MDC (Millions of Dead Cops) is an American hardcore punk band formed in Aus… Read Full Bio ↴MDC (Millions of Dead Cops) is an American hardcore punk band formed in Austin, Texas in 1979. The band was subsequently based in San Francisco, California, and are currently based in Portland, Oregon. Originally formed as The Stains before changing their name, the band also changed their name to a different initialism of MDC with every new record released. The band is known for its radical left-wing political views. MDC released material via ex-Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra's independent record label Alternative Tentacles. In the 1990s, vocalist Dave Dictor published editorials for the internationally distributed fanzine Maximumrocknroll.

Selected discography:
Millions of Dead Cops (1982)
Smoke Signals (1986)
This Blood's for You (1987)
Metal Devil Cokes (1989)
Hey Cop! If I Had A Face Like Yours... (1991)
Shades of Brown (1993)
Magnus Dominus Corpus (2004)
Mein Trumpf (2017)

Current lineup
Dave Dictor - vocals (1979-present)
Russ Kalita - guitar (2008–present)
Barry Ward - guitar (2017-present)
Mike Smith - bass (2007–present)

Bye Bye Ronnie
MDC Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bye bye Ronnie, Ronnie goes to jail
Nancy hocks her furs for bail
Oral Roberts prays for money in the mail
Ronnie baby your ass is on the rail

Go ahead Ronnie turn yourself in
Sit and tell us all your sins
You can take a slug of my gin

This is where the party begins

You knew about ran all the while
Now you wanna claim you're senile
Sorry Dutch you'll be cruising
No more cabinet meeting snoozing

We won't have to hear your boast
Now that your ass is in the roast

We'll be partying coast to coast
To this is what drink and toast

Overall Meaning

"MDC's song Bye Bye Ronnie" was released in 1982 as a response to then-president Ronald Reagan's policies that favored the wealthy and corporations while negatively impacting the poor and working-class. The song is a satire on Reagan's presidency and his personality cult, with its catchy chorus "Bye bye Ronnie, Ronnie goes to jail, Nancy hocks her furs for bail, Oral Roberts prays for money in the mail, Ronnie baby your ass is on the rail".

The first verse can be interpreted as a reference to the Iran-Contra affair, where members of Reagan's administration were caught selling weapons to Iran in exchange for American hostages, and using the profits to fund rebels in Nicaragua. Reagan's Secretary of State, Caspar Weinberger was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice, while several members of his administration and CIA agents were implicated in the scandal. The second verse signifies how Reagan's supporters and followers turned a blind eye towards his wrongdoings and crimes, and were willing to overlook his faults, alcoholism, and health issues. The chorus mocks Reagan's "Teflon" image, suggesting that even he cannot escape the consequences of his actions.

Line by Line Meaning

Bye bye Ronnie, Ronnie goes to jail
Ronnie is going to jail and we are saying bye to him.

Nancy hocks her furs for bail
Nancy is selling her furs to get bail money.

Oral Roberts prays for money in the mail
Oral Roberts is asking for money through mail prayers.

Ronnie baby your ass is on the rail
Ronnie is in big trouble.

Go ahead Ronnie turn yourself in
Ronnie should surrender himself.

Sit and tell us all your sins
Admit your wrongdoing.

You can take a slug of my gin
Take a drink and relax.

This is where the party begins
Now, we will enjoy and have fun.

You knew about ran all the while
You were aware of illegal activities.

Now you wanna claim you're senile
You are pretending to be mentally unstable.

Sorry Dutch you'll be cruising
You will be going to jail.