‘No Values’: The Black Flag song with no meaning
When it comes to American punk rock bands, there are few more legendary than California’s Black Flag. Pioneers of hardcore, the band gained a reputation for their intense live shows, non-conformist attitude and blistering tracks. While the vast majority of great early punk records espoused specific political messages, such as the political anarchy of Crass or anti-authoritarian lyrics of The Clash, Black Flag openly admitted that one of their early tracks was actually “not about anything”.
Formed in 1976 by Gregg Ginn, Black Flag were pivotal in establishing West Coast punk rock in the USA. Although the band is often remembered for Henry Rollins, the D.C. punk icon did not actually join Black Flag until 1981, and he himself has gone on record as saying those early singles are “all the Black Flag you really need”. While the Rollins era may stand out as their most popular time, it was the early period of the band that established the group as being at the forefront of the punk rock revolution in America.
The group’s debut single, ‘Nervous Breakdown’, laid the foundations for Black Flag’s intense signature sound. Many of their tracks focus on outcasts, mental health and anti-authoritarianism, though the band are also noted for their unique blend of punk anger with humour. This kind of humour is perhaps best exemplified by their 1982 release ‘TV Party’, which remains a fan favourite. In contrast, some of the band’s music is void of any themes whatsoever.
An early release by Black Flag featured the track ‘No Values’ on the B-side, following the questionable and endlessly misinterpreted ‘White Minority’. In contrast to the political activism of many other punk groups at the time, Black Flag attest to the fact that ‘No Values’ is “not about anything”. Songwriter Gregg Ginn once revealed, “It comes from just feeling like what’s in the song, rather than some kind of political thing. It’s an emotional concept of a feeling at a certain time.”
Although Rollins was not a part of the band at the time of the single’s release, he later explained the ethos behind Black Flag’s songwriting, “Our songs are personal. They’re not about issues. They’re about what’s in our heads”. In many ways, the song is a rebellion against the expectations of punk rock.
Even in the early days of the scene, punk had been simplified into a fashion sense and a manufactured sense of being anti-establishment. In the lyrics of ‘No Values’, Black Flag assert that they do not have to conform to the mainstream ideals of punk rock, “I’ve got no values, Nothing to say, I’ve got no values”. The band did not need to have “nothing to say”, because their entire existence was more anti-establishment than most punk groups could dream of.
So, while Black Flag are remembered for the intensity of their anger, performance and energy, it is worth remembering that their songs weren’t always as in-depth as some punk music snobs might make out – some, like ‘No Values’, are about nothing at all.
