No Redeeming Social Value, also known as NRSV, is an American hardcore punk… Read Full Bio ↴No Redeeming Social Value, also known as NRSV, is an American hardcore punk band. The band was started in 1988 by the brothers D Thrilla and K9 the sonic Maximizer of the Queens Village neighborhood of New York City. Alcohol, marijuana and parties are major themes in the group's music.

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".

Tear It Down
No Redeeming Social Value Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where do you come off
Telling us that we're wrong
Maybe you should look around
The scene is just as strong
I'm tired of hearing that it's dead
Never meant to last is what they said
We must fight the world
And not each other

It's all about friendship
We got to get it together
Shows are popping up
And one by one more kids come down
Got to give credit to the people who cared
We built it from the fucking ground
Just because we didn't hang out on 7th and A
Doesn't mean we don't have the right to play
Just because we didn't hang out on 7th and A
Doesn't mean we don't have the right to play
There is a minor wall
By which we are bound

So let's bring it back hard
By tearing it down

Overall Meaning

In "Tear It Down," No Redeeming Social Value takes on the criticism and negativity that has been aimed at the punk and hardcore scene. The first stanza is a direct challenge to anyone who thinks that the scene is dead or dying. The band is saying that the scene is alive and well, and that the people within the scene are all working together. They point out that it's not about fighting each other, but about coming together as friends, and building something great.

The second stanza is a celebration of the scene's growth. Shows are popping up everywhere, and more and more kids are coming into the scene. The band credits the people who cared with building the scene from the ground up, and points out that just because they didn't hang out on 7th and A (a reference to the Lower East Side neighborhood that was a hub of punk activity in New York City in the 1970s and '80s), doesn't mean they don't have just as much right to be a part of the scene.

The final line of the song, "So let's bring it back hard by tearing it down," is a call to action. The band is saying that they need to take down the walls that are holding them back, and push themselves harder to keep the scene alive and thriving.

Line by Line Meaning

Where do you come off
What gives you the authority

Telling us that we're wrong
Saying that we are mistaken

Maybe you should look around
Perhaps you should observe your surroundings

The scene is just as strong
The community is still thriving

I'm tired of hearing that it's dead
I am exhausted of hearing that it is no more

Never meant to last is what they said
People believed that it was temporary

We must fight the world
We should challenge the outside forces

And not each other
Rather than fighting amongst ourselves

It's all about friendship
The core is based on camaraderie

We got to get it together
We must unite

Shows are popping up
Concerts are arising