This is the line that makes the song. It is essentially a gateway to recognition of societal structures and the fact that there is so much anxiety and depression in a society built around these structures calls the whole thing into question. The aggression and that message made this song f$&@ing rock my 13 yo self when it rereleased on Still Cyco After All These Years…. A lot of the critique still applies today.
I had the distinct pleasure of playing this very loudly in the dayroom at a treatment center for teens in the very late 80's. Every single one of us knew it by heart. It was a moment I won't forget.
The song still reaches it goal, after 40 years. Old people just don´t get it and think Punk is terrible and to be hated. Congratulations to ST for this undying masterpiece.
Yes its weird they dont get it! Now im a white Danish metal head, my steep mom was a "nice girl" so my love of metal and punk was a problem as a Anarchist it makes i worse
haha you guys took the old person approach to this song. It's just about the problems that come with being a teenager and how parents can think you are using drugs or going insane. It's frantic, punky and thrashy and just a hectic and fun song. This was my jam when I was a rebellious teenager who felt misunderstood by my family.
It made me laugh. They both said that the kid sounds like he is being unheard, and they would want to sit him down and talk about it. The whole first verse is about how HE DOESNT WANT TO DO THAT SPECIFICALLY. The song is basically about an introvert who is being forced to be "social" in a way that makes him frustrated and unhappy. Back then, those types of people were "weirdos" and often seen as potential psychopaths. Columbine changed how public opinion viewed lonely kids, increasing understanding of introverts, and how forced socialization affects them.
Me getting called to the principal's office in the 80s "I went to your schools, I went to your churches, your institutional learning facilities" My guidance counselor "Hey kid you might have a future in teaching" I have been teaching Spec.Ed. Since '91.
Even though teen angst is pretty universal, this song specifically was coming from the Reagan era generation. Nancy Reagan had every mother paranoid that her kid was on drugs.
I just took my daughter to see Suicidal Tendencies this past December. It was a GREAT show!!! He invited a bunch of kids (including my daughters) on stage during this song and she got a hug from Mike Mike while he was singing and he gave her his wristband, which she has hardly taken off since that night. Solid core memory for her!
Guys…. Back in the day if you were anything but a normie people thought you were crazy. My own mom asked me if I needed professional help when I went down the skater punk path back then. This is all just teenage frustration. They thought we were crazy. We thought they were crazy. Times were different. This was and is still a skater punk anthem. It does hit different to listen to now if you didn’t go through this at that time. But for me, forever a classic.
We skated ditches, ramps, street skated at the local bank jammin this band on our ghetto blaster radio back in the 80’s lol dead kennedys, Sex Pistols, misfits, suicidal tendencies, NOFX, etc.
"They thought we were crazy. We thought they were crazy. Times were different... It does hit different to listen to now if you didn’t go through this at that time. But for me, forever a classic." It's hard to comprehend just how different things/people/normal was back then compared to today. And just as hard to comprehend how or what it would like be to be a young person growing up today. How would they relate to that song through their experiences? i wonder...
Preach, brother (or whatever). I'm actually shocked how much Ryan and George didn't get this one. Maybe this song is from a different time that "kids" today just don't get.
@rtdude1 I was born 3 years after this song, didn't hear it until I was an adult, but I still relate to it. This is a song I could've guessed they wouldn't like ahead of time though.
I bought this album in 1983 when I graduated high school and I was and still am a skateboarder. We punk rock skaters could relate. You guys don't like punk so you can't relate to the sound or fast beat. This is not green day or blink 182. Go to Venice beach and you will see they are well loved.
Never got into Suicidal Tendencies but this song was an instant classic. The ironic meta part is that as a song it actually is sort of insane (talking verses (about Pepsi!), ranting shouting chorus, wild tempo changes) which adds some humor (and dare I say fun?) to the serious teenage angst. Anyway, this reaction was hilarious. Thanks.
This song saved me. It was my first communication about mental health. You do not understand how hearing Mike yelling "I'm not crazy" made a difference made such a difference in my life. I was from the most broken home with step parents making me out to be the devil. This song helped me not commit suicide.
Nothing like this existed back in 1983. This was not only groundbreaking but it spoke to all of us on a very personal level, and still does. Life was very different in the 80's than it is now and this was just what we needed back then.
This song is simply about misunderstood youth and the disconnects between parents and teenagers....and it's an absolute classic that spoke loudly to a generation.
@@HammSilvyou say that like there aren’t people from your generation who had troubles with parents and hated these type of songs lol this is just very out there and you must have had a pretty messed up childhood to truly like this…
@@TheOnlyKontrol No, you don't have a Gen X sense of humor, or understand Hardcore music.. You had better not listen to I Saw Your Mommy and Your Mommy's dead. YOU might need therapy. We just laughed.
I got into Suicidal Tendencies when I was in high school suffering from a 7 month deep depression, and still was a fan when I was actually institutionalized. I don't think this group gets enough credit for what they mean to people who went through what I went through. They took away the segma of having a mental health issue.
It's punky which you guys never seem to like. The ranting vocals aren't the norm for Suicidal, but is really important to delivering this song's message I think. And that message really rings true with us kids that lived through this time when parents were always looking at "different" behavior from us as a sign that we were high or were mentally unstable, but the only thing wrong with us was that we were growing up and trying to figure out how we were going to fit into the adult world. This song helped me to understand that I wasn't alone.
