(1) The … Read Full Bio ↴Youth Brigade can refer to two different punk music groups.
(1) The first was a punk music trio formed by brothers Mark Stern, Adam Stern, and Shawn Stern, in Hollywood, California in 1980. The band has broken up and subsequently re-formed a number of times. They have been together again for several years as of 2006, and playing shows throughout California. Youth Brigade have only released a few records, but were influential as the founders of the Better Youth Organization, an independent record label and concert booking firm.
(2) Youth Brigade was also another, unrelated punk band from Washington D.C., who released a 7" EP on Dischord Records in 1981. This band subsequently, during their short life, called themselves DC Youth Brigade. Youth Brigade DC also has 3 tracks featured on the 1982 Dischord compilation Flex Your Head. An unreleased song entitled "I Object" is also featured on the 20 Years of Dischord compliation set. Although only around for a short period of time the DC Youth Brigade played shows with the legendary Minor Threat. Their style is also now considered a classic example of American hardcore punk.
Where Are All the Old Man Bars
Youth Brigade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had another and it made me think
It seems to me, that there used to be
A lot more friendly little bars in this town
A place where they knew you, and you knew them
Where drinks were cheap and men were men
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here
We love you but you have to go,
So what I want to know is where are all the old man bars?
And every night, there'd be a fight
And then we'd drink until we couldn't talk
But talk is cheap and so am I,
I'm happy when the shots all cost a buck
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here
Its 2am and you're drunk full of beer
We love you but you have to go,
So what I want to know is where are all the old man bars?
Ah the breakfast of champs, the hair of the dog
The slap of the chimp, the splash of the log
Now the bars are all so cool
Full of yuppies with tattoos and pierced tools
A round of drinks will leave ya broke
You even have to go outside to have a smoke
The pool tables a planter, the jukebox sucks
There ain't no pinball, the door guy's a jock
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here
Its 2am and you're drunk full of beer
We love you but you have to go,
So what I want to know is where are all the old man bars?
The song "Where Are All the Old Man Bars" by Youth Brigade laments the disappearance of traditional, cosy bars in favour of trendy, expensive establishments that cater to a younger, hipster crowd. The lyrics evoke a nostalgic longing for a simpler time when bars were friendlier, and drinks were cheaper. In the early verses, the singer talks about waking up and drinking, which leads him to ponder about the state of bars in his town. He remembers the old days when there was a lot of "friendly little bars" where people knew each other, and drinks were affordable. The singer then talks about how, in those bygone days, fights were common, but it was all in good fun.
As the song progresses, the singer contrasts the old bars with the new trendy ones that have replaced them. He describes how the contemporary bars are expensive, have no pinball machine, and lack a good jukebox. He states how the pool tables have become planters, and the door guy is a jock. The singer is bemoaning the fact that modern bars don't have the warmth and familiarity of older bars. The chorus, "Where are all the old man bars," expresses the singer's sadness and confusion over the loss of the traditional bars.
In summary, the song Where Are All the Old Man Bars is a lament for the loss of traditional bars and the emergence of trendy, soulless establishments. The lyrics express a longing for the friendliness and affordability of older bars, which the singer misses in the new bars.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up and had a drink
I started my day with a drink and it got me thinking
Had another and it made me think
After drinking some more, I thought more deeply about something
It seems to me, that there used to be
It appears to me that there was something that existed before
A lot more friendly little bars in this town
There used to be more small bars in this town that had a welcoming atmosphere
A place where they knew you, and you knew them
These bars were places where the regulars knew each other and the staff knew them too
Where drinks were cheap and men were men
In these bars, the drinks were inexpensive and the patrons were not afraid of being themselves
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here
It's time to close and go home, but you can't stay in the bar anymore
Its 2am and you're drunk full of beer
It's late at night and you're drunk from drinking too much beer
We love you but you have to go,
The staff cares about your safety, but they need to close the bar
So what I want to know is where are all the old man bars?
I'm wondering where all the old-fashioned bars that I used to know have gone
And every night, there'd be a fight
There was always some kind of altercation at the old man bars
And then we'd drink until we couldn't talk
We would keep drinking until we were too drunk to speak to each other
But talk is cheap and so am I,
Conversation is not valuable and neither am I, especially when I'm intoxicated
I'm happy when the shots all cost a buck
I enjoy when shots are cheap, costing only one dollar
Ah the breakfast of champs, the hair of the dog
Drinking in the morning to ease your hangover from the night before
The slap of the chimp, the splash of the log
These phrases might not hold any specific meaning, but they might refer to actions or events during a night out
Now the bars are all so cool
Modern bars are trendy and fashionable
Full of yuppies with tattoos and pierced tools
These trendy bars now attract yuppies with tattoos and a pretentious attitude
A round of drinks will leave ya broke
Drinks now cost more, and you'll need to spend a lot of money for a single round
You even have to go outside to have a smoke
Smoking is not allowed inside these bars and you have to leave the premises to smoke
The pool tables a planter, the jukebox sucks
The pool table is being used as a decoration instead of being used to play pool, and the jukebox is terrible
There ain't no pinball, the door guy's a jock
There are no pinball machines, and the person who controls who comes into the bar is a jock
Contributed by Lillian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.