of shoes
You may like my taste
They were my reason, my purpose in this field
For their plates, their cold bodies, their car seat covers
My soul for your soles of shoes
You may like my taste
You may like my warmth
It may say in the bible that you can kill me
... but I don't want to die
It may say in the bible that you can kill me
... but I don't want to die
I don't want to die
I don't want to die
I don't want to die
I don't want to die
You try to stroke me in a field then go home and eat me as your meal"
The same EP also contains the following song:
Flux of Pink Indians: "Background of malfunction" (Neu Smell EP, 1981)
Lyrics (Background of malfunction):
"Man created greed
A choice of who to feed
A choice to live or die
A choice to smile or cry
A love to give to all
To make, to beg or crawl
A life there and the plans
A pass to say what was
Inventions like the bomb
A device to stop what's wrong
A chance to create a life
Similar to the last
Road to follow straight
Animal to fill the plate
Death, that is so sad
Rituals that are not mad
Like eating what is dead
I thought that made man sad
Obviously not the same
Breed animals to be tame
So man can show the fists
Cause only man exists
Lion eats a man
Man invades its land
Man prods it with a gun
Always proving man has won
Oh, lion eats all but shoes
Big business in the news
Shocks, horrors, families eating
Stuffing all the bleeding meat in
'What a savage, it ate a man'
'I won't feed the lions in the zoo again'
'This steak is a lovely piece of meat'
'I fancy a bit of rabbit next week'
'Come on Thomas, eat it up'
'Sometimes I don't think that you were worth the fuck'"
Lyrics:
"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
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
Golden arches and Ronald smiles
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
Corporate deathburger, Ronald McDonald
Change from your five
Torture camps for cows
Slaughter and starvation
From death corporation
Golden arches and Ronald smiles
Golden arches and Ronald smiles
Corporate deathburger, Ronald McDonald
Corporate deathburger, Ronald McDonald
Change from your five
Torture camps for cows
Slaughter and starvation
From death corporation
You say you're Christians but you're a fake
Multinationals on the take
Starving children deserve a break today"
A choice of who to feed
A choice to live or die
A choice to smile or cry
A love to give to all
To make, to beg or crawl
A life there and the plans
A pass to say what was
Inventions like the bomb
A device to stop what's wrong
A chance to create a life
Similar to the last
Road to follow straight
Animal to fill the plate
Death, that is so sad
Rituals that are not mad
Like eating what is dead
I thought that made man sad
Obviously not the same
Breed animals to be tame
So man can show the fists
Cause only man exists
Lion eats a man
Man invades its land
Man prods it with a gun
Always proving man has won
Oh, lion eats all but shoes
Big business in the news
Shocks, horrors, families eating
Stuffing all the bleeding meat in
'What a savage, it ate a man'
'I won't feed the lions in the zoo again'
'This steak is a lovely piece of meat'
'I fancy a bit of rabbit next week'
'Come on Thomas, eat it up'
'Sometimes I don't think that you were worth the fuck'"
2.
MDC: "Corporate deathburger" (Millions of Dead Cops, 1982)
Lyrics:
"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
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
Golden arches and Ronald smiles
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
Corporate deathburger, Ronald McDonald
Change from your five
Torture camps for cows
Slaughter and starvation
From death corporation
Golden arches and Ronald smiles
Golden arches and Ronald smiles
Corporate deathburger, Ronald McDonald
Corporate deathburger, Ronald McDonald
Change from your five
Torture camps for cows
Slaughter and starvation
From death corporation
You say you're Christians but you're a fake
Multinationals on the take
Starving children deserve a break today"
3.
Flux of Pink Indians: "Myxomatosis" (Strive To Survive Causing Least Suffering Possible, 1982)Note that there are several different versions of this song, and the one linked aboved is probably not the original 1982 version (that's maybe why the lyrics below don't seem to completely match what is sung).
"Keep your hands away from your eyes
I don't want to see man's murder anymore
Myxomatosis stinks
I don't want to see man's murder anymore
Keep your hands away from your eyes
No I don't wanna, I wanna be blind
I don't want to see man's murder anymore
I don't want to see man's murder anymore
Myxomatosis stinks
I don't want to see man's murder anymore
To live in peace we must reject
All oppression on all levels
There can be no compromise
One man's justice is another man's crime
Who has the right to decide
Where to draw the line
There can be no compromise
One man's justice is another man's crime
Who has the right to decide
Where to draw the line
Myxomatosis stinks
Oppression stinks
I don't want to see man's murder anymore
(Keep your hands away from your eyes
No I don't wanna, I wanna be blind
I don't want to see man's murder anymore)
We're not very different, we're very much the same
Animals have feelings, animals have a brain
People have feelings, people have a brain
Animals feel pain, people feel pain
Myxomatosis stinks, oppression stinks
I don't want to see man's murder anymore
(Swelling of eyes, ears, mouth and external sexual organs
Listlessness leading to complete inactivity and eventual death)
Experimentation, vivisection, devastation, starvation, torture, war
All mindless slaughter are all basically the same
Man made oppression, man made pain
(Death follows in almost all cases
Within, at the most, three weeks of hell)"
Oppression stinks
I don't want to see man's murder anymore
(Keep your hands away from your eyes
No I don't wanna, I wanna be blind
I don't want to see man's murder anymore)
We're not very different, we're very much the same
Animals have feelings, animals have a brain
People have feelings, people have a brain
Animals feel pain, people feel pain
Myxomatosis stinks, oppression stinks
I don't want to see man's murder anymore
(Swelling of eyes, ears, mouth and external sexual organs
Listlessness leading to complete inactivity and eventual death)
Experimentation, vivisection, devastation, starvation, torture, war
All mindless slaughter are all basically the same
Man made oppression, man made pain
(Death follows in almost all cases
Within, at the most, three weeks of hell)"
On the same album there is an anti-vivisection song:
Flux of Pink Indians: "Blinded by science" (Strive To Survive Causing Least Suffering Possible, 1982)
Lyrics (Blinded by science):
"Pussey eyes is not a pretty sight
But to you it is not a high price
To have your hair shiny and bright
To have your eyes stand out like a light
Four million animals die in experiments
Each year in Britain for what?
So vivisectors can gain praise and a wage
For prodding animals as their bodies distort
Don't think by turning your face the other way
All pain and suffering will just go away
Eighty-eight percent of your experiments
Are done with the use of no anesthetic
But now you've put it's eyes in a bowl
He thinks the animal has been stunned
At the expense of animals' lives
Man has tested and discovered new drugs
But has also destroyed animals eyes
Just so we can live our convenient lives
It's up to you
If you think man is justified
But just save a thought for the animals
That have died in pain for you
Don't think by turning you face the other way
All pain and suffering will just go away
Don't be blinded by scientists
Like so many animals have been
If you think this cruelty is wrong
Protest against it happening
You don't have to use products
That contain animal abuse
There are many many alternatives
Go and have a look
Don't think by turning your face the other way
All pain and suffering will just go away"
But to you it is not a high price
To have your hair shiny and bright
To have your eyes stand out like a light
Four million animals die in experiments
Each year in Britain for what?