Yep. This song spoke to us disenfranchised youth. We didn't have social media to relate to people in online communities. We were stuck with the people around us. Everyone in my neighborhood dealt with violence outside the home. Some of us (thankfully not me) also dealt with violence in the home. Those people were dealing with it 24/7 nearly. This song spoke to people who needed to hear it. I normally don't do it, but in this instance with these guys, I would have recommended the re-recorded version from the 90s because the recording quality is better and it is easier on the ears.
These unbiased reactions are so good, you went from visibly not getting it and knowing if you weren’t doing a reaction to it*, you wouldn’t even give it a chance but for you to understand it from a unbiased pov is great to see, i * personally love the way it sounds but it’s definitely more of a well known “meme” song if that’s even the right word, that Pepsi part is a classic!
I am currently 66 years old and love this song as much as the first time I heard it. You guys read way too much into this - all he wanted was a Pepsi! The amazing video with Jack Nance and the awesome Mary Woronov accentuated the SATIRE of the track.
How crazy. I couldve written this song from real life experience in 1983 when I turned 14. I wish I would have heard it then. Crazy that I didn't living in California and being a metalhead at the time. Today is the first time I paid attention to the lyrics. You guys probably should have watched the official video. It really brings the words to life. Your take on it reminds me of the people who made me feel like him back then. Also, this particular song seems to be one which should be played through without stopping it to catch the actual vibe that is happening. Which you missed.
7:00 "First of all , stop yelling. Second of all, turn the music down." Aw man you sound like a dad. I'm turning 60 this year but I can still remember teenage emotions and teenage logic when I heard this music. You're relating more to the parent and school principal than to the narrator. If there's one thing to take from this song it's that he does not want to have a conversation with mom, dad or the principal. he just wants a pepsi and a little personal space.
I am amazed how confused he is by it, completely bewildered by it, just like the parents, making a kid who maybe is a little spaced out, but has no real mental heal issues, apart from the ones they inflict on him, by not listening to him
Don't forget to put yourself in the time, if you can. Life was different 40 years ago. The fact that there was a song expressing the things expressed in this song is MASSIVE to those of us who were there (I was 11 in 1983).
Ice-T does a cover of this song with his metal band Body Count, but he updated the lyrics with more modern issues. This is really the only Suicidal Tendencies song where he just speaks the lyrics. The band is still going. This is also their first album, and the bands musical abilities grew by leaps and bounds over the next few albums. Robert introduced Mike Muir, the vocalist/band leader, to funk music which brought more funk to the band.
Understood it is the only song where they speak the lyrics... but I have been going to ST shows on a regular basis since my first at the Oakland Omni 1987 Join the Army... and Mike preaches between songs... It may not have music but live it is still there.
@@SLG52 I have no problem with him preaching between songs. Mike is an intelligent guy. I would love to see them live, even if Mike's voice sounds terrible live. I've always blamed his poor live vocals on just how active he is live. It's hard to breathe properly, and sing, when you're that animated. Join the Army and How Will I Laugh still remain my 2 favorite ST albums.
Just say Body Count lol Ice T doesn't make the band, he said he just joined cause his buddy Ernie wanted to play the guitar. Ernie is the man behind most of it.
This is probably the most 'commercial' and accessible song on the whole album - they've done a ton of songs like this - but they were genius in their approach in blending thrash with hardcore (and started a fair few thrash artist's careers too!), and creating some amazing 'softer' songs... :)
I was 16 in 1983. EVERY teen felt this song - If this wasn't their own story, it was the story of someone close to them. The other great song from that year is Kiss Off by the Violent Femmes.
Love, love, love the Violent Femmes! And I just now realized how similar their style was to this song, which makes me think Ryan and George wouldn't like them either. Which is a shame because man they are great.
Oh man it's wild seeing you dudes struggle with this. This was one of the songs of my people, and *everyone* had this record (you could get it at the chain stores.)
Mike gave Zack de la Rocha sh!t for their tour being sponsored by Pepsi while also saying how they were anti-establishment and anti-corporate. And after that statement was made, Zack said something, can't remember what it was, but it apparently pissed off Mike to the point where he said he was going to kick Zack's ass the next time they met up. 😝
@@Silence_Duder_Gooder "Do What I Tell You" by Infectious Grooves was written specifically for Zack, if you didn't already know lol When you hear the lyrics, you'll get it.
"All I wanted was a pepsi, just one pepsi, far from Sucidal but still I get them tendencies bringing back the memories that I really miss" - Limp Bizkit "Stuck". Always loved that call back.
Ryan and George took this one a little too seriously I think. They're usually so on point that it's pretty forgivable. Punk and hardcore music is a lot about a generic defiant attitude and this was just an angsty version of that kid stuff. They might have appreciated it more if they saw the video going on at the same time.
This is definitely a time and place type of song. We're too old to hear this song for the first time. It isn't 1983 anymore. Just a massive disconnect hearing this song in 2024 as 30-40 year old for a first time. When I heard this song as a kid, I can't say that it resonated with me. But it was fun, unique, and full of energy.
I still quote lines from this song at near 50 years old to ppl who have no idea what I'm saying lol. the music is leagues away from where I am today but I see they're touring next year and I close enough I will be getting tickets, why not. this year i saw Bad Religion, Social Distortion, and Rancid. time to step it up in 2025.
You can't expect to get this at your age from out of nowhere. This is the album that put hardcore in my lap. I felt it like many, many other kids at the time.
