Keith Morris was their original lead singer. He left the band suddenly in 1979 to form the well-known band, Circle Jerks. Ron Reyes was the second singer for the band, but decided to leave the band not too long after. Dez Cadena would be their next singer, but switched to second guitar when they found fourth and final singer Henry Rollins in Washington D.C. in 1981.
While Black Flag were - and remain - very respected among their underground culture, their music has not been the stylistic model one might expect, in spite of their formidable reputation. Rather, their influence was seen primarily in their tireless promotion of a self-controlled DIY aesthetic. They're often regarded as pioneers in the movement of underground do-it-yourself record labels that flourished among the 1980s' punk rock bands.
Over the course of the 1980s, Black Flag's sound, as well as their notoriety, evolved in ways that alienated much of their early punk audience. They were part of the first wave of American West Coast punk rock, are considered a key influence on Punk culture band, and are especially important in the creation of hardcore punk. Their later sound, however, was often reminiscent of proto-heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath.
The band broke up in August 1986, when Greg Ginn decided to quit.
Through seemingly-constant touring throughout the USA and Canada, and occasionally Europe, Black Flag established an extremely dedicated fan base. Many other musicians would follow Black Flag's lead and book their own tours, utilizing a word-of-mouth, grass-roots network.
On January 25, 2013, it was announced that guitarist Greg Ginn and vocalist Ron Reyes would reform Black Flag, joined by Gregory Moore on drums, and 'Dale Nixon' on bass (Dale Nixon is a pseudonym sometimes used by Ginn, most prominently as the bassist on My War). The band will tour as well as release a new album, their first since 1985's In My Head. In March of that year, it was announced that Screeching Weasel bassist Dave Klein joined the band. On May 2, 2013, the band released a new song entitled "Down in the Dirt" through their website.
Around the same time, it was announced that the lineup that played at GV 30, Morris, Dukowski, Stevenson and Egerton, would tour performing Black Flag songs, under the name FLAG. It was later announced that the lineup would be joined by Dez Cadena.
Shed Reading
Black Flag Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I′m sitting in some shit-hole rat's nest and I′m a little angry
I wanted to be a talk show host, not a rat
You men think you have it bad with women?
Well, I've got it a lot worse let me tell you
What am I gonna say to some nice looking girl who I wanna meet?
I can tread water for over 36 hours?
I can chew through lead pipes and cinderblocks?
And what if I do get the girl home?
Can't fit her through the door, it′s too small
Yeah, I got a lot of gripes
How′d you like to have a tail that went through your body to drag around all the time?
Not my idea of fun by a long shot
And do you see the neighborhoods that I'm forced to live in?
Those people live like pigs
Can′t catch the subway, they haven't built it yet
Can′t catch the up-town bus I can't reach the step-up
Hey taxi
And everyone wants to kill me, feed me drugs, and poison
Put electrodes in my head and make me run on treadmills
Dissect, bisect, and defect me
Bind, blind, maim and tame me
Are you folks crazy?
You never invite me to your parties as if I would really wanna go anyhow
Have you ever asked me to go to a movie?
How ′bout bowling?
You ever seen a rat cry?
I got tears
And I have a heart-and I've got brains
If you could just see past the fur
I think that you would see that I'm a lot like you
The song "Shed Reading" by Black Flag is a critique of societal prejudices and the marginalization of individuals, using the metaphor of a rat (Rattus Norvegicus). The rat in the song reflects on his frustrations and challenges, likening them to the struggles faced by humans. He humorously contrasts his desires of becoming a talk show host to his reality of being a rat. The rat expresses resentment towards men who complain about their relationships with women, as he believes his own situation is far worse. He ponders the difficulties he would encounter in approaching a girl he finds attractive, highlighting his physical limitations as a rat.
The song goes on to showcase the rat's grievances about his living conditions and the mistreatment he faces from humans. He juxtaposes the filth and squalor of the neighborhoods he is forced to reside in with the inability to access transportation. The rat sarcastically calls out for a taxi, emphasizing the absurdity of such a request. He also criticizes the cruelty of people who want to harm him or conduct experiments on him, questioning the sanity of these actions.
In the final verses, the rat expresses his frustration with being excluded from human activities and events. He highlights the lack of social invitations, whether it be to parties, movies, or even bowling. The rat reveals his vulnerability, stating that he can cry and that he possesses a heart and intelligence. He suggests that if people looked beyond his outer appearance, they would see a being similar to themselves.
Overall, "Shed Reading" addresses themes of discrimination, social exclusion, and the shared humanity between seemingly different beings. It prompts listeners to reflect on their own prejudices and consider the perspective of those often overlooked or dismissed.
Line by Line Meaning
I am Rattus Norvegicus
I am a rat named Rattus Norvegicus
I′m sitting in some shit-hole rat's nest and I′m a little angry
I am sitting in a dirty and unpleasant place, feeling frustrated
I wanted to be a talk show host, not a rat
I had aspirations of being a talk show host, not just a rat
You men think you have it bad with women?
Do you men think your problems with women are tough?
Well, I've got it a lot worse let me tell you
Well, I have it much worse, let me explain
What am I gonna say to some nice looking girl who I wanna meet?
What should I say to a beautiful girl I want to approach?
I can tread water for over 36 hours?
I am capable of treading water for more than 36 hours
I can chew through lead pipes and cinderblocks?
I can gnaw through lead pipes and cinderblocks
I can run on telephone wires?
I am able to run on telephone wires
And what if I do get the girl home?
And what if I manage to bring the girl home?
Can't fit her through the door, it′s too small
I can't fit her through the door because it's too small
Yeah, I got a lot of gripes
Yes, I have many complaints
How′d you like to have a tail that went through your body to drag around all the time?
How would you feel about having a tail that constantly drags behind you?
Not my idea of fun by a long shot
That doesn't sound like fun to me at all
And do you see the neighborhoods that I'm forced to live in?
Do you notice the neighborhoods where I am compelled to reside?
Those people live like pigs
Those people live in squalor
Can′t catch the subway, they haven't built it yet
I can't catch the subway because it hasn't been constructed
Can′t catch the up-town bus I can't reach the step-up
I can't catch the uptown bus because I can't reach the step-up
Hey taxi
Hey, taxi
And everyone wants to kill me, feed me drugs, and poison
Everyone desires to kill me, drug me, and poison me
Put electrodes in my head and make me run on treadmills
They implant electrodes in my head to make me run on treadmills
Dissect, bisect, and defect me
They dissect, divide, and mutilate me
Bind, blind, maim and tame me
They restrain, blindfold, injure, and domesticate me
Are you folks crazy?
Are you people insane?
You never invite me to your parties as if I would really wanna go anyhow
You never invite me to your parties, as if I would actually want to go anyway
Have you ever asked me to go to a movie?
Have you ever asked me to accompany you to a movie?
How ′bout bowling?
What about bowling?
You ever seen a rat cry?
Have you ever witnessed a rat shedding tears?
I got tears
I have tears
And I have a heart-and I've got brains
I possess a heart and intelligence
If you could just see past the fur
If only you could look beyond my fur
I think that you would see that I'm a lot like you
I believe that if you could see past appearances, you would realize that I am very similar to you
Writer(s): Henry Garfield
Contributed by London S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.