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
Six Years On Dope
NOFX Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I spent twenty years, six years on dope
Taking a piss while giving up hope
I lived a lifetime six years on dope
I was a human trash can
Shortening my life span
Live fast, die tan
Saving all my money for a one way ticket to Afghanistan
Yeah
I was ezoobeson drunk
Strung out on junk
Live fast, die punk
I thought I was sunk
From gin swilling and fish tank penicillin
I was a moron bro with impetigo
A pleased as punch Dog Patch Wino
Casual sex and herpes complex
Now I'm on Interferon and Valtrex
I was a child adult, a walking insult
Every shot got more difficult
I was a teenage trash bin
A breathing mannequin
A caustic cause
Who musta loved suffering
Do pinhole eyes romanticize heroin
I was a moron bro, a circus sideshow
A dying slow Dog Patch Wino
The lyrics to NOFX's song "Six Years On Dope" describe the hopeless and destructive life of a drug addict. The opening lines express the despair and isolation felt by the singer; he is a misanthrope, or someone who hates humanity, and is at the end of his rope, meaning he is feeling hopeless and close to giving up. The next line reveals that the character has spent twenty years of his life, six of which he was addicted to drugs. The phrase "six years on dope" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the length of time the singer has been under the influence of drugs. The character's life has been reduced to taking a piss while giving up hope, demonstrating his complete lack of purpose or direction. In the last line of the verse, "I lived a lifetime six years on dope," the character implies that his addiction has made time drag on endlessly.
The second verse goes into more detail about the character's addiction and the self-destructive behavior that comes with it. He describes himself as a "human trash can," meaning that he will consume anything even if it's harmful to him. Live fast, die tan was his plan, which suggests that he was living recklessly and didn't expect to live very long. He saved all his money for a one-way ticket to Afghanistan, a possible reference to the country's rampant drug trade. The lines "I was ezoobeson drunk / Strung out on junk / Live fast, die punk / I thought I was sunk" continue the theme of reckless living and the belief that the singer would not survive his addiction. The final lines of the verse describe the absurdity of the character's life, characterizing him as a moron bro, a circus sideshow, and a Dog Patch Wino. All of these descriptions suggest that the character is pathetic and hopeless.
Overall, the lyrics to "Six Years On Dope" provide a bleak portrayal of addiction and its impact on someone's life. The imagery throughout the song is vivid and unsettling, making it clear that the singer's addiction has caused extensive damage to himself and his relationships with others. The repetition of "six years on dope" emphasizes the length of time the character has been living in this state and underscores the sense of futility that underlies the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a misanthrope on the end of a rope
I was filled with hate for humanity and felt hopeless and suicidal
I spent twenty years, six years on dope
I wasted twenty years of my life and six of those years were spent addicted to drugs
Taking a piss while giving up hope
I had lost all hope and was aimlessly existing in a state of despair
I lived a lifetime six years on dope
My years of drug addiction felt like a lifetime, consuming me completely
I was a human trash can
I was so addicted to drugs that I felt like a walking garbage can
Shortening my life span
My drug addiction was causing me to die faster
Live fast, die tan
I thought living a fast, drug-filled life was glamorous and would lead to a memorable death
I think that was the plan
I had a deluded and unhealthy view of what a fulfilling life looked like
Saving all my money for a one way ticket to Afghanistan
I was so desperate to escape my problems that I considered running away to a dangerous country
I was ezoobeson drunk
I was dangerously drunk and incoherent
Strung out on junk
I was hopelessly addicted to drugs and couldn't function without them
Live fast, die punk
I had a nihilistic view of life and thought it was punk to die young
I thought I was sunk
I felt like there was no escape from my addiction and problems
From gin swilling and fish tank penicillin
I was desperate enough to drink gin and even use fish antibiotics just to get high
I was a moron bro with impetigo
I was immature and foolish, with a contagious skin infection as a result of my poor hygiene
A pleased as punch Dog Patch Wino
Despite my problems, I tried to maintain an optimistic and happy disposition, even if it was fueled by alcohol
Casual sex and herpes complex
My addiction led me to engage in risky sexual behavior, resulting in contracting a permanent STD
Now I'm on Interferon and Valtrex
I am now taking medication to manage the consequences of my destructive lifestyle
I was a child adult, a walking insult
I was immature, unable to handle adult responsibilities, and acted offensively towards others
Every shot got more difficult
My addiction made every day and every shot I took increasingly harder to endure
I was a teenage trash bin
As a teenager, I was already a receptacle for negative influences and substances
A breathing mannequin
I had no life, emotions, or personality beyond being a vessel for drugs
A caustic cause
I was harmful and toxic to myself and others
Who musta loved suffering
Despite my pain, I was addicted to the misery and pain my addiction caused
Do pinhole eyes romanticize heroin
Do addicts become so lost in their addiction that it becomes romanticized, even though it is harmful and destructive?
I was a moron bro, a circus sideshow
I was stupid and foolish, almost like an entertaining but tragic spectacle
A dying slow Dog Patch Wino
I was slowly wasting away, like an animal in a run-down patch of town, completely consumed by alcohol
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Michael John Burkett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DeadHandX
Its crazy how many people come back to this everyday... this song is masterpiece!!
@Goomer
True
@RobertPodosek
It's so good
@treignsinblood
Love nofx, last couple records were not my favorites BUT this song…🤘
@ericfreda7534
This song is what punk rock is supposed to be. Hard, honest, ball crunching goodness.
@ladyspace6365
NOFX were excellent at this in their hey-dey but they were too much wanting to be a Bad Religion copy (who's very early heavy stuff was also way better than the mainstream crap).
@earthcitizen3939
@@ladyspace6365 BR is at a level of their own lyrically, but it's not bad for NoFX to try to get there. Maybe they don't reach that level, but they're kind of close. They have some word-play which I like, check out the title Philthy Phil Philanthropist for an example.
@gazc7684
Right on!
@mcspraycan
@@ladyspace6365 yeah ok whatever helps you get by
@lamecoporations6859
I love it when Melvin Sings .