2. Punk-101: "Tempo&Fury (A History of Hardcore)"

[Intro: (Single snare drum, clicking sticks. Four counts. Professor voice, dry, close, urgent)],[Spoken-word:] "Last week we learned the power chord. This week, we learn how to play it so fast the chord doesn't even have time to ring out. Page forty-seven in your textbook. Chapter three: Hardcore— *Ready—Set*" [Snare hits once. Silence. Then—] [The Blast: (Full band explodes at 240 BPM. Guitar: single note, palm-muted, machine-gun rhythm. Drums: kick and snare alternating, blast beat style. Bass: locked to guitar, distorted. Vocal: screamed, one syllable per beat)] GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! FAST! FAST! FAST! FAST! FAST! FAST! FAST! FAST! [Verse 1] Nineteen eighty, Washington DC Minor Threat started the recipe Faster than punk, angrier too Straight edge and attitude Black Flag in Hermosa Beach Rollins screaming, reaching each Kid in the crowd who felt the same Anger without a brand name [Pre-Chorus] Speed is the weapon Speed is the shield Speed is the only way to make them feel What we feel every day Now faster— [Chorus] This is hardcore, this is the blast Ninety seconds, make it last This is hardcore, this is the rage Screamed on a single page This is hardcore, this is the fight Twenty songs before the night This is hardcore, no time to mourn Play it fast or not at all, you're warned [Verse 2] Bad Brains in DC, tempo insane Punk rock meeting Jah with no shame Reagan Youth, The Dicks, The Fix Bands born from politics Circle jerks, germs on the scene Germs burned bright, then Darby crashed, seventeen Seven seconds, Youth Brigade Every show a crusade [Pre-Chorus] Speed is the answer Speed is the truth Speed is what you have when you lose your youth To boredom, to violence, to poverty's grip Now faster— [Chorus] This is hardcore, this is the blast Ninety seconds, make it last This is hardcore, this is the rage Screamed on a single page This is hardcore, this is the fight Twenty songs before the night This is hardcore, no time to mourn Play it fast or not at all, you're warned [Bridge / Breakdown: (Music cuts to half-time. Guitar plays single, slow, heavy power chords. Drums: kick on 1 and 3, snare on 4. quieter)],[Vocalist: Sprechgesang:] "But here's the thing about going fast. You can't sustain it. Nobody can. The body gives out. The voice gives out. The crowd gives out. So you learn when to slow down. You learn when to breathe. You learn that the fast only matters because of the slow. And then—" [Mosh Section (Band explodes back at double speed. Guitar: dissonant chords, feedback. Drums: d-beat pattern, crash cymbal every four beats. Vocal: wordless shouting, crowd vocals)] YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! [Guitar solo: six seconds of atonal noise, feedback, dive bombs.] [Verse 3] Eighty-three, eighty-four, the scene splits wide Metal and hardcore collide DRI, COC, Suicidal Faster than fast, suicidal NYC had Agnostic Front Cro-Mags bringing the tough-guy stomp Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits Positive mental, you can't dismiss it [Pre-Chorus] Speed became movement Speed became creed Speed became the only thing you need When you're young and you're angry and you've got nothing to lose Now faster— [Chorus] This is hardcore, this is the blast Ninety seconds, make it last This is hardcore, this is the rage Screamed on a single page This is hardcore, this is the fight Twenty songs before the night This is hardcore, no time to mourn Play it fast or not at all, you're warned [False ending: (Tempo gradually accelerates. Band plays faster and faster, pushing toward collapse. Drums start to fall apart. Guitar feeds back. Vocal becomes unintelligible shouting)] FASTER FASTER FASTER FASTER CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP NEVER ENOUGH FASTER FASTER FASTER FASTER UNTIL WE BREAK UNTIL WE— [Interlude:] [Coda: (Single guitar, clean, plays the opening riff from Track 1—slow, gentle, letting notes ring. Professor voice, exhausted, quiet)],[SPOKEN-WORD:] "Any questions? —No? Good. That's the spirit. Same time next week. —We'll be discussing dynamics."