The band's sound is diverse, utilizing elements of skate punk, hardcore punk, reggae, and other music genres. Their lyrics generally satirize issues such as politics, society, various subcultures, racism, the music industry, and religion, often using a large amount of comedy.
NOFX's first recording was a demo from 1983, produced by The Germs drummer Don Bolles, which did not sell any copies. They released their self-titled debut EP on Mystic Records in 1985, which was later re-released in 1992 as part of the Maximum RocknRoll CD. For a year, Erik Sandin left the band and was replaced by Scott Sellers, then Scott Aldahl. Dave Allen was in the band for about four months, until he died in a car accident. In 1986, the band released So What if We're on Mystic!. Dave Casillas joined the band on second guitar in 1987 and was featured on the EP The P.M.R.C. Can Suck on This!, attacking the PMRC's call for censorship of music. The original cover was an edited S&M photo, but the re-released version was changed to a photo of Eric Melvin.
Eric Sandin returned and they recorded Liberal Animation in 1988 (before Dave was replaced by Steve) with Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion. Although the title and some lyrics mocked vegetarianism and animal rights, Fat Mike says that he became a vegetarian after he wrote Liberal Animation. 'If a big enough animal had a chance it would eat you up!' The album was re-released in 1991 on Gurewitz's label Epitaph. Dave then left the band and was replaced by Steve Kidwiller. NOFX had signed to Epitaph by 1989, releasing their second album, titled S&M Airlines. 1990 saw the release of Ribbed. By 1991, Aaron Abeyta (aka El Hefe), joined to round out the group. White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean was released in 1992, which originally had the title White Trash, Two Kikes, and a Spic. The original title was changed because Eric Melvin's grandmother was upset about the racial epithets.
It was not until the 1994 release of Punk in Drublic that the band had a commercial breakthrough, with the album going gold. In the same year, pop punk entered the mainstream with the success of The Offspring's Smash and Green Day's Dookie.
In 1996 they released Heavy Petting Zoo, which wasn't very popular among its fans because it showed a different sound in some tracks. Their 1997 record So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes was faster, with more ska and reggae, and was well received by the public, although its title shocked everybody because it seemed as it was going to be their last album. They soon stated it wasn't true.
In 1999, the band released The Decline, a fiery and pessimistic social commentary. Having a duration of 18 minutes and 23 seconds, it is nearly the longest punk song to date, second only to "Yes Sir, I Will" by Crass, which spans more than 22 minutes.
The coming of a new century marked the end of NOFX in Epitaph Records. In 2000 they released Pump Up the Valuum, which in many people's opinion is a good record but still is missing something.
In 2003, NOFX released War on Errorism, and launched their anti-George W. Bush campaign. Fat Mike organized the website Punkvoter.com, compiled two chart-topping Rock Against Bush compilations, and kicked off a Rock Against Bush United States tour. The band has released many EPs (i.e. Fuck the Kids, The Longest Line) on Fat Mike's own label Fat Wreck Chords. In February 2005, they launched the NOFX 7" of the Month Club, a subscription-based service which saw the release of one new EP almost monthly, from February 2005 to March 2006 (a total of 12 releases). The cover art for these EPs were chosen from fan-submitted entries. The first 3000 subscribers to the club received all of their records on colored vinyl. Fat Wreck Chords later released full sets of the EPs.
On March 14, 2006, an EP entitled Never Trust a Hippy was released. The EP was followed on April 18 by the album Wolves in Wolves' Clothing. On September 12, 2006, the video game EA Sports NHL07 was released, featuring the title track of the latter album on its soundtrack.
The band recorded three nights of shows in San Francisco, California for the live album, They've Actually Gotten Worse Live! that was released on November 20, 2007.
NOFX aired in 2008 a reality show on Fuse TV called NOFX: Backstage Passport, chronicling their recent worldwide tour full of mishaps and fun stuff.
NOFX released their eleventh full length, Coaster, on April 28, 2009.