This is what ran thru the mind of every latch key kid that survived the 80's and an unknowing look into the future. We had to figure it out with parents being absent due to work, divorce, or addiction.
A lot of metal/punk is stress relief. Someone hears someone else is going thru the same things they are themselves. So we listen and identify we are not alone and we jump around to the hard driving music and we feel better for those few moments. Like therapy on a CD. It feels good to know someone else knows what you're going thru. It's not always about the technical talent or song writing talent. It's about sharing and it often helps.
I think this song means so much more if you hear it as a teenager who’s trying to find their self. Tenfold for us who were teens in the time this came out. And let’s not forget this was in the “Just Say No” era.
Especially in verse one where he says that he specifically does NOT want to talk about it. I guess we were the last generation to not believe in shrinks and pop psychology.
Me and my buddies skated to this band back in the late 1980’s…LOVED Suicidal Tendencies back in the old skate days!! Dead kennedys, DRI, Sex Pistols, misfits, etc…
Appreciation though for honesty plus there is a nice element when something you love is rejected so you get to keep it instead of it becoming mainstream and imitated and duplicated.
This is a Gem X anthem. The generation of goths, skater punks , hip hop b-boys , metal heads and every misunderstood latch key kid. The generation of satanic panic and its 10 PM do you know where your children are. Funny how most of us raised ourselves in our little Wolfpacks of friends and every once in a while a parent would wake up and think we were crazy or on drugs or needed professional help. Of course we were and did but just give us a Pepsi and it would be ok , we'll figure it out.
See Ryan has a great caring parent reaction to this kind of angst and anger. We didn't all have that kind caring parentsin the 80's. This song spoke directly to us.
Oh my, this so much. It seems like the world has changed so much. I'm 47, and the level of parenting that I see these days is such a departure from the way that I was raised. I feel like I was figuring things out for myself from the age of 9. Latch Key Kids, that's what they called us. Now parents won't let them ride bikes outside out of sight. I don't think that my Dad ever really had any idea where I was at any given time.
Awesome- that was a really insightful take, and yes this was an anthem for kids in the 80s who felt misunderstood by their parents while struggling with mental health issues, and we all cracked up at the line "All I wanted was a pepsi!" No, it wasn't a musical masterpiece, it was totally unhinged but totally authentic and no one had done anything quite like it before. And yes, therapy has come a long way! Back then it was like if your kid was struggling, parents were likely to just send you off somewhere to have the problem "corrected" rather than listening and dealing with it as a family. I had a number of friends who were sent off to institutions or military style schools because their parents didn't know how to deal. And it can feel like such a betrayal when you're young and just trying to navigate the terrain you were raised in. Looking back on this now and what he's describing about having trouble completing things or communicating properly and randomly spacing out, he was probably struggling with ADHD (even the thing about Pepsi- caffeine might have helped him focus!) Which we now consider a "neurodivergence" and something people can work with, rather than just slapping on the "crazy" label and shipping them off to the loony bin. So yeah, it was an important song, even if unpleasant.
Might it be time for a Punk marathon now fellas? Y'all have dived into Metal and grew to understand the things you didn't quite understand about metal. There's a lot to love about punk and hardcore punk! I can certainly see you guys getting into a lot of the post hardcore bands!
The songs go by to fast .i dont think they would get it. The people who get it know its about lots of songs coming at you rapid fire 1234 next song and with that hardcore beat you are supposed to slam and skank too.IF you dont understand the vibe its hard to get into
@@lntoTheSunsetI agree. They need to do post hardcore. 80s hardxore isn’t gonna be something they like - cause it was all about the angst and aggression and live shows.
Glad you guys were open minded enough to check this one out. You got the message. The awkward delivery of the song was intentional. Check out Nobody Hears. You guys would dig that one.
@@danielwilson9724, "You Can't Bring Me Down" is one of my favorites, simply for the line, "Who are you calling crazy? You wouldn't know crazy if Charles Manson was eating Fruit Loops on your front porch." 😝
Convergence of Hardcore, Heavy Metal and Thrash. Suicidal Tendencies and this song was on the top playlist for skateboarders and also one of the songs which brought stage diving, mainly on the chorus. The video is essential for the song to grow on you.
@@xlepermessiahxx4144the modern meaning of the word is different to the actual meaning of the word. Getting Mike a Pepsi is a classic version of the modern interpretation. Same with waking up Billie when september ends
Rocky Emerson is a genius guitar player, he’s ripping a guitar solo through this entire song and barely repeats ideas. His live playing is on a bunch of videos here on UA-cam now and he’s unbelievable
George nailed it with the teenage angst, and timeframe that it occurred it. Maybe that's why this song is so important to so many of us who grew up in the latchkey generation, who discovered music like this when we felt at war with the world. It made sense to out brains and was essentially therapeutic. Perhaps a better representation of that is Pearl Jam's Jeremy. I don't care for punk either, but I love the way this song wraps up. Also, the cool lead guitar throughtout. I thought you guys also did you can't bring me down, and if I remember you didn't like it ether. Suicidal tendencies is definitely not for everyone, and there's only certain songs by them I ever listen to.
7:20 exactly... So they did it perfect, its supposed to make you feel like an angst filled adhd teenager thats perpetually on the verge of lashing out.
The song is a play on words religion, school and government are all called institutions but nut houses were also called institutions so the idea in the song is people are saying he needs to be institutionalized for being crazy despite already being institutionalized his whole life by the system of institutions and he is saying it was these institutions that are making him crazy. In other words are we sick because our minds are broken or is our society sick because it breaks our minds. Is our mental health crisis from within or without?