So vivisectors can gain praise and a wage
For prodding animals as their bodies distort
Don't think by turning your face the other way
All pain and suffering will just go away
Eighty-eight percent of your experiments
Are done with the use of no anesthetic
But now you've put it's eyes in a bowl
He thinks the animal has been stunned
At the expense of animals' lives
Man has tested and discovered new drugs
But has also destroyed animals eyes
Just so we can live our convenient lives
It's up to you
If you think man is justified
But just save a thought for the animals
That have died in pain for you
Don't think by turning you face the other way
All pain and suffering will just go away
Don't be blinded by scientists
Like so many animals have been
If you think this cruelty is wrong
Protest against it happening
You don't have to use products
That contain animal abuse
There are many many alternatives
Go and have a look
Don't think by turning your face the other way
All pain and suffering will just go away"
They also have an anti-war song which takes into account non-human animals as vicitims of war:
Are mere props for your aggression
More tools for further oppression
Die with your possessions
The blatant colonel gave the command
And millions died in a faraway land
The atom bomb was dropped
Just as he had planned
And the whole city
Was reduced to sand
Innocent animal[s] and people of towns
Slaughtered as the bombs poured down
We won't fight your war
We've seen it all before
Millions dying in anguish and pain
We don't wanna see war repeated again
Another man dead is one less to fight
[... ... ...]
Flux Of Pink Indians: "Tapioca sunrise" (Strive To Survive Causing Least Suffering Possible, 1982)
Lyrics (Tapioca sunrise):
"Your hateful nuclear weaponsAre mere props for your aggression
More tools for further oppression
Die with your possessions
The blatant colonel gave the command
And millions died in a faraway land
The atom bomb was dropped
Just as he had planned
And the whole city
Was reduced to sand
Innocent animal[s] and people of towns
Slaughtered as the bombs poured down
We won't fight your war
We've seen it all before
Millions dying in anguish and pain
We don't wanna see war repeated again
Another man dead is one less to fight
[... ... ...]
As proof of what is right
They've got atom bombs on the land
Part of the military strategy they've planned
They've got atom bombs in the air
Part of their deterrent - it's difference through fear
They've got atom bombs at sea
Just another pawn in their nuclear artillery
It becomes very plain to see
That I can't get away from the threat
That continually hangs over me
Soldiers on opposing sides
Both prayed to the same god in the sky
Hoping he would protect them
So they wouldn't have to die
But praying eased only minds
And didn't save anyone
The bombs still fell
Killing millions of innocent men, women and children
War is governments' arguments they have failed to control
War ain't fun, war is stupid, war is painful
And war can never be won
War does not pay
War does not pay
War does not pay"
A song about vivisection, i.e. invasive experiments with non-human animals.
Lyrics:
"Out in the garden there is a little white rabbit
Like Revlon torture for your clean little habits
As you wash your hair to keep it clean
You get to wonder why VosenesT green
And forget about the silent animal screams
Out in the garden there is a little white dog
Shampoo in your eyes like a burning fog
But it's tried and tested so you won't go blind
Animals killed for the good of mankind
For your shining hair so many have died
Out in the garden there is a little white cat
And you're catching cancer as you smoke that fag
"When will they find the cure?" you choke
When enough cats have died of smoke?
And they say that animals go for the throat
And the monkeys in the zoo they look so tame
In the name of science they removed their brains
To think that man evolved from this beast
Civilized savages down from the trees
The animals who run these laboratories"
Note: Right below you can see the lyrics of the longer "To a nation of animal lovers" EP version , and then below that the shorter original "It's time to see who's who" LP version.
They've got atom bombs on the land
Part of the military strategy they've planned
They've got atom bombs in the air
Part of their deterrent - it's difference through fear
They've got atom bombs at sea
Just another pawn in their nuclear artillery
It becomes very plain to see
That I can't get away from the threat
That continually hangs over me
Soldiers on opposing sides
Both prayed to the same god in the sky
Hoping he would protect them
So they wouldn't have to die
But praying eased only minds
And didn't save anyone
The bombs still fell
Killing millions of innocent men, women and children
War is governments' arguments they have failed to control
War ain't fun, war is stupid, war is painful
And war can never be won
War does not pay
War does not pay
War does not pay"
It seems that the band "Learned Helplessness" only had this one song released, and this was on a compliation album called "The Master Tape" on Nimrod Recors (re-released on Affirmation Records in 1983). It's a pro-vegetarianism song and has only been released on this compilation. Unfortunately, I don't have the lyrics. I would guess the name "Learned Helplessness" refers to animal experiments in which monkeys or other animals who are tortured by scientists in so-called scientific experiments learn helplessness, i.e., at some point they give up. The band "Learned Helplessness" consisted of Joy L. Norris (vocals), Slam Bam-Bam (drums), Rick [.] (bass), and "3-PM" (guitar). All the bands on this compilation seem to be from the United States Midwest.
Lyrics:
[currently missing]
"[...]
I eat anything you don't kill.
[...]
5.
Subhumans: "Evolution" (Evolution EP, 1983)A song about vivisection, i.e. invasive experiments with non-human animals.
Lyrics:
"Out in the garden there is a little white rabbit
Like Revlon torture for your clean little habits
As you wash your hair to keep it clean
You get to wonder why VosenesT green
And forget about the silent animal screams
Out in the garden there is a little white dog
Shampoo in your eyes like a burning fog
But it's tried and tested so you won't go blind
Animals killed for the good of mankind
For your shining hair so many have died
Out in the garden there is a little white cat
And you're catching cancer as you smoke that fag
"When will they find the cure?" you choke
When enough cats have died of smoke?
And they say that animals go for the throat
And the monkeys in the zoo they look so tame
In the name of science they removed their brains
To think that man evolved from this beast
Civilized savages down from the trees
The animals who run these laboratories"
6.
Conflict: "Meat means murder" (It's Time To See Who's Who, 1983)Note that there are different versions of this song. The version linked above is the one that also appears on the 2001 "There must be another way - the singles" release, and this is also the same as the one that appeared on the 1983 "To a nation of animal lovers" EP (see below), even though on this 3-song EP, the song is titled "Meat still means murder!" (but it's the same version of the same song). This slightly shorter version is the original LP version from the "It's time to see who's who" LP pictured below.
Note: Right below you can see the lyrics of the longer "To a nation of animal lovers" EP version , and then below that the shorter original "It's time to see who's who" LP version.
Lyrics (Meat means murder, longer version from the "To a nation of animal lovers" EP):
"I'm walking through the grey walkways of the city
And through the brightly lit shops and supermarkets
And I'm walking through the fields of the innocent
Passing by the fairytale farm
Balancing on the brittle edge of a short life
That is ended by the knife ... knife
The factory is still churning out all processed, packed, and neat
An obscure butchered substance, and the label reads 'meat'
Hidden behind false names such as pork, ham, veal, and beef
An eye's an eye, a life's a life, the now forgotten belief
And yet every day production lines are feeding out this farce
Just to end up on your table, then shat out of your arse
Yet still they're queueing, and still they're viewing
Sawing out limbs just right for stewing
Carcasses piled up in a heap
Sort juicy chunks from freezers deep
Well, can't you see that juice is blood?
