SSD (Society System Decontrol) was a straight edge hardcore punk band from … Read Full Bio ↴SSD (Society System Decontrol) was a straight edge hardcore punk band from Boston. They released two records as SS Decontrol and then formally changed their name to SSD. As SSD they released two more records, these with a very heavy metal influenced sound. However the group is often simply referred to, including all its periods, as SSD.

Formed by songwriter/guitarist Al Barile (then a machinist at the General Electric plant in Lynn, Massachusetts and a student at Northeastern University), SSD started performing at smaller venues throughout the greater Boston metropolitan area in the summer of 1981. The band quickly gained notoriety within the local music scene for intense, charged performances and the provocative antics of their core group of followers, the Boston Crew.

The original lineup was Al Barile on guitar, Springa (David Spring) on vocals, Jaime Sciarappa on bass and Chris Foley on drums. They released their debut LP The Kids Will Have Their Say on their own X-Claim label in 1982. Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat was a friend and supporter and his Dischord label's logo appeared on the back cover.

In 1983 they added second guitarist Francois Levesque and released the EP Get It Away. It is widely regarded to be their best record. The X-Claim pressings of it and The Kids Will Have Their Say are both highly collectable.

Like many hardcore bands - particularly those in the Boston area - SSD, as they were now officially called, were heading in a heavy metal direction. In 1984 they signed to the Boston label Modern Method and released the How We Rock EP which was rooted in the hardcore sound but exhibited overt heavy metal characteristics, such as a relatively high number of lengthy guitar solos. After signing to Homestead they released the Break It Up LP in 1985. It had both feet planted in the metal genre, leaving behind all trappings of punk and hardcore.

SSD broke up in 1985.

Jaime Sciarappa went on to play bass with the Boston hardcore band Slapshot for a short time.

After the breakup Springa went on to front the short lived band Razorcaine and the comedy rock projects Die Blitzkinder (with The Slaves) and Springa as Tom Jones. His flamboyant persona and lounge lizard lifestyle during this time stood in marked contrast to the straight edge rhetoric of SS Decontrol. In the early 1990s he would move to Chicago to pursue comedy further with The Second City.

In 1991 Al Barile compiled Power for Taang! Records. It spans SSD's entire career and is the only official release in print today. In the early 1990s he took up the bass guitar and he and Levesque formed the hardcore band Gage.

Chris Foley went on to play drums for Bulkhead, Jennifer Trynin and Star Ghost Dog. Today he plays with Heavy Stud.

In the summer of 2004 Springa was seriously injured in a car accident outside of Boston. A gala benefit featuring Evan Dando and reunions of The Outlets and Jerry's Kids raised money for his medical expenses. SSD did not perform.

Springa has since experienced a full recovery and is working on a rock opera.

~from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ss_decontrol

Teach Me Violence
SS Decontrol Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Discipline, Discipline
Beat it into you
Discipline, Discipline
Beat you black and blue
Have no rights
You're my slave
Don't disrupt
You must behave

Society's prisoner
Forced to attend
Beat up by teachers
No chance to defend
Battered children
Beat your today
Violence teaching violence
Go belt away

Discipline, Discipline
Violence on to you

Overall Meaning

In the song "Teach Me Violence" by SS Decontrol, the lyrics dive deep into the theme of authoritarian control and the perpetuation of violence in society. The repetition of the word "discipline" emphasizes the idea of forced conformity and the brutal methods used to enforce it. The lyrics suggest that this discipline is not just physical, but also psychological, as it is described as being beaten into you until you are "black and blue." This implies that the oppressive systems in place not only physically harm individuals but also leave lasting psychological scars.

The lyrics also touch on the power dynamics between authority figures and those subjected to their control. The line "You're my slave" expresses the complete loss of freedom and autonomy that is experienced by the individuals forced to conform. The song highlights the injustice of this power dynamic, portraying those subjected to it as "Society's prisoner[s]." Additionally, the lyrics mention the violence inflicted by teachers, indicating that even within the educational system, there is a cycle of violence perpetuated against children. This violence becomes normalized and continues to be passed on from one generation to another, as conveyed by the phrase "Violence teaching violence."

Overall, "Teach Me Violence" explores the dark consequences of oppressive systems of control and the harmful cycle of violence they perpetuate.

Line by Line Meaning

Discipline, Discipline
Strict control and obedience are necessary

Beat it into you
Use physical force to ensure compliance

Discipline, Discipline
Control and punishment are essential

Beat you black and blue
Inflict severe physical harm upon you

Have no rights
Deprived of basic human rights

You're my slave
You are completely subservient to me

Don't disrupt
Do not cause any disturbances

You must behave
Conform to my expectations and rules

Society's prisoner
Trapped within the constraints of society

Forced to attend
Compelled to participate unwillingly