NOFX released their twelfth full length, Self/Entitled, on September 11th, 2012.
Official site: http://nofxofficialwebsite.com
Bleeding Heart Disease
NOFX Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dough, what our lives are lived for
Rae, just a crazy Aussie
Me, the generation forges on
Fodder for corporations
Sewing our lips together
La, such a nice place to get shot
Don't forget the T it
Follows liber in the constitution
Following the part about pursuit
Of happiness the bi-product
Of colonial precious metal
Mine extracts which brings us back
To dough
Do do do do do do
Do do do do do do
Do do do do do do
Do do do do do do
Today I saw a kid torture a cat
Too much leisure
Teenage Norman Rockwell
Paints it black
How did the chain get started?
More is what everyone wants
Needy is what none of us are
Cooperation died last night
Ruptured bleeding heart foresight
Me, I'm just a loo
So don't expect the best
You won't be disappointed when you take
A bite and watch the worm crawl back inside
Don't believe the fairy tales
Of million dollar happiness
Los Angelistic lifestyles, chardonnay
Pursuit the million dollar happiness (do do do do do do do)
Pursuit the million dollar happiness (do do do do do do do)
Pursuit the million dollar happiness (do do do do do do do)
Pursuit the million dollar happiness (do do do do do do do)
Pursuit the million dollar
Happiness was killed, we watched it bleed
Some say it died from hate
Some say from bleeding heart disease
How money polluted my mind
How money polluted my mind
The lyrics to NOFX's song Bleeding Heart Disease are a commentary on the detrimental effects of capitalism and the pursuit of wealth on society. The first verse references how money has "polluted" the singer's mind and how life is lived for dough, meaning money. The line "fodder for corporations" alludes to the idea that individuals are seen as commodities to be exploited for profit. The song also criticizes the American Dream and the pursuit of happiness, which is referred to as a "bi-product of colonial precious metal mine extracts" - essentially meaning that the idea of happiness is only possible because of the exploitation of resources and people.
The second verse continues with criticism of society's obsession with more and cooperation being a thing of the past. The line "ruptured bleeding heart foresight" speaks to the idea that even when we see the negative effects of capitalism, we continue down the same path. The mention of Los Angelistic lifestyle and chardonnay is a nod to the materialistic and shallow culture of Hollywood and the emptiness that can come from pursuing wealth and fame.
Throughout the song, there is a feeling of hopelessness and resignation about the state of the world. The repeated chorus of "pursuit the million-dollar happiness" is a sarcastic and biting reminder that the focus on wealth and material possessions does not bring true happiness. The line "happiness was killed we watched it bleed, some say it died from hate, some say from bleeding heart disease" drives home the idea that the pursuit of wealth and power has a negative impact on society and erodes our humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
How money polluted my mind
Money has had a corrupting influence on my thoughts and values
Dough, what our lives are lived for
Money seems to be the primary motivation for living our lives
Rae, just a crazy Aussie
A reference to someone who is not directly related to the theme of the song
Me, the generation forges on
I am part of a generation that continues to live its life driven by the pursuit of money
Fodder for corporations
We are exploited by companies that profit from our labor and consumption
Sewing our lives together
Our lives are interconnected through systems of production and consumption, which reinforces our dependence on money
La, such a nice place to get shot
A reference to Los Angeles, a city where violence is prevalent despite its reputation as a desirable place to live
But don't forget the t it
A humorous commentary on grammar
Follows liber in the constitution
Referencing the phrase 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' from the US Constitution
Following the part about pursuit
Continuing the previous reference to the Constitution
Of happiness the bi product
Happiness is not the direct result of pursuing money, but rather a byproduct that is often elusive
Of colonial precious metal
A reference to the historical exploitation of colonies for resources, particularly precious metals that fueled the growth of capitalism
Mine extracts which brings us back
Connecting the theme of the song back to the concept of extracting resources for profit
To dough
Returning to the idea that money is the driving force behind society's actions
Today I saw a kid torture a cat
A disturbing example of how leisure time can lead to senseless cruelty
Too much leisure
Echoing the previous sentiment that too much free time can lead to negative outcomes
Teenage Norman Rockwell
A reference to the artist Norman Rockwell, known for his depictions of idealized American life
Paints it black
Turning that idealized image of American life into something dark and sinister
How, did the chain get started
How did we become so dependent on money?
More is what everyone wants
Consumer culture has conditioned us to always want more
Needy is what none of us are
Despite always wanting more, we never feel truly satisfied or fulfilled
Cooperation died last night
We have become a society that prioritizes competition and individualism over cooperation and shared goals
Ruptured bleeding heart foresight
Our inability to prioritize compassion and empathy has led to a bleak, dysfunctional future
Me, I'm just a loo
A self-deprecating reference to the songwriter himself
So don't expect the best you won't be disappointed when you take a bite and watch the worm crawl back inside.
Don't have unrealistic expectations, because they will only lead to disappointment
Don't believe fairy tales of million dollar happiness
The idea that money can buy happiness is a myth
Los Angelistic lifestyle chardonnay
A tongue-in-cheek reference to the materialistic culture of Los Angeles, and a specific type of wine associated with luxury
Pursuit the million dollar happiness
Advice to pursue something other than wealth in order to find happiness
Happiness was killed we watched it bleed
Our society's obsession with money has come at the cost of true happiness
Some say it died from hate
Some believe that the lack of love and compassion in our society is what killed happiness
Some say from bleeding heart disease
Others believe that our society's lack of empathy and compassion is a disease that has killed happiness
How money polluted my mind
Repeating the opening line, driving home the message that money has a negative impact on our mental and emotional well-being
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Mike Burkett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AngrierGorilla
How money polluted my mind
Dough, what our lives are lived for
Rae, just a crazy Aussie
Me, the generation forges on
Fo-dder, for corporations
Sew-ing, our lives together
LA such a nice place to get shot
But don't forget the "T"
It follows "liber" in the the constitution
Following the part about pursuit
Of happiness the by-product
Of colonial precious metal
Mine extracts, which
Brings us back to dough
Do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do
Today I saw a kid torture a cat
Too much leisure
Teenage Norman Rockwell
Paints it black!
How, did the chain get started
More, is what everyone wants
Needy, is what none of us are
Co-operation died last night
Ruptured bleeding heart forsight
Me, I'm just a loo
So don't expect the best
You won't be disappointed when you take a bite and watch
The worm crawl back inside
Don't believe the fairy tales of
Million dollar happiness
Los Angelesistic lifestyles
{Drinking} Chardonnay {over a lobster salad brunch}
Pursuit the million dollar Happiness (Do do do do do do do)
Pursuit the million dollar Happiness (Do do do do do do do)
Pursuit the million dollar Happiness (Do do do do do do do)
Pursuit the million dollar Happiness (Do do do do do do do)
Pursuit the million dollar
Happiness was killed we watched it bleed,
Some say it died from hate,
Some say from bleeding heart disease
How money polluted my mind
Dearly Band
This song, lyrically, is so next level and it's such a fucking shame how underrated it is, and an even bigger shame that NOFX themselves hate this album so much. Probably the most melodic and soft of their albums but I kinda think that really made Mike's lyrics shine more.
ThinLion Films
This album is underrated
Todd Packer
It really is, the songwriting is clever and amazing
boralapah
this is one of the first albums I ever had and the first NOFX album, hadn't listened to it in a long time, right in the feelings!
Massimo Carta
this song is one of their best, but NOFX don't know it
Romeo Romero
Do they know any of their songs? Seriously, Fat Mike's memorization of his own lyrics is a goddamn joke!
m00nmanners
I couldn't agree more
Bruno de Santi Albanese
this is poetry
Dennis Lebeau
This album kicks ass
Rob Kelly
This song is incredible, do Rey me fa sol la ti do