Whoa... 🤯 Mind blown. I don't know why I never looked at it that way but damn if you're not absolutely right. Huh. 40 years later and Mike is still taking me to school. Amazing. Thank you for that.
If i had first listened to this song as an adult, I would have had the same reaction. As an angsty teenager, it got me through high school. As a 55 year, it is still on my workout playlist and I pound away on the treadmill to it. Afterwards, look out day - here I come.
Guys, this is probably the greatest song written about how a teenager feels when he's a little different, and his parents think he has to be on drugs or crazy to be how he is. They don't get him and never will.
Yes we humbly request a reaction to the Body Count version. Ice-T tried to recreate a classic in a different era and, much to my surprise, succeeded wildly.
This song is from 1983, the generational gap between kids and parents back then was huge. A teenager back then was a alien, Suicidal Tendencies gave voice to all of those aliens that wanted to go fast,break stuff and revolt from the beige, disco bullshit suburbia from they're parents Reagan America
Omg, this song was literally an anthem of my youth! My dad had married who i still refer to as STEPMONSTER & he always drank Pepsi. I'd go to have one & she would bark, "those are your father's Pepsi's! Have water!" We lived in AZ, so tap water came out like 100 degrees lol. I'd go to get some ice and... you guessed it! "Those ice cubes are for your father's Pepsis!"🙄 The struggle was real, for real! I'M NOT CRAZY!!!😂😵💫
Jesus fuckin Christ!! I have an aunt who was like that to my cousin who just so happened to be my uncles oldest and only son that wasn't with her 😏 such a bitch, I remember being shocked when I stayed the night with him and he had us literally sneaking for a bowl of cereal in the morning and when we got caught.. ughhhh.. idk how adults can act that way to kids, I'm 45 now and I couldn't imagine treating my niece or gf's granddaughter like that, I love them kids 😁
@danielwilson9724 dude! She was insane af lol too many people complimented my hair, she buzz cut it, tried to ship me off twice but there always some divine intervention at play. she grounded me an entire summer for lying about a candy bar (ok, I get it about lying lol) but if there was a bday party, she would get hammered and announce, "NO cake for Debbie, she is a little liar!" But some woman at a grocery store said she & I looked alike in the eyes, I was like "Oh no! This is not my real mother, this isy stepmom" I got grounded for that, but lying is wrong? Hahaa Wtf, mind games abounds, but the Pepsi shit irritates me to this day lol Needless to say, I left home at 15.... I figured I couldn't mess things up any worse than these crazy mfs😃
I know exactly what you are talking about, I went through it as a teen because of a gold-digging whore that my dad decided to marry. She knew exactly how to push my buttons, and she would do it on purpose. She would purposely antagonize me then once I would react she would basically turn to my dad and say, "look you see how he acts, I told you that he's crazy", and she would kick me out of the house. I was only 15 the first time that I had to find a place to sleep on the streets. Not having any idea of where to go, I went to the park down the street and slept in the playground. I remember waking up at sunrise shivering uncontrollably, and having to wake up and just wander around town for a few hours to warm up until school started. All that said, even if I had the power to change what I've been through I wouldn't. I learned a lot going through everything and I believe that it's given me a much broader perspective of the world, and dealing with somebody like that really taught me how important self control is, even when you have people purposely twisting their proverbial knife in your emotional wounds.
Most kids in the 80's went through this with their parents. It's more about how old fashion parents were and how they brought you up. Teens who listened to metal back then had a huge label on them. Parents solutions was to blame the music and say you need help instead of looking at themselves.
You guys took the song very literal, the point of being noisy, rant-like is precisely the feeling the kid has, all fits perfect; I was a misunderstood kid at times, listening to noisy metal and playing loud guitar, thank god my parents were cool with it, but some other kids weren't that lucky.
Rocky George not getting a mention! As always! (It’s okay haha) but seriously the man was/is one of the most underrated guitarists I’ve heard! Check out how will I laugh tomorrow if you haven’t!
Back then, punk music was for the suppressed, oppressed, and misunderstood. There wasn't really much out there like this at the time, and it became an absolute anthem for SO MANY people. If I'm being honest, at first Ryan had a pretty close-minded and shallow take on this one, but recovered a little at the end. I can respect that even though it wasn't your particular preference, you at least try to understand it for what it is though. This wasn't made to be a musical masterpiece either, it's a talking piece meant to sound like discord, struggle, anxiety and massive frustration. I'd say it did its job extremely well, and made a HUGE splash in the industry, sparking change. P.S. Ryan, you sounded like the parent in the song for a second, bruh.
🤣 "I'm not on drugs, Mom! I just want a Pepsi!" I loved this song as a kid! And being one of those fucked up teenagers in and out of institutions in the 80s and early 90s, yeah, it definitely resonated with me. You should definitely follow this up with the "sequel/tribute" that came out a few years back from Body Count. It's fantastic lol. Kinda the grown up version of this, work and wife and just folks in general pushing your buttons until you lose your shit and go off. Still the same manic, steam of consciousness kinda of thing, just with Ice T doing it instead
I was totally into metal growing up from about the age of 8 or 9 onward and also punk starting in junior high. While it was never suggested that I be shipped off to a mental hospital, I vividly recall the huge gap in understanding that most adults - teachers and parents, my parents included - especially my father - showed toward me, my friends, and other kids/teens that looked like us. They made a big deal about how we dressed and how we styled our hair - whether it was long or spiked or dyed black, blue, or green. We were labeled Satan worshippers and drug users - admittedly, there was plenty of weed smoking and some psychedelic consumption, but to this day I’ve still never met anyone who claims to worship the devil. Basically there was just a lot of judging books by their covers without the slightest attempt to read a single page.
