There is a genre of punk rock that I like to think of as “fun.” The best example of this was Ramones. But even more fun are The Dead Milkmen. I’ve never been exactly a fan of the band. But I always enjoy listening to them. And let’s face it: we really can’t get enough of that kind of music. Music doesn’t need to be profound or challenging. Sometimes (Most times?) it just needs to be entertaining.
And let’s not forget that punk was fundamentally a reaction against the polished substancelessness of the popular music of that time — most especially disco. The funny thing is that the best disco music was itself fun. I still think “Disco Inferno” is one of the funnest and funniest songs ever recorded — especially when you consider that the phrase “burn baby burn” is a reference to something as serious as the Watts Riots.
Here is a joyous song and The Dead Milkmen’s most famous, “Punk Rock Girl.” The lyrics are very funny. The Beach Boys sing “California Dreaming.” They want to name their daughter Minnie Pearl. And when the record store doesn’t have Mojo Nixon, they think it needs some fixin’. Brilliant stuff.