The Teen Idles were among the first punk rock groups from the early 1980s hardcore movement to break out of their regional scene to tour and sell nationally. Inspired by other American punk bands like The Cramps, Bad Brains and Black Flag, The Teen Idles' music was an early version of hardcore punk, and an attempt, in the words of MacKaye, "to get away from a really corrupted music". Their appearances, lyrics and musical style sought to revive a punk movement that they believed had lost its original zeal.
The Teen Idles
The Teen Idles Lyrics
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Go to scholl and witness the crimes
Go home and see it on the evening news
Then we got nothing to do
If there were a concert we would go
Usually end up watching the prime time shows
Hours in front of a t.v. set
We're as idle as teens can get
Fuckin' bored to tears
Teen Idles, Teen Idles
Waste of 20 Years
Teen Idles, Teen Idles
Doin' nothing all day
Teen Idles, Teen Idles
Nothing to do anyway
Hanging out at the record shops
Go to a concert the boredom stops
Went to the Bavou they said "no"
You're not 18 you can't see the show
Went to a movie it was o.k.
Don't want to do it everyday
Hours in front of a t.v. set
We're as idle as teens can get
The first verse of The Teen Idles' song "Teen Idles" sets the tone for the entire track. The lyrics describe the monotony of everyday life for teenagers in high school. The singer describes going to school and seeing crimes, then going home and seeing them again on the evening news. The outcome of this cycle is that there is nothing to do. Even at home, hours are spent watching television, desensitizing oneself to the world outside. In contrast to the bleakness of the situation, the chorus comes in with a shout of "Teen Idles" followed by "Fuckin' bored to tears," capturing the angst and restlessness of the teenage years.
The second verse gives a few examples of often futile attempts to escape the boredom of daily life. Hanging out at record shops and going to concerts can offer some respite, but even those activities can be met with obstacles such as age restrictions. The singer doesn't necessarily feel excited about going to a movie either, emphasizing that almost anything will do to take the mind off the mind-numbing routine of life. The chorus repeats multiple times, each one increasingly intense in its delivery, before the song concludes with a final verse identical to the first.
Line by Line Meaning
Life has been the same for a long time
Our lives have been monotonous and unchanging for an extended period.
Go to school and witness the crimes
We go to school and are exposed to the crimes occurring around us.
Go home and see it on the evening news
We return home and see the same crimes we witnessed at school depicted on the news.
Then we got nothing to do
After seeing everything happening around us, we have nothing to occupy our time.
If there were a concert we would go
Attending concerts would be a preferable way to spend our time.
Usually end up watching the prime time shows
However, we often just watch TV instead of attending concerts.
Hours in front of a t.v. set
We spend excessive amounts of time watching TV.
We're as idle as teens can get
We are the epitome of idleness for teenagers.
Teen Idles, Teen Idles
The song is referring to the Teen Idles themselves.
Fuckin' bored to tears
We are incredibly bored to the point of frustration.
Waste of 20 Years
We feel like we are wasting our teenage years with meaningless activities.
Doin' nothing all day
We literally do nothing for hours on end.
Nothing to do anyway
There is never anything to do and we feel stuck with no options.
Hanging out at the record shops
We spend time hanging out and browsing at record shops.
Go to a concert the boredom stops
Attending concerts can provide a temporary relief from our boredom.
Went to the Bavou they said "no"
We attempted to go to a specific venue but were denied entry because we didn't meet the age requirement.
You're not 18 you can't see the show
We were told we couldn't attend the show because we were not yet 18 years old.
Went to a movie it was o.k.
We went to a movie to occupy our time, but it was just okay and not very exciting.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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