From newborn throats red rivers flood
Blood from young hearts, blood from the veins
Your blood, their blood, serves the same
Now you're at the table, sitting, grinning
Sitting there eating you never realise [the filling?]
It's served upon a sterile plate, you don't think of the killing
The furthest your brain takes you, is it for frying or for grilling?
You moan about the seal cull, about the whale slaughter
But does it really matter whether it lives on land or water?
You've never had a fur coat, you think it's cruel to the mink
Well, how about the cow, pig, or sheep, don't they make you think?
Since the day that you were born you've never been told the missing link
Hidden behind false names such as pork, ham, veal, and beef
An eye's an eye, a life's a life, the now forgotten belief
And yet every day production lines are feeding out this farce
Just to end up on your table, then shat out of your arse
Yet still they're queueing, and still they're viewing
Sawing out limbs just right for stewing
Carcasses piled up in a heap
Sort juicy chunks from freezers deep
Well, can't you see that juice is blood?
From newborn throats red rivers flood
Blood from young hearts, blood from the veins
Your blood, their blood, serves the same
Now you're at the table, sitting, grinning
Sitting there eating you never realise [the filling?]
It's served upon a sterile plate, you don't think of the killing
The furthest your brain takes you, is it for frying or for grilling?
You moan about the seal cull, about the whale slaughter
But does it really matter whether it lives on land or water?
You've never had a fur coat, you think it's cruel to the mink
Well, how about the cow, pig, or sheep, don't they make you think?
Since the day that you were born you've never been told the missing link
As I'm gazing at the baneful products
And from behind the bright colours and false smiles I can smell the lingering death
And see the decaying skins
Forth from the green grass
The pungent smell of decomposing meat
That penetrates the walls of the kitchen
And from the red lorries on the black
In unison with the red lights and the red juice
The Sunday kitchen spills out the stench of the abattoir
Serves the same!
[.....................]
Serves the same
Serves the same
Serves the fuckin', fuckin' same
The Sunday kitchen spills out the stench of the abattoir
The butcher's blade glistening in the eye of the 'master'
The deadened life of a baby sits upon the plate
The spilt guts falling from the chute to the basting tin
The carcass from the car crash
In the age of the train"
Lyrics (Meat means murder, shorter version from "It's time to see who's who" EP):
"The factory is churning out all processed, packed, and neat
An obscure butchered substance, and the label reads 'meat'
Hidden behind false names such as pork, ham, veal, and beef
An eye's an eye, a life's a life, the now forgotten belief
And every day production lines are feeding out this farce
To end up on your table, then shat out of an arse
Yet still they're queueing, and still they're viewing
Sawing out limbs just right for stewing
Carcasses piled up in a heap
Sort juicy chunks from freezers deep
Well, can't you see that juice is blood?
From newborn throats red rivers flood
Blood from young hearts, blood from the veins
Your blood, their blood, serves the same
Now you're at the table, sitting, grinning
Sitting there eating you never realise [the filling?]
It's served upon a sterile plate, you don't think of the killing
The furthest your brain takes you, is it for frying or for grilling?
You moan about the seal cull, about the whale slaughter
But does it really matter whether it lives on land or water?
You've never had a fur coat, you think it's cruel to the mink
Well, how about the cow, pig, or sheep, don't they make you think?
Since the day that you were born you've never been told the missing link
Hidden behind false names such as pork, ham, veal, and beef
An eye's an eye, a life's a life, the now forgotten belief
And every day production lines are feeding out this farce
To end up on your table, then shat out of an arse
Yet still they're queueing, and still they're viewing
Sawing out limbs just right for stewing
Carcasses piled up in a heap
Sort juicy chunks from freezers deep
Well, can't you see that juice is blood?
From newborn throats red rivers flood
Blood from young hearts, blood from the veins
Your blood, their blood, serves the same
Now you're at the table, sitting, grinning
Sitting there eating you never realise [the filling?]
It's served upon a sterile plate, you don't think of the killing
The furthest your brain takes you, is it for frying or for grilling?
You moan about the seal cull, about the whale slaughter
But does it really matter whether it lives on land or water?
You've never had a fur coat, you think it's cruel to the mink
Well, how about the cow, pig, or sheep, don't they make you think?
Since the day that you were born you've never been told the missing link
Yet still they're queueing, and still they're viewing
Sawing out limbs just right for stewing
Carcasses piled up in a heap
Sort juicy chunks from freezers deep
Can't you see the juice is blood?
From newborn throats red rivers flood
Your blood, their blood, serves the same"
Carcasses piled up in a heap
Sort juicy chunks from freezers deep
Can't you see the juice is blood?
From newborn throats red rivers flood
Your blood, their blood, serves the same"
The band Conflict is still around. You can check out their merchandise on their own label (Mortarhate Records) website (not a paid link).
Also check out this live video of "Meat means murder" (at the Fender's Ballroom) in Longbeach, California, in 1985. This is the definition of punk.
7.
Conflict: "Whichever way you want it" (To A Nation Of Animal Lovers EP, 1983)
Lyrics (Whichever way you want it):
"There's a place that's neatly tucked away beyond the other side
A place in which you'd never dream there would be a need to hide
For the building is surrounded by pastures pure and green
The image hides reality, and the distance kills the scream
That comes from inside, is never exposed to be fair, for the place Is packed
With scientists who show how much they care
The guard stands bravely at the gates, guard dog by his side
The same breed of animal is butchered inside
What a fucking waste of money, what a fucking waste of time
For the building is surrounded by pastures pure and green
The image hides reality, and the distance kills the scream
That comes from inside, is never exposed to be fair, for the place Is packed
With scientists who show how much they care
The guard stands bravely at the gates, guard dog by his side
The same breed of animal is butchered inside
What a fucking waste of money, what a fucking waste of time
What a fucking waste of money, what a fucking waste of time
What a fucking waste of time, what a fucking waste of money
What a waste of human knowledge, what a fucking way to die
Human freedom, animal rights, it's one struggle, one fight
There ain't no fucking truth in the inspector's files
As he walks down the death corridors, he covers his sighs with smiles
He sees the pain and agony but remembering his position
He's got his place, another face, but he just ain't paid to question
He thinks it's rather funny that he's earning loads of money
His eyes are forced aside as out comes another trolley
Another tray of corpses, more unlabeled, more unmentioned
It's no good asking why
Human freedom, animal rights, it's one struggle, one fight
There ain't no fucking truth in the inspector's files
As he walks down the death corridors, he covers his sighs with smiles
He sees the pain and agony but remembering his position
He's got his place, another face, but he just ain't paid to question
He thinks it's rather funny that he's earning loads of money
His eyes are forced aside as out comes another trolley
Another tray of corpses, more unlabeled, more unmentioned
It's no good asking why
Why?
