Moving to New York City in 1976, they quickly gained notoriety for their outrageous live performances – lewd gestures and profanity was the norm, and on more than one occasion, lead singer Stiv Bators slashed his stomach with his mic stand. They frequently played at the legendary rock club CBGBs and in 1977 they released their debut album, Young, Loud and Snotty, produced by Genya Ravan. Their song "Sonic Reducer" is often regarded as one of the classics of the punk genre, with the All Music Guide calling it "one of punk's great anthems."
Sire Records pressured the group to change their look and sound to appeal more to the US mainstream (which had yet to embrace punk on the level seen in the UK) and this contributed to Dead Boys breaking up in 1979. A few months after the breakup the band had to reunite to record a live album and thus fulfill their contractual obligations. To exact revenge on the label, Bators purposely sang off mic and the resulting recording was unusable. When the material eventually surfaced on Bomp! Records, Bators had re-recorded the vocals in a studio.
Bators later formed Lords of the New Church with Brian James from The Damned and Dave Tregunna from Sham 69.
The band reformed for several gigs in the 1980's. They released Younger, Louder and Snottier in 1989, which included demos and rough mixes of their debut album.
In 1990, Bators died in France due to injuries sustained in a car accident.
In September of 2004, the band, sans Bators, re-formed for a one-off gig in Cleveland.
In 2005, they played a benefit show for the legendary rock club CBGBs. This same year, they also played a reunion show on Halloween.
Ain't It Fun
Dead Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you're always on the run
Ain't it fun
When your friends despise what you've become
Ain't it fun
When you get so high that you, well you just can't cum
Ain't it fun
When you know that you're gonna die young?
Yeah fun
Such fun
Such fun, fun, fun
Yeah fun
Such fun
Such fun, fun, fun
Yeah fun
Such fun
Such
Ain't it fun
When you're taking care of number one
Ain't it fun
When you feel like you just gotta get a gun
Ain't it fun
When you just, just can't seem to find your toungue
'Cause you stuck it too deep into somethin that really stung
It's such fun
Well, you come up to me
They spit right in my face
I didn't even feel it
It was such a disgrace
I punched my fist right through the glass
I didn't even feel it
It happened so fast
Ain't it fun
When you tell her she's just a cunt
Ain't it fun
When she splits and leaves you all alone
Ain't it fun
When you've broken up every band that you've ever begun
Ain't it fun
When you know that you're gonna die young
It's such fun
The Dead Boys' song Ain't It Fun is a nihilistic anthem filled with cynical lyrics that explore the darker aspects of life in a sarcastic and mocking tone. The song opens with the lines, "Ain't it fun when you're always on the run, ain't it fun when your friends despise what you've become." The first two lines suggest a sense of escape and freedom, but the second two show the inevitable consequences of that life, including the loss of friendship and identity. The song goes on to touch on the theme of drug use with the line, "Ain't it fun when you get so high that you, well you just can't cum," which suggests that addiction leads to a loss of pleasure and fulfillment. The chorus repeats the phrase "such fun" in a sarcastic tone, suggesting that the things being sung about are anything but fun.
Later lyrics suggest violent tendencies, "Ain't it fun when you feel like you just gotta get a gun" and "Ain't it fun when you tell her she's just a cunt." The song also touches on the destructive nature of fame and success with the line, "Ain't it fun when you've broken up every band that you've ever begun." The final lines of the song, "When you know that you're gonna die young, it's such fun," feel like a cynical takeaway that suggests that nothing really matters in the end.
Overall, the song feels like a commentary on the dark side of life, filled with sarcasm and irony. The lyrics suggest a life of nihilism in which there is no real meaning, leading to destruction and the eventual end.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't it fun
Isn't it entertaining
When you're always on the run
Running from your problems has become a habit
When your friends despise what you've become
Your friends don't like the person you've turned into
When you get so high that you, well you just can't cum
Being so high that you can't perform a natural function
When you know that you're gonna die young?
Knowing that your life will be short and might not amount to much
It's such fun
It's enjoyable
When you're taking care of number one
Putting yourself before others
When you feel like you just gotta get a gun
Feeling like your only solution is violence
When you just, just can't seem to find your toungue
Being unable to speak or express yourself properly
'Cause you stuck it too deep into somethin that really stung
Having spoken too much and offended someone, resulting in a feeling of hurt
Well, you come up to me
Approaching me
They spit right in my face
Being disrespected and shown contempt
I didn't even feel it
Being so numb to the world due to personal issues
It was such a disgrace
Feeling embarrassed and degraded
I punched my fist right through the glass
Reacting violently and carelessly
It happened so fast
Acting impulsively and without thought
When you tell her she's just a cunt
Using derogatory language to refer to a woman
When she splits and leaves you all alone
A woman leaving and causing you to feel alone
When you've broken up every band that you've ever begun
Not being able to sustain success or relationships
When you know that you're gonna die young
Realizing that your time is limited and you may never experience life to the fullest
It's such fun
Despite all the negativity and chaos, it's still entertaining
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eugene Richard O'Connor, Peter Laughner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind