NOFX - The Decline (Reaction by Request!)

[@KnightscastStudios]

This one has grown on me A LOT. I'd say my current rating is now 8.2/10, especially if we're talking the live version from Redrocks. I've had that on repeat as of late! 🤘-Joel

[@victorythroughentropy7305]

As a long-time lover of this song, and a native of Denver, I'm gonna need to find that Red Rocks version IMMEDIATELY

[@joseanything]

"We are worker (bees), we love our queen (bee)" They're talking about hivemind mentality found in the working class. "We're soylent green" is a reference to a film (Soylent Green) where a corporation with a monopoly on food production introduces their newest product: soylent green -- which turns out to be made from human flesh. So it's also a commentary on this culture of corporate cannibalization.

[@ashlealabine6937]

This song is deep. It took me 20 some years to fully get the whole message. I wish I was currently in a more eloquent type of mindframe, because it is going to be hard to verbalize the complexities in this song. Recently I've come to the conclusion that it is my all-time favorite song. There really isn't a better song out there. I'm only 11 mins in to the reaction, but one thing I can tell that you missed already, was the "dime in California" part. It's referring to the contrast in marijuana criminality in California versus Michigan. In Michigan, he receives a 20 year prison sentence, whereas in California, he would have received a $20 fine. "Jerry only stayed a couple months," i.e., he killed himself by asphyxiation, because, "it beats 17 long years of being someone's bitc*." The whole song is pointing out various ways we are in "The Decline," and begs us to wake up and fight back. It's a masterpiece, and I wish it was more recognized. However, I kind of enjoy the obscurity of punk rock. It's like being in a special club, that few have the password for. It's like speaking another language that only few can decipher. *side note- Marijuana is now legal in Michigan. Shows how far we've come in the 20 years or so since this song was released. Jerry wouldn't have had to stay at all! Thank God for progress! Wish we could get some more of that!

[@ashlealabine6937]

@The Great Pumpkin thank you for saying so. Very kind of you. Interesting little factoid there as well. I've been wanting to get into Tool, but haven't heard anything that really catches my ear so far. I think I need to delve into the lyrics a bit more.

[@ashlealabine6937]

@The Great Pumpkin I've heard of all of these, but never have taken the time to listen to them. I'll check them out!

[@jonk6008]

9 months later... thank you for clearing this up for me. I certainly stumbled on these lyrics and had a general idea of the intention, but your clarification makes this song so much better for me...years later. Thank you

[@flynn687]

Thank you for shining light on that part of the song, never understood it not being from the usa.

[@thousandblood]

I saw them live on Warped in Dallas,TX. They were the closer and Rise Against went on before them. It's started to rain toward the end of Rise Against set. NOFX came on play half way through the set and the rain started to coming down on us hard. After the rain die down, the show continues. The sound guys announced to Fat Mike that they're only have enough time for five more songs. NOFX started to play the Decline and after the song, Fat Mike told the crowds that was one song. The sound guy wasn't amused lol.

[@KnightscastStudios]

Hahaha I love it. 🤣 -Joel

[@neilharvey3799]

Jerry’s story: Jerry lived in Detroit. Got caught with a dime bag of weed. Sentenced to 20 years in prison. After being raped in prison he chose to take his own life rather than being “someone’s bitch” for the next 20 years. Great song, great band. And they work on whatever level you want them to. If you want to be childish, they got you covered. If you want to debate the problems with the world, they can do that too!

[@thirdeyevision11]

Yee a dime is worth a lot more time in Detroit. A dime in California's a $20 fine... When someone asks the impossible question of What's your favorite song of all time, if I have to answer, there's no other answer. The Decline covers pretty much covers it.

[@wasskay13]

I'm glad you guys checked this one out. You should check out the live version they just released with an orchestra when you have an extra 20 minutes. LOL. NOFX and Bad Religion are old friends and have been touring together for years. Keep it up boys!!

[@agangemi85]

Holy shit you guys actually did it! I beg every reaction channel, not you guys since I only just discovered you guys a few days ago, to do this and I feel most get turned off by the 18 minutes. Might just be one of the best songs ever recorded across all genres.