All types of metal was my escape as a teen. I remember getting kicked out of several high school English classes because of my t-shirts😂 I actually had a teacher attempt to put duct tape over the front of my $20 shirt that had a skull on it. FOH. I speak and read better than most, and ANYONE that felt like they could censor the “smart kids” and be cool with the popular kids whether they had a clue or not was a major antagonist. Maybe react to “Alone” by ST. I truly believe you’ll at least like the lyrics.
This is what makes y’all the best reaction channel ! There’s been a few times y’all broke my heart not liking a song I love , but that’s how you know you guys are keeping it real. A lot of the other reaction channels you can blatantly see they’re pretending to like it for views . And of course your guys appreciation and understanding of the musicianship is top notch!!
Also, the kid objectively does not have mental health issues, while his parents have anxiety based disorders, the kids could have ADHD, but is drug free and stable, until the parental abuse and gaslighting starts.
Suicidal are one of the most influential bands from the early 80s era. The skater era of the early 80s. The early thrash era of the early 80s. They were very important. Because of the messages that they were getting across. That even the biggest bands couldn't get across back then. PROOF. We are listening to this. From 1983. And it still is important. TO THIS DAY TREND SETTERS
Suicidal Tendencies was an important band, they were one of the first to really play at that speed and intensity. They were also one of the first bands that really bridged punk and metal and creating the crossover style. It's also kind of a fun song with the 'All I wanted was a Pepsi'. It's like a musical meme or something. :D
As a genx’r I can tell you this spoke to us on a lot of levels. A lot of us raised ourselves but had parents who questioned our behavior and treated us like we were crazy. So a song saying wait, screw you get me a Pepsi was so relatable. I still listen to it, and Ice T’s updated version and it takes me back. That being said you’re right, it wasn’t clean, it was raw. They got WAY better. Check out damn near any track on Suicidal For Life, you won’t be disappointed.
I never would have recommended this song to you guys. There’s a difference between hearing it for the first time when you’re a teenager, and the lyrics are relatable, and hearing it for the first time as a grown adult where you can see the scenario from the parent’s point of view.
This is Suicidal Tendencies oldest "hit" song. It's a one off song that's famous but not representative of their greater music. If yall want to check out my favorite Suicidal Tendencies song, check out "You Can't Bring Me Down". It's badass. Thanks guys...
Gen Xer from Los Angeles checking in; nobody in 1983 was talking about mental health that I was aware of. My parents were convinced listening to KISS was equivalent to worshipping the devil, and I was once accused of wanting to do drugs because I liked a Huey Lewis and the News song. Times were strange is what I'm saying. When ST came on scene it definitely spoke to me and most of my friends who could all relate to having a difficult time communicating with parents and dealing with rage and frustration without knowing a better way than through loud and often obnoxious music. I still love this song and find it highly amusing today. Thank you Mike Muir wherever you are today!
There is some humour in this that has been missed. Check the video! Knew you'd hate this. I love it. Although, saying that someone shouldn't express themselves and that it's more for a journal is concerning. Any artist should be able to express their mental health issues in a way that's real to them. We don't need to like it. But it should never be denied. Although you guys do give sympathy too which is really cool. Again, I think there is a lot of ironic humour in it. Thanks for doing this and keep up the great work!
The song was kind of like therapy for those of us that lived through this stuff. Parents seeing you acting "different" and automatically assuming you're "doing drugs" - that was definitely a real thing.
The genius here is the beautiful mix of honest rawness and Humor... sorry ya'll missed the humor. But ya'll nailed the honesty. (Also this was literally written and performed by a teenager... Muir was like 16-17 when he wrote the lyrics to this... so there's that honesty coming through.)
I saw this video back in the day and as soon as I had money went out and bought the LP. The video featured 2 LA actor luminaries (Jack Nance of Twin Peaks fame and Mary Woronov) and it had a black dude completely shredding metal licks (I'd started playing guitar around then but could never shred like this). This song is part comedy and part real issues. Think of the famous rap lyric, "it's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under"; This song is very important to punk rock community skate board community. It's the same kind of issues a lot of music (metal, hip-hop, folk, rock) talk about, but it's always brought out in different ways depending on the times in history, etc. Probably a precursor to properly diagnosing depression as a real illness, ADD/ADHD, etc. I think your analysis around the 9:30-10min time frame are on point. It's good that a song you don't objectively like can still reach you with its message.
Love you guys and appreciate what you do. Definitely respect your ability to sit through this kind of angry/ frustrated/ abrasive music for the sake of artistic appreciation and ..... trying to understand where an artist is coming from and what they are attempting to communicate ........ even when it's rough. At least you are making the effort!! Punk music by it's very nature tends to be somewhat confrontational. It's definitely not for everyone. It has its audience, it has been influential, it has left its mark on rock music ...... Free Thinkers, Rock On!!
Back in the day, there was an episode of Jerry Springer featuring homeless teens, and at one point, of the many homeless teens in the audience stands up and tells Jerry "My parents decided it was in my best interest to put me in an a place where I could get the help that I need." The rest of the homeless kids in the audience all smirk and grin knowingly. Then the straight-laced advocate for the homeless on the panel asked him in earnest "And did you get the help that you need?" You guys remind me of the homeless advocate.
