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
Love Story
NOFX Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wooden white picket fence
Mother waits for father
In a backless dress
Hardly used a diaphram
Put back into its case
A one way trip down memory lane
As she awaits
Cheat me
I don't want to know
Children play in the yard
Mother stares at the wall
Father says he's gonna be back late
So don't wait up
About a quater to 3
Father stares at the wall
Stained thicker than water
Who's gonna clean it up
The NOFX song Love Story tells the story of a dysfunctional family. The verses paint a picture of a woman, possibly the mother, who is waiting for her husband to come back to her. The family has a house in which they partly own, with a white picket fence. The woman waits in a backless dress for a husband who is constantly cheating on her, indicated by the line "Hardly used a diaphragm, put back into its case". She takes a trip down memory lane before being interrupted by the chorus where the singer says "I don't want to know, cheat me."
The story continues in the second verse with a depiction of the family dynamic in more detail. The children play in the yard while their mother stares at the wall, knowing that her husband will be coming back at a late hour. Meanwhile, the father stares at the wall, perhaps indicating his apathy towards the state of affairs. The walls of the house are stained, possibly with blood, and it is unclear whether anyone will ever be able to clean them up. The song's chorus repeats, with the singer claiming that he does not wish to know the truth about their lives.
The song reflects a stark reality experienced by many families that suffer from difficult and complex circumstances. The lyrics capture the feeling of despair and hopelessness, and the chorus reinforces the idea that sometimes ignorance is indeed bliss. The song provides a commentary on personal relationships and the breakdown of family structures, and it is an intense and poignant glimpse into the lives of people who exist in the margins of society.
Line by Line Meaning
Partly owned tuder house
The singer is describing the setting of the story as a house with a Tudor-style architecture that they partially own.
Wooden white picket fence
There is a white picket fence surrounding the house which is made of wood.
Mother waits for father
The singer is describing the mother waiting for the father to return home.
In a backless dress
The mother is wearing a dress that has no back, which suggests she is trying to look attractive for the father.
Hardly used a diaphram
The mother has not been using contraception consistently or properly, as evidenced by the use of a diaphragm that is rarely used and has been put away.
Put back into its case
The mother has put her diaphragm back into its case after not using it properly.
A one way trip down memory lane
The singer is reflecting on how this scene is reminiscent of past memories but there is no going back, hence a one-way trip down memory lane.
As she awaits
The mother is waiting for the father to come home, anxious about what he has been doing.
I don't want to know
The artist does not want to know the specifics of what is happening in this scene, as it is likely to be unpleasant or disturbing.
Cheat me
The artist suspects that the father is cheating and is not interested in finding out about it, as it will only hurt the mother more.
Children play in the yard
The children are playing in the yard, oblivious to the tense and uncertain atmosphere of their parents' relationship.
Mother stares at the wall
The mother is staring at the wall, lost in thought or despair while the children play nearby.
Father says he's gonna be back late
The father has told the mother he will be back late, leaving her to worry and wonder what he is doing.
So don't wait up
The father tells the mother not to wait up for him, suggesting that he might not come home at all or come home very late.
About a quarter to 3
It's almost 3am, indicating that the father is out very late and the scene is tense.
Father stares at the wall
The father is staring at the wall, possibly feeling guilty or just avoiding the situation at home.
Stained thicker than water
The artist is describing a stain on the wall that is thicker than water, suggesting that something has happened there that is more than just a spill. This could be a metaphor for the deep-seated issues in the family.
Who's gonna clean it up
The singer wonders who is going to clean up the stain on the wall, which is symbolic of the mess that the family is in and the lack of responsibility the parents are taking for it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MIKE BURKETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AngrierGorilla
Partly owned Tudor house
Wooden white picket fence
Mother waits for father
In a backless dress
Hardly used diaphram
Put back into it's case
A one way trip down memory lane
As she awaits
I don't wanna know
Cheat me
I don't wanna know
Children play in the yard
Mother stares at a wall
Father says he's gonna be back late
So don't wait up
About a quarter to 3
Father stares at a wall
Stained thicker than water
Who's gonna clean it up?
I don't wanna know
Cheat me
I don't wanna know
Partly owned tuder house
Wooden white picket fence
Mother waits for father
In a backless dress
Hardly used diaphram
Put back into it's case
A one way trip down memory lane
As she awaits
I don't wanna know
Cheat me
I don't wanna know
AngrierGorilla
Partly owned Tudor house
Wooden white picket fence
Mother waits for father
In a backless dress
Hardly used diaphram
Put back into it's case
A one way trip down memory lane
As she awaits
I don't wanna know
Cheat me
I don't wanna know
Children play in the yard
Mother stares at a wall
Father says he's gonna be back late
So don't wait up
About a quarter to 3
Father stares at a wall
Stained thicker than water
Who's gonna clean it up?
I don't wanna know
Cheat me
I don't wanna know
Partly owned tuder house
Wooden white picket fence
Mother waits for father
In a backless dress
Hardly used diaphram
Put back into it's case
A one way trip down memory lane
As she awaits
I don't wanna know
Cheat me
I don't wanna know
AngrierGorilla
5putput thx
S50014+81
I always thought he said "I dobt want know, it's cheap meat"
Baldo Ciocca
Love this song!!!!!!! Gives me goose bumps
yoyo yahyah
This record ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Christopher Lowe
Fat Mike can get deep. When he feels like it. My band played at least 2 NOFX covers per show out of respect.
Norman Bates
Happy Mothers Day.
grunge impressionism
I used to play this song w my band yeah
Sean Burton
MY PARENTS ARE DIVORCED
Sean Burton
I AM GOOD