[@ashlealabine6937]

Don't doubt the complexity of this song. Every single line is soaked in meaning. It takes years to get every detail, reference, nuance, and see the overall picture. It's really magnificent. 👌Thank you so much for this reaction.

[@louisrepucci8407]

the epitaph of a nation, and the most important punk song ever written. NOFX.

[@leanne5599]

Pure poetry! I adore Nofx 🖤

[@EBear-nt2li]

Great reaction video, guys! Especially for such a long and crazy song. I remember buying this on CD when it came out and it didn't leave my CD player for a while.

[@BrandonKClark86]

Im sure someone already pointed this out but the Michigan California dime reference was a dime bag of weed. At the time the song was written pot was still illegal in both states but it was basically a slap on the wrist in cali and you could go to state prison in michigan (and most other states) which is why the laws at the time were so hypocritical

[@icommentoncomics6404]

When I saw NoFx in concert Fat Mike opened with "The first 20 minutes of this show is fucking great, the rest will probably suck" then started straight into The Decline. It was indeed "Fucking Great". Love the reaction guys! Soylent Green is a reference to the movie of the same name from thr 70's. Post Apocalyptic future with starving masses. Soylent Corp provides the rations for the population "Soylent Red" and "Soylent Yellow", but their NEW product "Soylent Green" has "Oceanic Plankton" that makes it a more nutritious option. *SPOILER ALERT* it wasn't Plankton.

[@KnightscastStudios]

Ahhh, I appreciate you explaining the soylent green reference! 🤘😁 -Joel

[@Silkysime]

Amazing video guys! Cannot belive you dont have thousands and thousands more subscribers. Love NoFx and The Decline is a masterpiece. Was lucky to hear it live in Melbourne, Australia years ago. Should check out the lyrics in Nofx's 'Fuck Euphemism', pretty damn clever. Great work guys!

[@L40_Productions]

I know this is an old video, it came up in my recommended so I figured I’d give it a watch. On the podcast Chris Demakes A Podcast, just recently he sat down with fat mike and they go through this song and Mike explains the hidden stories within it and what it all means. I don’t know if you guys are still interested in this song but on the off chance you are and what to know more, it’s so worth the listen

[@ashlealabine6937]

Some good songs of theirs to hit up next would be "The Idiots are Taking Over," "Best God in Show," "Blasphemy," and "My Orphan Year." Great reaction as usual guys! 🔥

[@KnightscastStudios]

We have a few of those in our request list, but i made sure to add the others as well! :) -Joel

[@NipplesOfDestiny]

Also Nowhere

[@MSG685]

We are similar my friend.

[@tapashe9239]

I have 2 legs and 2 arms, if anyone wants I will gladly trade any to see them perform this live again.

[@tapashe9239]

The dime reference is about the punishment you would get for getting caught with a dime of weed(basically 2 blunts worth) in different states.

[@martinbelisle1]

I just discovered your channel! It's so cool to see you discover the music that rocked my adolescence haha! Try the group Less Than Jake with the song All my best friend are metalhead!

[@KnightscastStudios]

Thanks for checking us out! Its been a fun adventure thus far. 😁 And we're doing the entire Hello Rockview album here soon thanks to the voting of our Patreons 😁 -Joel

[@martinbelisle1]

@@KnightscastStudios Bro! Glad to hear that!

[@zachontherun1043]

These videos just keep getting better!

[@GoSatta]

rhapsody of punk, one of there best songs of all time!

[@omitimo77]

Fun Fact: The Jerry part starts at 420

[@MrSquare]

It's a 'state of the union address' of how they felt the state of the US was in the late 90s (and tbh, hasn't got much better). It's not just about one specific thing

[@dereekee]

The thing that really sucks is that most of it is still topical almost 30 years later.

[@thesoundofviolencepodcast]

Soylent Green is PEEEEEOOOOOPLLLEEEEEEE!. Gas review. One of my all time favorite songs to play

[@kcjackson4469]

Spoiler alert!!!

