Completely out of tune, Eight men strong and broken down not far from your … Read Full Bio ↴Completely out of tune, Eight men strong and broken down not far from your hometown, they call themselves The Kings of Nuthin. In the summer of 1999 "The Boston Blackouts" officially adopted their new name "The Kings of Nuthin" and began playing outside of Massachusetts. Their history is as ludicrous as it gets, 8 punks trying to re-create an authentic rock and roll sound, failing to do so, and inventing a very unique new sound.

The Kids Will Have No Say
The Kings of Nuthin' Lyrics

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The youth are getting restless 'cos they got no place to pace*
They're sitting in their shopping malls and staring off into space
They drive their parents Subarus, looking for stupid stuff to do
Lost in a wasteland, with lots of time to waste

The kids will have no say, we've got no place to play
They're gonna have to pay for the things we've done
The kids will have no say, they're gonna have to wait

Until the day that they turn 21

Remember all the fun we had, those good times being bad
Going to shows when we were growing up
Well who jumped off that balcony, and who threw their bottle at me?
Who's out back by the dumpster throwing up?

The kids will have no say, we've got no place to play
They're gonna have to pay for the things we've done
The kids will have no say, they're gonna have to wait
Until the day that they turn 21

So I said the hell with all the stupid kids, and all the stupid stuff they did
Until I realize it was us
Now what's this city coming to when every church and VFW
Has hosted shows, now their doors are shut

The kids will have no say, we've got no place to play
They're gonna have to pay for the things we've done

The kids will have no say, they're gonna have to wait
Until the day that they turn 21

Overall Meaning

The Kings of Nuthin's song "The Kids Will Have No Say" is a commentary on the lack of opportunities for young people in society and how the mistakes made by previous generations have consequences for the current youth. The opening lines describe a sense of restlessness and ennui among the young, who are trapped in shopping malls with nothing to do. The lyrics suggest that young people are searching for some kind of escape from their boredom, but they are stuck in a "wasteland" with no options.

The chorus asserts that the youth have no say in society, and must pay for the actions of previous generations. The song points to the hypocrisy of adults who criticize young people for their behavior, when they themselves engaged in similarly reckless behavior in their own youth. The lyrics also lament the closure of community spaces like VFW halls and churches, which used to be venues for live music and socializing.

Overall, "The Kids Will Have No Say" is a critique of a society that has failed to provide meaningful outlets for young people, and instead places blame on them for problems that they did not create.

Line by Line Meaning

The youth are getting restless 'cos they got no place to pace*
The young are bored and agitated because they have nowhere to go and nothing to do.

They're sitting in their shopping malls and staring off into space
They are aimlessly hanging out in malls with nothing to occupy their time.

They drive their parents Subarus, looking for stupid stuff to do
They use their parents' cars to drive around aimlessly and engage in reckless behavior.

Lost in a wasteland, with lots of time to waste
They are stuck in a desolate area with nothing to do, so they waste their time on unproductive activities.

The kids will have no say, we've got no place to play
The youth are not being listened to, and there are no safe spaces for them to have fun.

They're gonna have to pay for the things we've done
The younger generation will endure the consequences of the recklessness of the previous generation.

Until the day that they turn 21
They have to wait until they are old enough to make decisions for themselves.

Remember all the fun we had, those good times being bad
The singer reminisces about the exciting but mischievous things they did during their youth.

Going to shows when we were growing up
The singer recalls attending concerts during their adolescent years.

Well who jumped off that balcony, and who threw their bottle at me?
The singer remembers specific incidents that occurred during their past and who was involved.

Who's out back by the dumpster throwing up?
The singer recalls partying with their peers and seeing someone vomiting outside.

So I said the hell with all the stupid kids, and all the stupid stuff they did
The singer expresses frustration towards the younger generation and their actions.

Until I realize it was us
But then the singer recognizes that they were once young and reckless themselves.

Now what's this city coming to when every church and VFW has hosted shows, now their doors are shut
The singer comments on the lack of venues for young people to gather and enjoy music as even churches and veterans organizations have stopped holding shows.

Contributed by Alex Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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