Because they never fucking listen
So liberate, liberate, liberate [repeated many times]
Animal testing to detect thalidomide
Torturing, killing, but there's loads more things to try
The suffering, the pain, that excruciating pain, it all goes over and over again
This fucking witchcraft won't solve anything, the same experiments,
OVER AND OVER AGAIN"
Animal testing to detect thalidomide
Torturing, killing, but there's loads more things to try
The suffering, the pain, that excruciating pain, it all goes over and over again
This fucking witchcraft won't solve anything, the same experiments,
OVER AND OVER AGAIN"
sss
The band name MDC is an abbreviation whose meaning constantly changed. Some of the meanings were: "Multi-Death Corporation, Millions of Dead Children, Millions of Damn Christians, Millions of Dead Cops, More Dead Cops, Missile Destroyed Civilization, Metal Devil Cokes, ...
Lyrics:
"When I walk into the store
They're selling chickens by the score
But eating dead birds just ain't for me
I don't eat roast beef or fish
Porky Pig is not my dish
Just go ahead and let your chickens free
In chicken circles it's Adolph Perdue
Wants to feed featherless chicken to you
I don't take orders from Colonel Sanders
Do you?
I don't wanna eat no hens
Not even every now or then
I just wanna let all the little chickens be
Bawk, bawk, bawk...
Wants to feed featherless chicken to you
I don't take orders from Colonel Sanders
Do you?
I don't wanna eat no hens
Not even every now or then
I just wanna let all the little chickens be
Bawk, bawk, bawk...
Swing to the east and swing to the west
Swing with the chicken that you love best
Come on down and do the chicken squawk with me
Swing with the chicken that you love best
Come on down and do the chicken squawk with me
Wishing Daffy lots of luck
Cause Elmer Fudd's a hunting duck
They're dreaming about a little fricassee
And Bugs Bunny's a friend of mine
Eating him I'd feel like Frankenstein
Eating flesh seems pretty foul to me
Cause Elmer Fudd's a hunting duck
They're dreaming about a little fricassee
And Bugs Bunny's a friend of mine
Eating him I'd feel like Frankenstein
Eating flesh seems pretty foul to me
Cooking chickens don't seem right, morning, noon, or late at night
Ain't no chicken ever done no harm to me
So on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve
Give those turkeys a reprieve
Ain't no turkey got to die for me
Ain't no turkey got to die for me
Well, swing to the east and swing to the west
Swing with the chicken that you love best
Come on down and do the chicken squawk with me
Come on down and do the chicken squawk with me
Foghorn Leghorn wrote to me
Say's MDC's OK with me
We learned how to let our chickens free
We birds of a feather, we stick together
We learned how to let our chickens free
We birds of a feather, we stick together
We set our chickens free forever
So go ahead and let your chickens be
Lordy Jesus this must be the end
They got us eating our cartoon friends
Emancipate those little chickadees
They got us eating our cartoon friends
Emancipate those little chickadees
Well, swing to the east and swing to the west
Swing with the chicken that you love best
Come on down and do the chicken squawk with me"
Swing with the chicken that you love best
Come on down and do the chicken squawk with me"
9.
Beefeater: "A dog day" (Play For Lovers, 1985)
Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi, The Evens, Coriky) commented on this song in Moby's 2023 documentary film "Punk rock vegan movie" (also see here). This record is one of the iconic albums of the Washington, DC, punk scene's "revolution summer".
Note: I've transcribed the lyrics to this song but I have (so far) not been able to understand every single word. The lyrics to the other songs are printed in the booklet that comes with the record, but not the lyrics to this song, maybe because it's more spiel than song.
Lyrics:
"I got a story about a dog
I got a story about a dog
This dog is walkin', somebody went wrong
He's mad at me, just to find out who to blame
[... ... ... ... ...] and [...] never changed
Yeah
This dog is walkin' down a hall
Mind, this dog, this is [...]
Think about the bone, about a bone
He's payin' me no mind, and I was yellin' at him
Tryin' to get him to turn his dog tail and head back home, throwing shoes at him
You can't tell a dog that he's in it for a [fog?]
but you don't know what time
It's a bad day for y'all
It is too
So this dog, this hungry dog, he kept walkin', he just don't stop,
... gettin' his dog [paw?] chewed up
We can't teach no dog brand new tricks
And I stood by as my man fell sick
And he got his foot caught and it won't let go
Pup's started yelping '[...] let go'
Painful to see this ain't no cow
But the [chain?] started chewin' anyhow
All the other cows, them just looked the other way
Them sufferin' through just another cow day
Worried about them own [guy? eyes?]
[Sippin?] on down until they die
The dog who stumbled is now struck down
And finished his life hangin' upside down
Gettin' his dog skin all pulled off
And the dog killer cow killer machine house can't get enough
Just can't get enough
[For?] the cow [... ... ...]
But you can't get enough, and the people [start?] chewin'
And you can't get enough
The people at the back door hangin' around, waitin' for the cow meat when our dog come 'round
Hangin' there all naked with his dog skin gone
Hangin' 'round with cows from the other side of town
And the hungry people talkin' then: 'poor, old dog, poor, poor dog'
That's what they talkin'
I heard that somewhere else
'Poor, old dog'
'Shame, shame, shame'"
I got a story about a dog
This dog is walkin', somebody went wrong
He's mad at me, just to find out who to blame
[... ... ... ... ...] and [...] never changed
Yeah
This dog is walkin' down a hall
Mind, this dog, this is [...]
Think about the bone, about a bone
He's payin' me no mind, and I was yellin' at him
Tryin' to get him to turn his dog tail and head back home, throwing shoes at him
You can't tell a dog that he's in it for a [fog?]
but you don't know what time
It's a bad day for y'all
It is too
So this dog, this hungry dog, he kept walkin', he just don't stop,
... gettin' his dog [paw?] chewed up
We can't teach no dog brand new tricks
And I stood by as my man fell sick
And he got his foot caught and it won't let go
Pup's started yelping '[...] let go'
Painful to see this ain't no cow
But the [chain?] started chewin' anyhow
All the other cows, them just looked the other way
Them sufferin' through just another cow day
Worried about them own [guy? eyes?]
[Sippin?] on down until they die
The dog who stumbled is now struck down
And finished his life hangin' upside down
Gettin' his dog skin all pulled off
And the dog killer cow killer machine house can't get enough
Just can't get enough
[For?] the cow [... ... ...]
But you can't get enough, and the people [start?] chewin'
And you can't get enough
The people at the back door hangin' around, waitin' for the cow meat when our dog come 'round
Hangin' there all naked with his dog skin gone
Hangin' 'round with cows from the other side of town
And the hungry people talkin' then: 'poor, old dog, poor, poor dog'
That's what they talkin'
I heard that somewhere else
'Poor, old dog'
'Shame, shame, shame'"
"What does direct action mean?
It means that you are no longer prepared to sit back and allow terrible,
cruel things to happen
The camerman in Ethiopia took direct action
He filmed the worst disaster that has ever happened to human beings
He realised it was too enormous a problem to handle himself
It means that you are no longer prepared to sit back and allow terrible,
cruel things to happen
The camerman in Ethiopia took direct action
He filmed the worst disaster that has ever happened to human beings
He realised it was too enormous a problem to handle himself
So he took the films home in the hope other people would help
They did
Are you prepared to sit back any longer?