[@slashismyhommie8182]

I would say you guys might enjoy some of the band Ignite's lyrics. I would say A Place Called Home and Our Darkest Days. Or you could just go into Bad Religion. Those lyrics you might have to take some college level courses to truly understand Greg Graffins lyrics, cause he at one point was a college professor in philosophy I wanna say, he might still be. I was super jealous when I was in college at one school and there was a more major school a friend of mine was attending who actually crashed his class one time and was super engaged asking questions and he asked if he was in the class and his response was "no, I just recognized you and had a free period so decided to crash the lecture."

[@ltj340]

It is fun to play at a bar and watch people’s reactions and see some just leave. 😂

[@dereekee]

I know this is a couple years old, but "We are worker" and "We love our Queen" are references to being mindless worker drones like in an ant or bee colony.

[@billbill3915]

Didn't see anyone mention it, but the carcass of William, is a reference to the Bill of Rights, I believe.

[@gnarxy]

he talkin about in a "dime" bag of weed. Where in detroit (mostly innercity poor/black people) you get felonies and thrown in prison for a little bit of weed. In contrast, in Cali the same dime bag gets you a 20 dollar fine. The lyrics then continue about prison

[@aarondelmonte7703]

His musical home street home is classick

[@SeanDSarcasm]

what you have to take in to context is this album was released in 1999.......Also the price for the dime bag in Detroit and California was the price you pay for getting caught......

[@rejjibeals5841]

Great song

[@johnjay5908]

This song... 15 years later seratonin still hasn’t come back to Wisconsin

[@johnjay5908]

I’ve listened to this song a hundred times a 6 pack. I bet these guys are hooked

[@standardissues7196]

Still waiting for some strung out reactions 😁

[@standardissues7196]

This album is awesome, when it came out we used to time trips based on how many Declines it took to get somewhere. Unfortunately punk rock has gone from being anti government to pro government. Fat mike writes good songs.

[@AG-lm5uf]

Can you recommend a pro-government punk song or band?

[@standardissues7196]

Rise against, anti flag nofx. They are all left leaning political when not parties are the problem in my opinion. Strike anywhere, propagondi, strung out. Have all managed to make open minded political songs without blatantly pining people against each other. Writing a liberal song is not vey difficult and going for low hanging fruit. Oppression, indigenous, lgbt. Yeah we get it . Angry young and poor, 911 for peace great songs. Lately the bands I mentioned are writing the punk rock that was once thought provoking. It’s just political talking points and not what it used to be. I’m not proofreading so if I sound like a jack ass so be it. I say this is love and respect. Late

[@thomaskoppel1690]

@@standardissues7196 feel with you as a part of that scene! But the political punk rocj 3rd wave was ended ba tony hawk games and bands like blink 182, offspring, green day who made an movvement into a cool thing!0

[@thomaskoppel1690]

@@standardissues7196 but all this bands are left wing....will stay left wing and hopefully fight till their end for it!

[@defeatstatistics7413]

@@standardissues7196 bruh propagandhi and strike anywhere are literal anarchists, they're about as far left as you can get. it's worth remembering that anti-flag released albums under clinton and obama that were just as vicious against them. a new kind of army came out under bill clinton in 1999 and had songs about abortion rights and police racism, the people or the gun came out in 2009 under obama and had songs about employment rights and how the recession hit the poorest the hardest while billionaires came out with even more hoarded wealth than before. rise against are pretty establishment but they're way more hardcore on environmental issues than any liberals i've seen.

[@gogues8836]

I love your videos! If you’re looking for another great NOFX song would be seeing double at the triple rock

[@sniffglue666]

how can I get you guys to react to clear channel luck off by leftover crack

[@sniffglue666]

do I need to give you money haha I dont care just tell me how

[@KnightscastStudios]

Haha just depends on your preference. The first week of January, requests will open back up for a bit. However there is a long line of requests, so might take a while--we will get to it though. The other option for skipping the line is our Patreon, and we should have any picks done through that done by the end of the month you join. And here is the link for that if you're curious. www.patreon.com/2boisonebraincell Either way, thanks for hanging out with us! 🤘🙃 -Joel

[@romerjason]

Watch this Live at Red Rocks…..