A little deeper than it is. The song just sums up what GenX is all about: You don’t understand me, just leave me tf alone. Mike wasn’t struggling with anything that needed psychiatric help. He’s just a teenager, pissed at the world.
"I went to your schools, I went to your churches, I went to your institutional learning facilities, so how can you say I'm crazy?"
Iconic Gen X line.
EGG ZACH LEE
This is the line that makes the song. It is essentially a gateway to recognition of societal structures and the fact that there is so much anxiety and depression in a society built around these structures calls the whole thing into question.
The aggression and that message made this song f$&@ing rock my 13 yo self when it rereleased on Still Cyco After All These Years….
A lot of the critique still applies today.
I had the distinct pleasure of playing this very loudly in the dayroom at a treatment center for teens in the very late 80's. Every single one of us knew it by heart. It was a moment I won't forget.
Truth ❤
That line never stops hitting hard
The song still reaches it goal, after 40 years. Old people just don´t get it and think Punk is terrible and to be hated. Congratulations to ST for this undying masterpiece.
Gotta agree, it's not music to be liked by many, this album was a staple tho
UNDYING
Anyone who thinks punk was terrible or violent never met Joe Strummer
The music video is on UA-cam its awesome. Has a cameo from Tom in slayer.
Yes its weird they dont get it!
Now im a white Danish metal head, my steep mom was a "nice girl" so my love of metal and punk was a problem
as a Anarchist it makes i worse
haha you guys took the old person approach to this song. It's just about the problems that come with being a teenager and how parents can think you are using drugs or going insane. It's frantic, punky and thrashy and just a hectic and fun song. This was my jam when I was a rebellious teenager who felt misunderstood by my family.
Well put.
It made me laugh. They both said that the kid sounds like he is being unheard, and they would want to sit him down and talk about it. The whole first verse is about how HE DOESNT WANT TO DO THAT SPECIFICALLY. The song is basically about an introvert who is being forced to be "social" in a way that makes him frustrated and unhappy. Back then, those types of people were "weirdos" and often seen as potential psychopaths. Columbine changed how public opinion viewed lonely kids, increasing understanding of introverts, and how forced socialization affects them.
i am an old person and still like it. Punk is about emotion not the form and content. These guys are too square
Me getting called to the principal's office in the 80s "I went to your schools, I went to your churches, your institutional learning facilities" My guidance counselor "Hey kid you might have a future in teaching" I have been teaching Spec.Ed. Since '91.
Even though teen angst is pretty universal, this song specifically was coming from the Reagan era generation. Nancy Reagan had every mother paranoid that her kid was on drugs.
I just took my daughter to see Suicidal Tendencies this past December. It was a GREAT show!!! He invited a bunch of kids (including my daughters) on stage during this song and she got a hug from Mike Mike while he was singing and he gave her his wristband, which she has hardly taken off since that night. Solid core memory for her!
Guys…. Back in the day if you were anything but a normie people thought you were crazy. My own mom asked me if I needed professional help when I went down the skater punk path back then. This is all just teenage frustration. They thought we were crazy. We thought they were crazy. Times were different. This was and is still a skater punk anthem. It does hit different to listen to now if you didn’t go through this at that time. But for me, forever a classic.
We skated ditches, ramps, street skated at the local bank jammin this band on our ghetto blaster radio back in the 80’s lol dead kennedys, Sex Pistols, misfits, suicidal tendencies, NOFX, etc.
"They thought we were crazy. We thought they were crazy. Times were different... It does hit different to listen to now if you didn’t go through this at that time. But for me, forever a classic."
It's hard to comprehend just how different things/people/normal was back then compared to today. And just as hard to comprehend how or what it would like be to be a young person growing up today. How would they relate to that song through their experiences? i wonder...
Preach, brother (or whatever). I'm actually shocked how much Ryan and George didn't get this one. Maybe this song is from a different time that "kids" today just don't get.
@rtdude1 I was born 3 years after this song, didn't hear it until I was an adult, but I still relate to it. This is a song I could've guessed they wouldn't like ahead of time though.
I bought this album in 1983 when I graduated high school and I was and still am a skateboarder. We punk rock skaters could relate. You guys don't like punk so you can't relate to the sound or fast beat. This is not green day or blink 182. Go to Venice beach and you will see they are well loved.
Never got into Suicidal Tendencies but this song was an instant classic. The ironic meta part is that as a song it actually is sort of insane (talking verses (about Pepsi!), ranting shouting chorus, wild tempo changes) which adds some humor (and dare I say fun?) to the serious teenage angst. Anyway, this reaction was hilarious. Thanks.
ALL I WANTED WAS ONE PEPSI, AND SHE WOULDN'T GIVE IT TO ME.
Classic. Me and my old school buds still repeat that phrase all the time.
I still say that too even tho I'd rather have a Dr Pepper
I do too, but most of the people I am around are younger and have no idea what the fuk I am talking aboit...LOL
My homies and I made a drinking game to this song lol
Yeah, we too.
Such a good phrase, even Cypress Hill had to sample it for How I Could Just Kill a Man. And still no Pepsi.
This song saved me. It was my first communication about mental health. You do not understand how hearing Mike yelling "I'm not crazy" made a difference made such a difference in my life. I was from the most broken home with step parents making me out to be the devil. This song helped me not commit suicide.
