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Evolution of Punk: The Underworld Explained

There's more to punk than leather jackets and stone hearts.

By Jord TuryPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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When we think of the word "PUNK", we automatically picture oppressed street folk who think they're well above the law and only have sinister intentions of overthrowing the government. With their many tattoos, piercings, soap and sugar spiked mohawks, and patchwork leather jackets; we often place the cliché into a subcategory of criminally challenged individuals. But, I have to say that what we might initially think of the punk scene has never been more wrong. And, you wouldn't believe this if you encountered one on the street, but somewhere behind that mould is a heart just the same as you. And it beats no different from any other soul on this planet.

When the punk scene rose to light during the 1970s in the US and the UK, kids looked to the punk underworld as an output for their frustration. And, although the scene looked slightly overwhelming to the wandering eye; it was a home for millions of people and a place to scream things that nobody else cared to acknowledge. It was therapy. It was a remedy. And, more than anything else — it was a family.

See, despite the wider picture, there really is more to punk than aggressive music, mosh pits and padlock necklaces. Punk is about having something to say. Like an activist, punk is about knowing where the problem lies, but not wanting to sit around and do nothing about it. It's about coming together to form a movement to reveal the world for what it really is. It's about stepping up as a community and exposing the powers that be and reminding the human species that we, the people of the street, are still very much in control.

A punk might, at times, look slightly different from your normal everyday person, but in reality, there really is no major difference between blood. And, although the era of leather and soap and sugar liberty spikes has dissolved massively since the turning of the Millenium, there is still very much a movement — and it's happening right now.

A modern-day punk might be hard to tell from a first glance — especially if the cliché in your mind doesn't match the person you're looking at. But, without even realising it, that gentle, kind-spirited stranger might just be a small fraction of the punk movement. And again, to banish the cliché, that doesn't mean this stranger spends twilight hours tagging up government property and defacing public statues. In fact, this stranger could retaliate in the simplest form which, in essence, might not make a single difference in the short-run — but a whole wave of opportunity in the long one. A poem. A letter. A small gesture. Or anything that seems relevant to them from the shadows. Anything that delivers the message that so many people keep locked away for their entire lives without so much as cracking.

As I said — punk is about having something to say. If not to those around you, then for yourself. It's about understanding the root of the problem and then dealing with it by any means necessary.

Sure, we hear songs about being angry and wanting to do something drastic in the world, but if you listen carefully to the words being spoken — you'll hear a much deeper meaning. You'll hear warnings of the way the world is evolving around us. You'll hear answers that are do desperate to be heard. And, above all — you'll hear that change is all the punk world is aiming for and nothing more.

Take this track, for example. Now, if you listen carefully, there is a much wider picture that is being painted by a punk that looks or acts nothing like the cliché. But he has something to say, and that's what makes him a great portion of a thriving movement.

There are no leather jackets or aggressive remarks. There are only words of strong meaning and an output for the frustration brewing in the pits of one like-minded soul. And that's what punk is all about; adapting, exposing, and drawing a solution to the problem.

We've seen history repeat itself several times over. We've seen war after war, death after death, and innocent lives being tossed around like expendable ragdolls. And, while so many people discourage this wild propoganda that continues to shovel its way into our minds, there just isn't enough being done to expose the figureheads behind it all. But, with a powerful song from a shifting movement in the underworld on punk; there's a message being cast, and it's calling out everyone who wronged our kind to begin with. And it will continue to shout out so long as people are willing to listen.

Discard the appearance and look a little deeper at the next person you meet. Chances are, they're enrolled within a movement and not even aware of it. But so long as they have freewill and a message; they will always be welcome in the evolution of punk. And, that's the beauty of it; nobody has to meet a criteria to be a punk. You don't have to be angry or even be into the multiple genres that evole around the scene. You just need to have a soul, and an everlasting determination to want change with the world around us.

The point I'm trying to make is: forget what you've heard about the punk world. Forget about the cliché personas as seen on TV, and above all — abandon all media perceptions of the people who only want what is rightfully ours. Without the corruption of thousands, the world could more than likely save millions. But it starts with a movement, and that street kid you might believe to be bad, might just be doing us a favour after all.

Watch the evolution of punk, and you'll discover that it really isn't all about what bands you have sewn to your jacket or how big your hair is. It isn't about having an attitude or taking part in violent protests for the sake of it. It's about having a message, and voicing your opinion. It's about coming together as a community and looking forward by stringing back our future thread by thread. It's about change, and it starts with moving.

Despite what you've heard; punk definitely isn't dead.

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About the Creator

Jord Tury

Just a regular guy living in the West Midlands, UK.

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