Direct action in animal rights means causing economic damage to those who abuse and make profits from exploitation
START!
It's possible to do things alone
Slash tyres
Glue up locks
Butchers, burger bars, the furriers
Smash windows
Bankrupt the lot
Throw paint over shops and houses
Paint stripper works great on cars
Chewing gum sticks well to fur coats
A seized engine just won't start
Sand in the petrol tank
means that delivery's going nowhere
When the new death shop opens up, make sure you're the first person to be there
If the circus comes to town, remember what goes up must come down
Stop contributing to the abuse
Yourself - don't eat meat, don't buy leather
Buy non-animal tested make up
Herbal soap and shampoo's better
Try and form a group of people that you know that you can trust
They did
Are you prepared to sit back any longer?
Direct action in animal rights means causing economic damage to those who abuse and make profits from exploitation
START!
It's possible to do things alone
Slash tyres
Glue up locks
Butchers, burger bars, the furriers
Smash windows
Bankrupt the lot
Throw paint over shops and houses
Paint stripper works great on cars
Chewing gum sticks well to fur coats
A seized engine just won't start
Sand in the petrol tank
means that delivery's going nowhere
When the new death shop opens up, make sure you're the first person to be there
If the circus comes to town, remember what goes up must come down
Stop contributing to the abuse
Yourself - don't eat meat, don't buy leather
Buy non-animal tested make up
Herbal soap and shampoo's better
Try and form a group of people that you know that you can trust
And plan ambitious direct action, sometimes risky but a must
Only when you have animal liberation, will we obtain human freedom
When the last vivisectionist's blade is snapped, it will be that one step nearer to peace
Direct action in the animal movement is sussed and strong
And our final goal is not far off
Animal lovers, vandals, hooligans, cranks ...
Only when you have animal liberation, will we obtain human freedom
When the last vivisectionist's blade is snapped, it will be that one step nearer to peace
Direct action in the animal movement is sussed and strong
And our final goal is not far off
Animal lovers, vandals, hooligans, cranks ...
Recognise the labels?
They say we don't care about human beings
We say: All sentient beings,
animal or human, have the right to live, free from pain, torture and suffering
They say because we are human and speak the same, we matter more
Is our pain and suffering any greater or lesser than that of animals?
Human v. animal rights is as much a prejudice as black v. white or the nazis versus the jews, an affront to our freedom
Vivisection is a violation of human beings
The same as it is for animals
We have a chemical world built on a pile of drugs to thank for their experiments
Drugs are designed for profit, manufactured to suppress symptoms Human freedom,
animal rights,
it's one struggle,
one fight
When animal abuse is stopped, then human abuse will soon stop also
An attitude of mind
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind"
Start by protecting the weak, the defenceless,
animals,
the sick,
the disabled
Compassion and emotion are our most important safety values
If we lose them, then we lose the vitality of life itself
Emotional?
Hooligans?
Cranks?"
They say we don't care about human beings
We say: All sentient beings,
animal or human, have the right to live, free from pain, torture and suffering
They say because we are human and speak the same, we matter more
Is our pain and suffering any greater or lesser than that of animals?
Human v. animal rights is as much a prejudice as black v. white or the nazis versus the jews, an affront to our freedom
Vivisection is a violation of human beings
The same as it is for animals
We have a chemical world built on a pile of drugs to thank for their experiments
Drugs are designed for profit, manufactured to suppress symptoms Human freedom,
animal rights,
it's one struggle,
one fight
When animal abuse is stopped, then human abuse will soon stop also
An attitude of mind
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind"
Start by protecting the weak, the defenceless,
animals,
the sick,
the disabled
Compassion and emotion are our most important safety values
If we lose them, then we lose the vitality of life itself
Emotional?
Hooligans?
Cranks?"
11.
Extreme Noise Terror: "Murder" (Radioactive Earslaughter, 1986)
The album "Radioactive Earslaughter" is a split album by Chaos U.K. & Extreme Noise Terror. The cover only says "Extreme Noise" rather than "Extreme Noise Terror" but the back cover has the full band name.
%20(1986).jpg)
%20(1986)%20back%20cover.jpg)
"450 million animals are murdered every year
To be shoved down your throat and
shat out of your arse
Animals killed for pleasure,
slaughtered at the consumers' leisure
Murdered in your fucking abattoirs
Pneumatic bolt shot deep in the head
Splintering bones and gushing blood
Yet still you support this insanity
Brainwashing adverts on TV cover up the reality
and never show the pain and torture
No longer can the senseless slaughter of millions of innocent animals be justified
In a cruel and uncaring nation of
animal lovers
This barbaric trade of thoughtless
consumerism
must stop now
It is senseless, fucking murder
Here comes the reaper with the death of our scene
This disgraceful way of thought is here and is very real
If it's allowed to thrive, who knows where it will end
People's everyday lives can become a
dangerous nightmare because of the colour of their skin
But poor excuses of nationalist pride to us are wearing thin
The persecution of people who don't fit their mould is constructed out of their xenophobic reactions to innocent men, women and children - who in reality they have no real argument
What's needed is education, not alienation, as racism cuts both ways
But that's not only caused by ignorance on both sides
This could be stopped by people actually using their minds and having more tolerance for others, their cultures and also their ways
of life
Cultures must be united in love, equality and a need for each other, not hatred of the skin colour
So let's discard the systematically imposed conditioning of hate and ignorance and learn respect"
Here comes the reaper with the death of our scene
This disgraceful way of thought is here and is very real
If it's allowed to thrive, who knows where it will end
People's everyday lives can become a
dangerous nightmare because of the colour of their skin
But poor excuses of nationalist pride to us are wearing thin
The persecution of people who don't fit their mould is constructed out of their xenophobic reactions to innocent men, women and children - who in reality they have no real argument
What's needed is education, not alienation, as racism cuts both ways
But that's not only caused by ignorance on both sides
This could be stopped by people actually using their minds and having more tolerance for others, their cultures and also their ways
of life
Cultures must be united in love, equality and a need for each other, not hatred of the skin colour
So let's discard the systematically imposed conditioning of hate and ignorance and learn respect"
12.
Cro-Mags: "Do unto others" (The Age of Quarrel, 1986).jpg)
Lyrics:
"Ain't really got nothing to say
It all comes across in a negative way
You best learn about being humbled
'cause you too will wind up stumbled
Not one bit of substance
in a word they speak
When they get outspoken
it's only with the weak
See these wars are happening
And then you're asking why
But just stop by some slaughterhouse
and hear the animals cry
You missed the point
When they get outspoken
it's only with the weak
See these wars are happening
And then you're asking why
But just stop by some slaughterhouse
and hear the animals cry
You missed the point
It's over your head
I guess you'd rather be negative instead
You can't account for these things you've done
I'll bet you think this M.O.I. is fun
Take you down low
and show you some things you've never seen
Riding that borderline
But there ain't no thing called in between
Kick you with some advice
I guess you'd rather be negative instead
You can't account for these things you've done
I'll bet you think this M.O.I. is fun
Take you down low
and show you some things you've never seen
Riding that borderline
But there ain't no thing called in between
Kick you with some advice
and show you now just what I mean"
13.