Y’all are not getting how funny this song is either. Sarcasm and humor is thick. It’s so much fun!
George and Ryan ................. ^^THIS^^ !!!!!
They should watch the video.
MIKE!
WHAT?!?!
Just a Pepsi!
They did the same with Exodus' The Toxic Waltz
Nothing like this existed back in 1983. This was not only groundbreaking but it spoke to all of us on a very personal level, and still does. Life was very different in the 80's than it is now and this was just what we needed back then.
This song is simply about misunderstood youth and the disconnects between parents and teenagers....and it's an absolute classic that spoke loudly to a generation.
This gets lost in them because their generation have other tools to work with.
@@HammSilvyou say that like there aren’t people from your generation who had troubles with parents and hated these type of songs lol this is just very out there and you must have had a pretty messed up childhood to truly like this…
@@TheOnlyKontrol No, you don't have a Gen X sense of humor, or understand Hardcore music.. You had better not listen to I Saw Your Mommy and Your Mommy's dead. YOU might need therapy. We just laughed.
These dudes are way off, they need to live longer.
I got into Suicidal Tendencies when I was in high school suffering from a 7 month deep depression, and still was a fan when I was actually institutionalized. I don't think this group gets enough credit for what they mean to people who went through what I went through. They took away the segma of having a mental health issue.
It's punky which you guys never seem to like. The ranting vocals aren't the norm for Suicidal, but is really important to delivering this song's message I think. And that message really rings true with us kids that lived through this time when parents were always looking at "different" behavior from us as a sign that we were high or were mentally unstable, but the only thing wrong with us was that we were growing up and trying to figure out how we were going to fit into the adult world. This song helped me to understand that I wasn't alone.
Yeah the bad side of punk.
Amen to that. I´m still fuckin angry at the world in general haha
@toniobolonio i.e. actual punk. Punk was created as a revolution. Then it got corporatized
Yep. This song spoke to us disenfranchised youth. We didn't have social media to relate to people in online communities. We were stuck with the people around us. Everyone in my neighborhood dealt with violence outside the home. Some of us (thankfully not me) also dealt with violence in the home. Those people were dealing with it 24/7 nearly. This song spoke to people who needed to hear it. I normally don't do it, but in this instance with these guys, I would have recommended the re-recorded version from the 90s because the recording quality is better and it is easier on the ears.
The reworking is soulless compared to the original though,@@travisspaulding2222
These unbiased reactions are so good, you went from visibly not getting it and knowing if you weren’t doing a reaction to it*, you wouldn’t even give it a chance but for you to understand it from a unbiased pov is great to see, i * personally love the way it sounds but it’s definitely more of a well known “meme” song if that’s even the right word, that Pepsi part is a classic!
I am currently 66 years old and love this song as much as the first time I heard it. You guys read way too much into this - all he wanted was a Pepsi! The amazing video with Jack Nance and the awesome Mary Woronov accentuated the SATIRE of the track.
and it had a nice, brief cameo from Tom Araya of Slayer.
I’m 52 and I’m with you.
I think that's key here, they didn't catch the satire.
This song has always sucked
There's no way these guys know anything about Jack Nance or Mary Woronov. This just isn't for them. They don't get it.
How crazy. I couldve written this song from real life experience in 1983 when I turned 14. I wish I would have heard it then. Crazy that I didn't living in California and being a metalhead at the time. Today is the first time I paid attention to the lyrics. You guys probably should have watched the official video. It really brings the words to life. Your take on it reminds me of the people who made me feel like him back then.
Also, this particular song seems to be one which should be played through without stopping it to catch the actual vibe that is happening. Which you missed.
7:00 "First of all , stop yelling. Second of all, turn the music down." Aw man you sound like a dad. I'm turning 60 this year but I can still remember teenage emotions and teenage logic when I heard this music. You're relating more to the parent and school principal than to the narrator. If there's one thing to take from this song it's that he does not want to have a conversation with mom, dad or the principal. he just wants a pepsi and a little personal space.
I am amazed how confused he is by it, completely bewildered by it, just like the parents, making a kid who maybe is a little spaced out, but has no real mental heal issues, apart from the ones they inflict on him, by not listening to him
It's so ironic how much they love tool but then hate the message of this song
Don't forget to put yourself in the time, if you can. Life was different 40 years ago. The fact that there was a song expressing the things expressed in this song is MASSIVE to those of us who were there (I was 11 in 1983).
Ice-T does a cover of this song with his metal band Body Count, but he updated the lyrics with more modern issues. This is really the only Suicidal Tendencies song where he just speaks the lyrics. The band is still going. This is also their first album, and the bands musical abilities grew by leaps and bounds over the next few albums. Robert introduced Mike Muir, the vocalist/band leader, to funk music which brought more funk to the band.
Understood it is the only song where they speak the lyrics... but I have been going to ST shows on a regular basis since my first at the Oakland Omni 1987 Join the Army... and Mike preaches between songs... It may not have music but live it is still there.
@@SLG52 I have no problem with him preaching between songs. Mike is an intelligent guy. I would love to see them live, even if Mike's voice sounds terrible live. I've always blamed his poor live vocals on just how active he is live. It's hard to breathe properly, and sing, when you're that animated. Join the Army and How Will I Laugh still remain my 2 favorite ST albums.
