By Alizee Compson
Punk’s ideology and belief was mainly rebel from society’s norms. The ideology was anti-authoritarianism, free thought and individualism and anti-establishment.
Britain being the birth place of punk, meant Britain spread across the world these new views going against a traditional conservative government. The traditional conservative government include tradition, hierarchy and authority.
Punk spread these views with their music, DIY life and dress culture. This dress culture alone would show the world that they were a punk and believed in the punk ideology, it was also outrageous, completely against society’s norms. It was an individual form of clothing, against tradition.
The Sex Pistols used the song ‘Anarchy in The UK’ to spread these views around the world. The lyrics as follows:
Anarchy for the UK. Never mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, 1977. Sex Pistols
Anarchy for the UK
It’s coming sometime and maybe
How many ways to get what you want
I use the best, I use the rest
I use the N.M.E
These lyrics express a declaration for change by asking for anarchy in the UK. Johnny rotten, lead singer of a punk band, was calling for a non-recognition of authority or other controlling systems. These lyrics also explain how punk spread its views, the N.M.E, new musical express, a magazine based in London. These tactics were used by other groups around the world when rebelling for a left-wing government.
In the book punk: do it yourself subculture by Ian Morgan, adds the view of Alan O’Connor (2003) who reports in Mexico punk had a big impact on politics. The author believes punk had an impact on Mexican politics. This author examined the relationship between a local anarchist group and the Zapatista movement and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) strike of 1999-2000.
Ian P. Moran. Punk: do it yourself subculture, Volume 10. Issue 1. Article 13 (Western Connecticut State University, 2010) P 58, 59
The author attended a benefit show in 1994 in Mexico City in support of the Zapatista movement and the UNAM strike of 1999-2000. He examined how anarchists’ punks played a part in the protest. Along with that the author examined the lyrics of Mexican punk bands and the political views of anarchy punks published in Mexican fanzines, these were ways in which the author believed these views were spread to people to create these political movements. All of this gave the author his stance on how punk influenced politics.
Britain being the birth place of punk in the 1970s showed how influential this movement had become. Not only did it manage to spread all the way across the world to places like Mexico, but also how it is still relevant in today’s society. The UNAM strikes of 1999-2000 was almost 30 years after the beginning of the movement.
From Local to Global: The History of Music in London Group 1 