JFA was formed around March of 1981. Pendleton, then in the band The Deez and Cornelius, then in the band Jr. Chemists, knew each other from shows around Phoenix, Arizona and from skateboarding. They began playing together after a D.O.A. concert during the band's Hardcore 81 tour. Bam-Bam later joined after meeting Pendleton at an "Industrial Dance" in Phoenix, and bestowed the moniker on the band, which is a reference to his second-cousin's, John Hinckley, Jr., attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan.
The band's first show was opening for Black Flag at an Industrial Dance which was one of a series of early Phoenix punk shows. Their first song of the night was Pipetruck.
Placebo Records released their debut EP "Out Of School" in late 1981. The band toured the west extensively and played many local shows. Their first national tour was in the summer of 1983 following the release of their first album "Valley ot the Yakes".
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Preppy
JFA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Words by Brian Brannon and Jon Haas
You're a prep and that's a fact
Originality you've always lacked
I can see right through your act
You're a preppy, a preppy
Topsiders, alligators, Calvin Klein jeans
Argyle socks, you look real keen
That's not your life man, it's Pierre Cardin's
You're a preppy, preppy
Think you're real hot, being who you're not
Of all the preppies I've been shown
I've seen something you've always known
Underneath the alligators is fucking clone
You're a preppy, preppy
You're so fucking lame, you all look the same
JFA's song "Preppy" was released in 1983, a time when preppy culture was at its peak. The song's lyrics deride preppy culture as being inauthentic and lacking originality. The first verse sets the tone, calling out the preppy person for lacking originality and pretending to be something they're not.
The second verse delves deeper into preppy fashion, listing a range of preppy staples such as Topsiders, alligators, Calvin Klein jeans, and argyle socks. The lyrics suggest that preppies are simply copying the fashion choices of others, rather than expressing their own individuality. The use of "Pierre Cardin" as an example of preppy fashion points out how preppies are blindly following fashion designers, without any real knowledge of design.
The final verse takes the most brutal jab at the preppy culture, suggesting that underneath the preppy facade, all preppies are the same. The repeated use of "preppy" in the chorus drives home the point that preppiness is a superficial label, and doesn't actually define somebody's authentic identity.
Overall, "Preppy" is a scathing critique of preppy culture, and suggests that it is a facade of inauthenticity and conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a prep and that's a fact
You belong to the preppy culture, and it's undeniable.
Originality you've always lacked
You conform to what's expected and lack individuality.
I can see right through your act
Your attempts to hide who you really are are transparent.
You're a preppy, a preppy
Reinforcing the label of being a preppy.
By any other name, you'd still be the same
Renaming you wouldn't change who you are.
Topsiders, alligators, Calvin Klein jeans
Describing the popular preppy fashion items.
Argyle socks, you look real keen
You find the popular preppy style attractive.
That's not your life man, it's Pierre Cardin's
You're living a life that's been manufactured by someone else's ideas of style and identity.
You're a preppy, preppy
Reinforcing the label of being a preppy.
Think you're real hot, being who you're not
You believe you're desirable by pretending to be someone else.
Of all the preppies I've been shown
Of all the preppy people I've encountered.
I've seen something you've always known
I recognize that you're aware of your lack of originality.
Underneath the alligators is fucking clone
There's nothing unique under the preppy exterior; you're all the same.
You're a preppy, preppy
Reinforcing the label of being a preppy.
You're so fucking lame, you all look the same
You're dull and uninteresting because of your lack of individuality.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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