The group was formed primarily to play a battle of the bands at the local Queens Village church Our Lady of Lourdes in 1988. Most songs were jokes and paid tribute to the legendary local bands Norman Bates and the Showerheads and Six and Violence. After a surprising turnout and mass appeal they decided to continue to play locally and record demo tapes and 7-inch records. At this point they acquired drummer Vinnie Value, second vocalist Mike Dixon and bassist Scott Cumbo to replace the members who left the original line-up. No Redeeming Social Value had a run on the local Queens Heavy Metal circuit in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Eventually, with the help of the Lower East Side band Warzone and local punk DJ Johnny Stiff, they began to play many hardcore punk matinee shows in Manhattan. The band's first LP release "Rocks the Party" on SFT Records led to opportunities for national and international tours. No Redeeming Social Value currently plays shows sporadically throughout the year.
The band is featured in the hardcore punk documentary "N.Y.H.C."
The band's song "Clueless" is used in the video game "Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood".
Microwave
No Redeeming Social Value Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One hundred thousand will be saved
Should i crawl into the hole
The world would be my microwave
Billions spent on star wars
It won't stop the pain
Cloud is moving our way
I feel i've fought in vain
THE WORLD IS MY MICROWAVE
Sometimes dead is better
Sometimes more than not
What gives them the right to live
While i sit here and rot
Time of doom is near
Now i live in fear
As i cower in my hole
I smell my burning soul (sole)
Never thought it'd come to this
Never thought it'd cry
Sitting here in my hell hole
Sit and wait to die
The lyrics of No Redeeming Social Value's song "Microwave" express a sense of hopelessness and despair in the face of impending destruction caused by a bomb. The singer ponders whether to hide in a hole and avoid the immediate devastation, but acknowledges that the world would still be like a microwave, with no escape from the radiation and fallout. The reference to "star wars" suggests a critique of the government's military spending priorities, as well as a recognition that even advanced weapons technology cannot ultimately protect against ultimate destruction. The line "sometimes dead is better" highlights the futility of trying to survive in a world that has become a living hell, especially if it means enduring the pain and suffering of radiation sickness. The lyrics also express a sense of anger and injustice at the idea that some people might survive while others do not, as well as a fear of the unknown and the inevitable end of life.
One interesting fact about "Microwave" is that it was released on No Redeeming Social Value's 1995 album "Still Drinking." The band, which emerged from the New York Hardcore scene in the 1980s, is known for its humorous and irreverent lyrics, and often skewers the conventions of the genre. Another interesting fact is that the song's title could be interpreted as a reference to the use of microwaves as a non-lethal weapon for crowd control or the disabling of electronics. However, the lyrics suggest a more literal interpretation, as the singer imagines the whole world as a microwave oven. The song's heavy, aggressive music, with its churning guitars and pounding drums, underscores the lyrics' sense of urgency, despair, and anger.
Line by Line Meaning
When they drop the bomb on me
If a bomb was dropped on me
One hundred thousand will be saved
Many lives will be saved if my single life is lost
Should i crawl into the hole
If I try to hide
The world would be my microwave
The world would become like a microwave that would destroy me
Billions spent on star wars
A large amount of money is spent on war
It won't stop the pain
However, it will not relieve any pain
Cloud is moving our way
A visible mass of condensed water is approaching us
I feel i've fought in vain
I get the feeling that my fight was nothing but worthless
MICROWAVE, MICROWAVE
The world is like a microwave
THE WORLD IS MY MICROWAVE
The world is a disaster that will cause a lot of damage to me
Sometimes dead is better
Death is preferable over living in a miserable condition
Sometimes more than not
This is true more often than not
What gives them the right to live
Why do they have the right to survive
While i sit here and rot
While I languish in misery
Time of doom is near
The end of the world is approaching fast
Now i live in fear
I am now terrified
As i cower in my hole
Hiding from harm
I smell my burning soul (sole)
I can smell my own soul burning
Never thought it'd come to this
I never thought that things would turn out this way
Never thought it'd cry
I never thought I would be so upset
Sitting here in my hell hole
I am sitting in a miserable situation
Sit and wait to die
I am just waiting for my death
Contributed by Carter C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.