[@Gimpyjoe]

At around 9:24 and yall are missing the lyrics. The references to a 'dime' are about drug laws. A dime bag. A small amount in Michigan / Detroit will get you a 20 year sentence and a suicide, but just a $20 fee in california. edit: and this was before pot was legal anywhere in the usa

[@KnightscastStudios]

We missed sooooo much on the initial listen, it's crazy 😅 -Joel

[@rabbyte3824]

Soylent Green is PEOPLE!

[@cbandtheradio5610]

AAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

[@ronjames4151]

I saw them once and a guy had his daughter with him and she had a nofx shirt on and fat mike mentioned he had a daughter about that age and she is not allowed to listen to his music and you shouldn't bring kids that young to a NOFX show. You could tell he was visibly upset with this so at first he just said dont bring kids to our shows. Then the fun really began because after every song he would say things like " hey sweetie you know what a chili dog is? Its when you poo on your wifes chest which is the chili and insert the hotdog in the buns except he did not use the clean version like i just did. Another song he stops"hey sweetie you know what fooching or whatever he said is and that was after a gay man has his... release into his mate he gets a straw and removes his fluids from him with the straw. Again i gave the clean version or atleast as close as i could.

[@seanliley5742]

Soylent green is a movie.

[@ronjames4151]

I dont know how the dime thing went over yoyr heads guys. Lol

[@BCharr0n]

Nofx Generation Z please, awsome lyrics

[@KnightscastStudios]

We've got this one in our request list! So hopefully soon. 🤘-Joel

[@skelley3278]

Chuck gets the cell for “bounce aroundy”

[@KnightscastStudios]

Yes! Thank you for the brain cell. -Chuck

[@misterno-ice-guy8082]

spoilers... But Soylent green is people! IT'S PEOPLE!!!!!

[@thomaskoppel1690]

Just get the lyrics under a roof connect then from biginning to end and . There you are Best lyrics everwritten bout american society and it's inner conflicts

[@joehurtig7950]

Soylent Green is an old dystopian movie…go watch it.

[@AA-jk9dg]

Great reaction! Can you react band called Snuff? Album: Demmamussabebonk, song: B Or Album: Tweet Tweet My Lovely, song: lyef Taidu Leikh Thanks and Greetings from Finland

[@skelley3278]

Turning the pages of Fat Wreck

[@skelley3278]

The fastest I’ve ever seen anyone react to the decline when requested. Most shy away, these boys, brain cells notwithstanding have done so in short order and deserve their due respect. Like the video and comment NOFX fuckers worldwide!

[@johnjay5908]

We love our queen is reference to still being under British rule because of globalism

[@DZ-cf6sj]

1 brain cell for sure.

[@johnjay5908]

You paused it during or right before the good parts sooo just saying drink 4 beer and give it another go

[@johnjay5908]

Why at 1340 ish would you stop during hefes solo.... I feel like you’re more focused on your video cast than the song which will lead to your decline. Free advice no hate

[@Schaw1337]

you guys know that NoFX are extreme liberal?

[@ronjames4151]

Well they are extremely common sense. Been a fan for years and this song alone should tell you they also hate the left. When you are punk you don't pick sides censorship is censorship period. Prohibition laws, lack of gun laws just common sense things that people won't accept because well, the story books been read and every liberal believed.

[@Liquidsmoke206]

you seem like cool dudes, but you're terrible reviewers.... honestly, there's so much to say about this song.....wtf? do you not understand that a "dime" is a dimebag? and he's commenting on sentencing disparity withing the country and how thats driven by insane localized culture or corruption?

[@KnightscastStudios]

Haha yeah, i think we've gotten a little better since this. We missed a shit ton in these lyrics. But that why we called our show 2 bois, one brain cell 😅🍻

[@Liquidsmoke206]

A person's intelligence is formed by the time adolescence is over. Hate to break it to you, but you don't really get much better at thinking after that. So, I dunno what 40 years has to do with anything... @@AgentBeans

[@thomaskoppel1690]

Even foreign native people unterstand it. Even me! Why do often foreign speaking peoples have to explain your own ?songs?

[@afo-allforonefencing722]

This one is like several songs in one. A giant run on sentence. Ehhhh….