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.
White Minority
Black Flag Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We won't listen to the majority
We're gonna feel inferiority
We're gonna be white minority
White pride
You're an American
I'm gonna hide
Gonna be a white minority
We don't believe there's a possibility
Well you just wait and see
We're gonna be white minority
White pride
You're an American
White pride
Anywhere I can?
Gonna be a white minority
There's gonna be large cavity
Within my new territory
We're all gonna die
The lyrics to Black Flag's song White Minority express the band's opposition to the majority ruling in American society. The song portrays the band's belief that the white race is superior to others, which implies negative attitudes towards racial minorities. In the song, the band members state that they refuse to listen to the majority and that they will feel inferior if they have to integrate with other races.
The chorus of the song, "White pride, you're an American," implies that the only valid citizens of America are white people. The lyrics also indicate that the band members will try to conceal their beliefs and hide anywhere they can to preserve their perceived superiority. The song reaches its climax with the lyric, "we're all gonna die," which might suggest the band's belief that intermixing races will result in the demise of the white race and American society as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
We're gonna be a white minority
We will soon become a minority group due to the increasing number of non-white people in society.
We won't listen to the majority
We refuse to consider the opinions of the majority population because they are different from us.
We're gonna feel inferiority
As white people become the minority, we will feel a sense of inadequacy and insecurity in our new status.
We're gonna be white minority
Reiterating the point that we are soon to become a minority group.
White pride
We take pride in our whiteness and believe it makes us superior to non-white people.
You're an American
We feel that being white and American is a defining trait of our identity.
I'm gonna hide
We will try to conceal ourselves in any way possible as our new status as a minority group makes us feel vulnerable and insecure.
Anywhere I can
Our desire to hide extends to any location or circumstance that allows us to avoid confrontation with non-white people.
We don't believe there's a possibility
We are in denial about the inevitability of becoming a minority group and do not believe it is a possibility.
Well you just wait and see
We challenge those who disagree with our beliefs to wait and see the reality of our predictions and viewpoints.
There's gonna be large cavity
As we become the minority, we will feel isolated and removed from the rest of society.
Within my new territory
Describing our new status as a minority group and the sense of being in unfamiliar and hostile territory.
We're all gonna die
The extreme and fatalistic outcome of our belief that becoming a white minority is a negative and undesirable state of being.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GREGORY REGIS GINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind