NOFX: “The Decline” single
Released on November 23, 1999, “The Decline” is the third longest punk song ever recorded. Yes, there are extended intros, outros and solos, but this song actually has a lot to say in its nearly 18 minutes and 30 seconds.
“The Decline” features verses railing against the Christian right, gun violence, blind patriotism without knowing the facts, and the burgeoning over-proscribing of drugs to treat an ever growing list of issues. It also rails against the culture of “we’ve got ours” culture, stating that not looking out for those of us with less is one of the factors leading America down the path we’ve been on now for , oh at least 20 years.
We as a country would rather reward the rich with tax cuts so they can keep all that money they “earned” on the backs of their workforce, using public infrastructure, rather than distributing that money (the taxed portion) to those less fortunate (say, homeless shelters or people without health insurance). We would rather isolate ourselves from the world’s problems (violence in central/south America, civil unrest in Syria or China) than be the world’s preeminent police force. We insinuate that other members of the UN are not putting up their “fair share” of funds to solve problems. We’d rather have cheap gasoline than clean air. I could go on, but in general, it’s easier to ignore a problem than it is to tackle it head on. If a problem is ignored, than there isn’t a problem, right?
NOFX recorded this song live with an orchestra this past summer, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the recording session. This song is perhaps even more prescient than it was in 1999, at the end of the Clinton era. If this had been released in the last couple of years, it would still have been squarely pointed at US policy both foreign and domestic. That makes this song timeless, because these issues aren’t going away any time soon.
I’ma just leave this pic here. He’s got his…meet the decline.
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