Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing the Reagan Administration and the American establishment in general, as well as popular culture and even the punk movement itself. Several stores refused to stock their recordings, sparking debate about censorship in rock music. Jello Biafra became an active campaigner against the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), culminating in an obscenity trial in 1985-1986 which resulted in a hung jury.
The group released a total of four studio albums and one EP before disbanding in 1986. Following the band's dissolution, Jello Biafra continued to collaborate and record with other artists including D.O.A., NoMeansNo and his own bands Lard and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, as well as releasing spoken word performances and becoming an activist with the Green Party.
In 2000, Jello Biafra lost an acrimonious legal case initiated by his former Dead Kennedys band mates over songwriting credits and unpaid royalties. In 2001, the band reformed; various singers have since been recruited for vocal duties.
Let's Lynch the Landlord
Dead Kennedys Lyrics
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They're blasting disco down below
Says, "I'm doubling up the rent
'Cause the building's condemned
You're gonna help me buy City Hall"
But we can
You know we can
Let's lynch the landlord man
I tell him 'turn on the water'
I tell him 'turn on the heat'
Tells me 'all you ever do is complain'
Then they search the place when I'm not here
But we can
You know we can
But we can
You know we can
Let's lynch the landlord
Let's lynch the landlord
Let's lynch the landlord man
There's rats chewin' up the kitchen
Roaches up to my knees
Turn the oven on, it smells like Dachau, yeah
Till the rain pours through the ceiling
But we can
You know we can
But we can
You know we can
Let's lynch the landlord
Let's lynch the landlord
Let's lynch the landlord man
The landlord man
The Dead Kennedys' song Let's Lynch the Landlord was written by lead singer Jello Biafra and released in 1980 as a part of the band's album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. The song highlights the struggles of renters against their landlords and the corrupt political system that often enables these landlords.
The lyrics begin with the landlord visiting the building and announcing that the rent will be doubled because the building is condemned. He manipulates his tenants into helping him buy City Hall, a symbol of political power, by threatening to evict them otherwise. The tenants reject his proposal and instead suggest lynching him, a euphemism for bringing him to justice.
The rest of the song describes the appalling living conditions in the building, from rats and roaches to broken plumbing and a leaking roof. The landlord is depicted as unresponsive to their complaints and instead searches their homes when they are not around. The lyrics end with a final call for lynching the landlord, emphasizing the immense frustration and helplessness of the tenants.
The lyrics of Let's Lynch the Landlord continue to resonate with individuals struggling against gentrification and predatory landlord practices. The song's themes of exploitation and defiance have made it a fixture of punk rock culture, and it remains a powerful critique of the injustices of the American housing system.
Line by Line Meaning
The Landlord's here to visit
The landlord is present to check on the tenants.
They're blasting disco down below
The tenants are playing loud music, maybe to disrupt the landlord's visit.
Says, "I'm doubling up the rent
The landlord intends to raise the rent.
'Cause the building's condemned
The landlord cites building damage as the reason for increasing the rent.
You're gonna help me buy City Hall"
The landlord wants the tenants to pay for the repairs so that he can afford to bribe government officials.
But we can
The tenants have the power to resist the landlord's oppressive behavior.
You know we can
The tenants are aware of their power.
Let's lynch the landlord man
The tenants are considering violent resistance against their landlord.
I tell him 'turn on the water'
The tenant asks the landlord to provide basic utilities like water and heat.
I tell him 'turn on the heat'
The tenant asks the landlord to provide heating.
Tells me 'all you ever do is complain'
The landlord dismisses the tenant's requests and labels them as mere complaints.
Then they search the place when I'm not here
The landlord violates the tenant's privacy by searching their place without permission.
There's rats chewin' up the kitchen
The tenant's living conditions are unsafe and unhygienic for their wellbeing.
Roaches up to my knees
There's an excessive presence of cockroaches in the tenant's living space.
Turn the oven on, it smells like Dachau, yeah
The tenant can't use their oven because it produces an unbearable odor reminiscent of a concentration camp.
Till the rain pours through the ceiling
The building is in such poor condition that rain is seeping through the ceiling.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JELLO BIAFRA, RAYMOND PEPPERELLE, GEOFFREY LYALL, DARREN HENLEY, ERIC BOUCHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pandaeyes42
Q. What's a hundred landlords at the bottom of the ocean? A. A good start!
@TheGloriousLobsterEmperor
Q. What's the only good use for a landlord?
A. Target practice.
@clarencemumford5162
Q. Why do they bury landlords twelve feet deep?
A. Because deep down, they're not so bad.
@TheGloriousLobsterEmperor
@@clarencemumford5162
Q. What do landlords contribute to society?
A. A great source of protein
@redgimp
...a classic.
@intellectualrebel5340
We can also throw them in caves, if there's no ocean closeby.
@moss42069
When your landlord decides to sell the house without any warning, giving you 60 days before you're kicked out in the middle of a pandemic.
@footballspecialmineral6139
Truth you speak
@kurtrebar7450
I got 4 days, they want to raise the rent
@gregarioustumours2397
Mine gave me sixty days and if it hadn't been for the moritorium I would have been on the streets. Landlords are scum.