Youth of Today: "No more" (We're Not In This Alone, 1988)
This song even has a music video. Below you can see the covers of different releases of this album.
Caroline Records (USA), 1988
Funhouse Records (Germany), 1988
We Bite Records (Germany), 1988
Revelation Records (USA), 1997
"No more
No more
No more
Meat eating, flesh eating, think about it
So callous to this crime we commit
Always stuffing our face with no sympathy
What a callous, hardened society
No More
Just looking out for myself
When the price paid is the life of something else
No More
I won't participate
So callous to this crime we commit
Always stuffing our face with no sympathy
What a callous, hardened society
No More
Just looking out for myself
When the price paid is the life of something else
No More
I won't participate
No more
No more, no more, no more
We've got the power, we've got the might
To take whatever is in sight
Not even worried, it's an unfair fight
Well we've got a heart to tell us what's right
To take whatever is in sight
Not even worried, it's an unfair fight
Well we've got a heart to tell us what's right
No More
Just looking out for myself
When the price paid is the life of something else
No More
Just looking out for myself
When the price paid is the life of something else
No More
I won't participate
No more
No more
Our numbers doubled in '88
'Cause the people are starting to educate
Themselves, their friends and their families
And we'll have a more conscious, caring society
Themselves, their friends and their families
And we'll have a more conscious, caring society
And are you with me?
Are you with me?
If you're with me, just say: No more!"
14.
Cro-Mags: "Death camps" (Best Wishes, 1989)
This song was written and sung by Harley Flanagan.
Lyrics:
"The organized slaughter of the innocent
Can't you see this is a hellish state we're in
No sympathy in their hearts at all
At the death camps in our midst
Execution without a trial
Think about that for a while
The day they're doomed they're doomed to be killed
So your foul desires can be fulfilled
Execution without a trial
Can't you see this is a hellish state we're in
No sympathy in their hearts at all
At the death camps in our midst
Execution without a trial
Think about that for a while
The day they're doomed they're doomed to be killed
So your foul desires can be fulfilled
Execution without a trial
Death camps in our midst
No regard for life at all
No regard for life at all
Death camps in our midst
Meat hooked conveyor belts line the walls
Meat hooked conveyor belts line the walls
Death camps in our midst
Don't it remind you of Buchenwald
Don't it remind you of Buchenwald
Death camps in our midst
You don't even see the genocide
I can see you only care for your own hide
And because of the ignorance that clouds your mind
You've left your compassion so far behind
You don't even know what it involves
Because you never see the bloodshed on the walls
Conditioned since childhood, kept you from the truth
They just go on lying and poisoning the youth
It's time to be intelligent and open your mind
Reach within yourself and see what you find
Do you really wanna be responsible
For the brutal slaughter of the animals?"
You don't even see the genocide
I can see you only care for your own hide
And because of the ignorance that clouds your mind
You've left your compassion so far behind
You don't even know what it involves
Because you never see the bloodshed on the walls
Conditioned since childhood, kept you from the truth
They just go on lying and poisoning the youth
It's time to be intelligent and open your mind
Reach within yourself and see what you find
Do you really wanna be responsible
For the brutal slaughter of the animals?"
15.
Gorilla Biscuits: "Cats and dogs" (Start Today, 1989)The lyrics to this song were written by Walter Schreifels (later Quicksand) but the song is sung by Civ (Anthony Civarelli).
Historian side notes: In a 2019 interview, Civ says: "I've been vegan since the late 80s. I went vegetarian in '86 or '87 [...]." [6] (He was ~17-18 years old in 1986/87.) In the same interview, Civ also says: "My friend Danny Zick [not sure how the last name is spelled] was the first person out of our friends in high school that went vegetarian, and he was the first guy to kinda get into punk rock." [7] And: "But even, like, in [...] '87 [when we] went on tour with Youth of Today, those guys [the guys in Youth of Today] were still eating, like, fish, and dairy [...]. [...] I was already vegetarian before, like, those people [the guys in Youth of Today]. [...] Like, I was already, you know, quitely indignant because there was like things on tour like 'If it has no eyes, it must die', like eating clams or eating mussels, and I was, like, on my high horse, and I was just like 'Yo, fuck that shit'. That's like my John Joseph [impersonation]: 'Yo! Fuck that shit.' [...] I took it [vegetarianism/veganism] [...] serious from the beginning. I still take it seriously [...]." [8]
Lyrics:
"Man's best friend is beautiful,
affectionate, an ideal pet.
Cats are the same, we make up their names,
and our love for them is real.
Listen up, I gotta ask you: How can we be so cruel?
You say you care, that's a lie.
My true compassion is for all living things
and not just the ones who are cute
So I do what I can
I wanna save lives and I've got a plan
Under the table he'll eat your dinner
like the veggies we can't stand
What kind of meal would he make?
We don't want to ask it
Tradition is all that keeps him alive
Listen up, I gotta ask you: How can we be so cruel?
You say you care, that's a lie
My true compassion is for all living things
and not just the ones that are cute
So I do what I can.
So I do what I can.
I wanna save lives and I've got a plan
Why am I so upset? Don't even own a pet
Why am I so upset? Don't even own a pet
I'm trying to press my will
I'm not the first to say ...
THOU SHALT NOT KILL
Full is all ... is all you want to feel
THOU SHALT NOT KILL
Full is all ... is all you want to feel
We eat to stay alive
but it's their lives we steal
I think we'd like to change
but most of us are stuck
But cats and dogs have
ALL THE LUCK"
ALL THE LUCK"
16.
Conflict: "Slaughter of innocence" (Against All Odds, 1989)
Lyrics:
"The balding man sits compiling his next move
That mortgage hangs around his neck, now feeling like a noose
The new gas bill, oh God, how bad he feels
Those kids he can't reject, his emotional success
He's a man of set opinion; the weight of the world sits in his hands
He just cannot seem to reason, so he will never understand
They just won't listen to hardly anything I say
They simply smile politely, then with one accord turn away
A son stands at the pond observing the creation that is nature
Mother prepares dinner, roasting bacon taints the air
Dog sits as master barks, then leaps lovingly into the car
He waves and smiles emotionally, his assurance that they will go far
The stakes rise as each owner unfolds plans; men tempt and bait each other; money exchanges hands
Animal love now snarling hatred, muzzle unlocked, hair raised
He smirks from behind the wooden fence and shouts his destitute praise
Teeth tear, blood splashes the face of a young child playing
She cries out in disapproval but daddy's now immune to what she is saying
Driven mad and into frenzy, limbs torn, skin is shorn
Like sex perverts at their peep show, this is the ultimate in porn
Eyes glare, beast and master, animals both, crazed and weary
There can only be one real winner here; the results are now seen clearly
Teeth marks bare where fur once protected, flesh hangs dangling in shreds
Their faces grimace, rejected strips of meat exposed, selected
Bloodstains and saliva splatter the fuel of precious life
Master and servant segregate the ritual sacrifice
"The balding man sits compiling his next move
That mortgage hangs around his neck, now feeling like a noose
The new gas bill, oh God, how bad he feels
Those kids he can't reject, his emotional success
He's a man of set opinion; the weight of the world sits in his hands
He just cannot seem to reason, so he will never understand
They just won't listen to hardly anything I say
They simply smile politely, then with one accord turn away
A son stands at the pond observing the creation that is nature
Mother prepares dinner, roasting bacon taints the air
Dog sits as master barks, then leaps lovingly into the car
He waves and smiles emotionally, his assurance that they will go far
The stakes rise as each owner unfolds plans; men tempt and bait each other; money exchanges hands
Animal love now snarling hatred, muzzle unlocked, hair raised
He smirks from behind the wooden fence and shouts his destitute praise
Teeth tear, blood splashes the face of a young child playing
She cries out in disapproval but daddy's now immune to what she is saying
Driven mad and into frenzy, limbs torn, skin is shorn
Like sex perverts at their peep show, this is the ultimate in porn
Eyes glare, beast and master, animals both, crazed and weary
There can only be one real winner here; the results are now seen clearly
Teeth marks bare where fur once protected, flesh hangs dangling in shreds
Their faces grimace, rejected strips of meat exposed, selected
Bloodstains and saliva splatter the fuel of precious life
Master and servant segregate the ritual sacrifice
Driven mad and into frenzy, limbs torn, skin is shorn
Like sex perverts at their peep show, this is the ultimate in porn
The sacrifice of innocents who obeyed the spoken law
Tired beyond endurance but the spectators cry for more
Death before dishonor, a demand that is so obscene
The men they appraise each other to keep their conscience clean
Laughter hides the guilt they feel at every savage blow
Someone whispers 'cruelty' but they don't want to know
The balding man stands silent as slave fights for life
He thinks of all the good things that he has promised to his wife
She caught a glimpse of God through the windscreen of his car
She tried to rationalise her looks but time don't heal the scars
Some vague association she feels with the loser of the stake
She stares into those sightless eyes; what use for heaven sake?
The TV flickers images of the ideals she once knew
The fresh young girls displaying soap to keep us clean and new
She shrugs and folds her arms as he constructs the wooden box
To hold his faded hope that took the heaviest of knocks
Like pissing in the ocean, their options disappear
As they think about the overheads, they know the taste of fear
Kids to feed and clothing, they must show how much they care
But how to tell the birthday gift is lying dead out there
What should have paid for birthday cards went on the prime cut beef
Now celebrations of their birth make way for tears of grief
Did only what they thought was best to give some sense of pride
To give the kids a place in life and now the dream has died
And how to show his love for her; now she repels his touch
His remaining sense of manhood kicked away just like a crutch
He promised what he couldn't give, the master's ruling word
Urged the beast to glory, but the servant never heard"
Like sex perverts at their peep show, this is the ultimate in porn
The sacrifice of innocents who obeyed the spoken law
Tired beyond endurance but the spectators cry for more
Death before dishonor, a demand that is so obscene
The men they appraise each other to keep their conscience clean
Laughter hides the guilt they feel at every savage blow
Someone whispers 'cruelty' but they don't want to know
The balding man stands silent as slave fights for life
He thinks of all the good things that he has promised to his wife
She caught a glimpse of God through the windscreen of his car
She tried to rationalise her looks but time don't heal the scars
Some vague association she feels with the loser of the stake
She stares into those sightless eyes; what use for heaven sake?
The TV flickers images of the ideals she once knew
The fresh young girls displaying soap to keep us clean and new
She shrugs and folds her arms as he constructs the wooden box
To hold his faded hope that took the heaviest of knocks
Like pissing in the ocean, their options disappear
As they think about the overheads, they know the taste of fear
Kids to feed and clothing, they must show how much they care
But how to tell the birthday gift is lying dead out there
What should have paid for birthday cards went on the prime cut beef
Now celebrations of their birth make way for tears of grief
Did only what they thought was best to give some sense of pride
To give the kids a place in life and now the dream has died
And how to show his love for her; now she repels his touch
His remaining sense of manhood kicked away just like a crutch
He promised what he couldn't give, the master's ruling word
Urged the beast to glory, but the servant never heard"
17.
Insted: "Feel their pain" (We'll Make The Difference EP, 1989)
Insted was a straight edge band from Anaheim, California (USA), who were active from 1986 to 1991. There is also a 2003 cover version of "Feel their pain" by Good Riddance.
Lyrics:
"Please.
Take your place at the table.
You don't give a damn.
The tradition of killing is the downfall of man.
Who set the laws on who lives and who dies.
For human satisfaction the animal fuckin' cries.
Hear my words - feel their pain.
Eating their flesh - you have nothing to gain.
A moral opposition to the murder of animals.
It's my philosophy.
To take life is criminal.
The smiling clown [i.e., Ronald McDonald] for the billions served represents to me bloodshed undeserved.
Hear my words - feel their pain.
Eating their flesh - you have nothing, nothing to gain.
Feel their pain.
Excuses, excuses is what, is what I hear.
For life, for life, it's so, it's so unfair. So unfair. Feel their pain. Please."
From a 2008 interview with Rich Labbate (bassist) and Steve Larson (drummer) of Insted:
"[Interviewer:] You guys in the song "Feel their Pain" talked about vegetarianism and then later on in "One World" there were sort of some environmental undertones. Was that a shared passion within the band or was that more of just Kevin's [the singer, Kevin Hernandez aka Kevinsted] thing?
Rich: It was shared.
Steve: Yeah absolutely it was shared.
Rich: Vegetarianism at the time that we wrote that song was a new thing for everyone for the most part and it's still something that we support to this day. We've never been ones to be super activist about anything but it's something that we believed in for sure.
Steve: Definitely and I think anybody that knows the band (knows) we were never a preachy band. I would almost call us a fringe straight edge band even. Though we were a straight edge band it wasn't really intended that way. I think it evolved into that. It was definitely a belief in our system and everybody was on board with it but it wasn't important to just jam it down people's throats. And the same thing can be said with the whole vegetarian thing. When I think of Insted I think the whole philosophy was sort of "choose for yourself." Live and let live. Let people be who they are. It's ok to be different.
Rich: And with the "One World" thing that was an issue at the time and it's still and issue today. I think both of them are probably even more relevant today than they were back then. I think there's more vegetarians in the world now, there's more people looking at the environment saying, "We'd better slow down or we're going to have nothing left to live on."
Steve: It's a whole lot easier to be a vegetarian now than it was in the 1980s.
[Interviewer:] Did you guys get much heat for taking stands like being a straight edge band and singing songs about vegetarianism?
[...]
Steve: We were conscious enough not to take sides in situations but to your point about controversial issues of the day like straight edge and vegetarianism there was a certain small group of people that wrote us off because we were friends with bands like Uniform Choice and Youth of Today. And then there was a small group of people who thought that we were "ultra posi," too positive or too uplifting for what was going on and that this (punk/hardcore) was not the type of music for this (attitude)." [4]
"[Interviewer:] You guys in the song "Feel their Pain" talked about vegetarianism and then later on in "One World" there were sort of some environmental undertones. Was that a shared passion within the band or was that more of just Kevin's [the singer, Kevin Hernandez aka Kevinsted] thing?
Rich: It was shared.
Steve: Yeah absolutely it was shared.
Rich: Vegetarianism at the time that we wrote that song was a new thing for everyone for the most part and it's still something that we support to this day. We've never been ones to be super activist about anything but it's something that we believed in for sure.
Steve: Definitely and I think anybody that knows the band (knows) we were never a preachy band. I would almost call us a fringe straight edge band even. Though we were a straight edge band it wasn't really intended that way. I think it evolved into that. It was definitely a belief in our system and everybody was on board with it but it wasn't important to just jam it down people's throats. And the same thing can be said with the whole vegetarian thing. When I think of Insted I think the whole philosophy was sort of "choose for yourself." Live and let live. Let people be who they are. It's ok to be different.
Rich: And with the "One World" thing that was an issue at the time and it's still and issue today. I think both of them are probably even more relevant today than they were back then. I think there's more vegetarians in the world now, there's more people looking at the environment saying, "We'd better slow down or we're going to have nothing left to live on."
Steve: It's a whole lot easier to be a vegetarian now than it was in the 1980s.
[Interviewer:] Did you guys get much heat for taking stands like being a straight edge band and singing songs about vegetarianism?
[...]
Steve: We were conscious enough not to take sides in situations but to your point about controversial issues of the day like straight edge and vegetarianism there was a certain small group of people that wrote us off because we were friends with bands like Uniform Choice and Youth of Today. And then there was a small group of people who thought that we were "ultra posi," too positive or too uplifting for what was going on and that this (punk/hardcore) was not the type of music for this (attitude)." [4]
In an Insted video documentary from 2017, Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion/Epitaph records) recounts the story of how, after Insted had signed to Epitaph, Brett "spray painted" (Insted singer) Kevin Hernandez's brand new car: "One of the first things I wrote on it was 'Eat Meat'", in addition to a big swastika, "Take Drugs", etc. Brett says that Kevin was close to tears - before Brett revealed that it wasn't actually real spray paint and could be easily washed off [5]. To me, the anecdote doesn't just confirm the pacificist character of Kevin and the others in Insted but als what a jock Brett Gurewitz is.
Compilation albums:
Various artists: "The Animals Packet" (1983)
More stuff:
The Damned: "Torture Me" (Dozen Girls EP, 1982)
Piano and vocals by Captain Sensible, the bassist/guitarist of The Damned.
Lyrics:
"Torture meI'm just an animal, you see
I'm the slap for your lap
Not upset
You know pets don't really feel
Torture me
Why don't you carve my body up?
Throw me into a pot
Make it hot
And you'll have a lovely meal
Torture me
'cause you're the beauty, I'm the beast
For your feast
Weddings, bar mitzvahs and all
Torture me
Take my skin and eat my flesh
'cause it's fresh
Boil or roast'll be a ball
And if I can suffer more
And if I can suffer more
I'll improve your life for sure
And if I can suffer more
And if I can suffer more
And if I whimper, just ignore me"
Captain Sensible & The Missus: "Wot! No Meat?" (Wot! No Meat?, 1985)
Captain Sensible, the bassist/guitarist of The Damned, and his (presumably) wife/girlfriend had a 7 inch "pop" single called "Wot! No Meat?" that included the songs: "Wot! No Meat?" (side A) and "Meat Sandwich" (side B). "Meat Sandwich" is more like a soundscape than a typical song.
Lyrics [I have transcribed these lyrics but couldn't understand every word]:
"What have we made of this world?[And we wait?] and return it to battle
There's a war going on between man
and the first [piece of?] cattle
The frontline is there in your eyes
[Then do?] all of the things you despise
The hell, you can change it
Who are we to demand others' lives [... ...] to pay our price
'cause the blinkers are there on their eyes
and yet we see so nice
To the man who kills with no need
If he realized [... ...]
Hell yes, you will change it
I'm just [a?] meat crazy
It's just [the?] meat, baby
Wot! No meat?
I'm just [a?] meat crazy
It's just [the?] meat, baby
Wot! No meat?
[To the business?] [withhold?] the [calves?]
And they think they're so healthy
And their ploy is to fatten the calves just to feed all the wealthy
And you wonder why the hell there are wars
When in truth the [...] answers are yours
But of course you can change it
I'm just [a?] meat crazy
It's just [the?] meat, baby
Wot! No meat?
I'm just [a?] meat crazy
It's just [the?] meat, baby
Wot! No meat?
Wot! No meat?
Wot! No meat?
Wot! No meat?
[... ... ... ... ... ...]
Wot! No meat?
[... ... ... ... ... ...]
Wot! No meat?
[... ... ... ... ... ...]
Wot! No meat?
[... ... ... ... ... ...]
Wot! No meat?
[... ... ... ... ... ...]
Wot! No meat?
Wot! No meat?
Wot! No meat?"
Also see: vegan and vegetarian hardcore/punk songs from the 1990s
References:
1) Ox-Fanzine/Joachim Hiller: Ausgabe #91 August/September 2010, Interviews, IAN MACKAYE & DISCHORD RECORDS, https://www.ox-fanzine.de/interview/ian-mackaye-und-dischord-records-3799 (checked 21 September 2023)2) Gabriel Kuhn (ed.): Sober living for the revolution. Hardcore punk, straight edge, and radical politics. Oakland: PM Press, 2010
3) Dennis [Lyxzén] Deep Cuts: Dennis Deep Cuts #29 A Conversation with Brendan Canty from Fugazi, Messthetics and Fake Names, 8 June 2023, https://youtu.be/xXYLAxHcUaE?t=1765 [at ~29:25 min] (checked 27 September 2023)
5) Indecision Records (IND59), Larry Ransom (videography), Evan Jacobs (editing), Dave Mandel (additional editing): Insted - Proud Youth: 1986-1991 Documentary, 2017 (or maybe 2016), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO36BnBKzlE&t=1320s [at ~22:00 min] (checked 30 September 2023)
6) OG Talk: ANTHONY CIVARELLI, CIV, New York Hardcore:Gorilla Biscuits talks Punk, Vegan Straight Edge & Tattoos, 16 December 2019, https://youtu.be/NafnDCcgoZY?t=173 [at ~2:53 min] (checked 1 October 2023)
7) OG Talk: ANTHONY CIVARELLI, CIV, New York Hardcore:Gorilla Biscuits talks Punk, Vegan Straight Edge & Tattoos, 16 December 2019, https://youtu.be/NafnDCcgoZY?t=702 [at ~11:42 min] (checked 1 October 2023)
8) OG Talk: ANTHONY CIVARELLI, CIV, New York Hardcore:Gorilla Biscuits talks Punk, Vegan Straight Edge & Tattoos, 16 December 2019, https://youtu.be/NafnDCcgoZY?t=1460 [at ~24:20 min] (checked 1 October 2023)