I don’t give a f*ck about Oprah, Oprah ain’t got no man!!! Ice T was hard back then
Just say Body Count lol Ice T doesn't make the band, he said he just joined cause his buddy Ernie wanted to play the guitar. Ernie is the man behind most of it.
@@Frogmilk I will say what I want. And you didn't say anything I didn't already know
Thanks for taking this one on the chin, guys! It is a generational song. This is the kind of skate punk that birthed a lot of Grunge in the Northwest.
This is the only song they did that really sounded like this. Y'all should do something off their album Lights, Camera, Revolution
Nah they have done another song that was similar too.
Agree. You can't bring me down(a more musically coherent rant), Lovely, Alone and Send me your money would be more palatable for George and Ryan
Or later stuff like Freedumb
"Alone" would be perfect, I'm listening to it now...
This is probably the most 'commercial' and accessible song on the whole album - they've done a ton of songs like this - but they were genius in their approach in blending thrash with hardcore (and started a fair few thrash artist's careers too!), and creating some amazing 'softer' songs... :)
As a kid this song was my anthem and spoke to a lot of us who grew up at that time. Being from LA myself these guys were very relatable
I was 16 in 1983. EVERY teen felt this song - If this wasn't their own story, it was the story of someone close to them. The other great song from that year is Kiss Off by the Violent Femmes.
Love, love, love the Violent Femmes! And I just now realized how similar their style was to this song, which makes me think Ryan and George wouldn't like them either. Which is a shame because man they are great.
Love George’s sincere work at understanding why people love a song that clearly wasn’t working for him personally. ❤
Whelp. Now it's time to check out Ice-T's version of this Body Count - "Institutionalized" 2014
Not as authentic (in my opinion).
@@sigmundhightower1766it’s even better in my opinion
It’s trash and Ice T should have left it alone. It was a desperate attempt from ice T to try to seem or pretend to be relevant in the punk world
Oh man it's wild seeing you dudes struggle with this. This was one of the songs of my people, and *everyone* had this record (you could get it at the chain stores.)
Legend has it, Mike didn't get his Pepsi yet.
He probably drinks Coca Cola
Mike gave Zack de la Rocha sh!t for their tour being sponsored by Pepsi while also saying how they were anti-establishment and anti-corporate. And after that statement was made, Zack said something, can't remember what it was, but it apparently pissed off Mike to the point where he said he was going to kick Zack's ass the next time they met up. 😝
He did get hit by a car
The lead singer of the Aquabats gave him a 12 pack of Pepsi at a NAMM show.
@@Silence_Duder_Gooder "Do What I Tell You" by Infectious Grooves was written specifically for Zack, if you didn't already know lol When you hear the lyrics, you'll get it.
"All I wanted was a pepsi, just one pepsi, far from Sucidal but still I get them tendencies bringing back the memories that I really miss" - Limp Bizkit "Stuck". Always loved that call back.
Ryan and George took this one a little too seriously I think. They're usually so on point that it's pretty forgivable. Punk and hardcore music is a lot about a generic defiant attitude and this was just an angsty version of that kid stuff. They might have appreciated it more if they saw the video going on at the same time.
Yes, the video for this song really helps tell the story!
Nah, it seems like some people love trolling them by suggesting songs that they know these two won't like. I just don't get it
The video does help add some context.
This is definitely a time and place type of song. We're too old to hear this song for the first time. It isn't 1983 anymore. Just a massive disconnect hearing this song in 2024 as 30-40 year old for a first time. When I heard this song as a kid, I can't say that it resonated with me. But it was fun, unique, and full of energy.
@@michaeldoyle189 it's quirky. But the video really helps the fun factor.
I still quote lines from this song at near 50 years old to ppl who have no idea what I'm saying lol. the music is leagues away from where I am today but I see they're touring next year and I close enough I will be getting tickets, why not. this year i saw Bad Religion, Social Distortion, and Rancid. time to step it up in 2025.
You can't expect to get this at your age from out of nowhere. This is the album that put hardcore in my lap. I felt it like many, many other kids at the time.
This is what ran thru the mind of every latch key kid that survived the 80's and an unknowing look into the future.
We had to figure it out with parents being absent due to work, divorce, or addiction.
Love this song, you guys should react to Ice Ts tribute to it.
The Ice T cover of this is hysterical with the lyric changes that he made to the song. The video is great too.
I just wanted my mothafuckin X Box!
@@FirebirdCamaro1220 Vegan ? I don't care if you eat sawdust Motherfucker . LOL pissed myself at that one.
A lot of metal/punk is stress relief. Someone hears someone else is going thru the same things they are themselves. So we listen and identify we are not alone and we jump around to the hard driving music and we feel better for those few moments. Like therapy on a CD. It feels good to know someone else knows what you're going thru. It's not always about the technical talent or song writing talent. It's about sharing and it often helps.
Almost all punk/thrash has an undertone of frustration to it, its the bridge between the frantic sound and the feelings behind it.
I think this song means so much more if you hear it as a teenager who’s trying to find their self. Tenfold for us who were teens in the time this came out. And let’s not forget this was in the “Just Say No” era.
"You should put this in a journal and talk to a psychiatrist" is a sentence nobody said in the 80's to a teenage boy. 😂
This song *is* his therapy.
Definitely!
Lol absofuckinglutely
Especially in verse one where he says that he specifically does NOT want to talk about it. I guess we were the last generation to not believe in shrinks and pop psychology.
I just wanted a Pepsi
And she wouldn't give it to me.@@alexb3577
Me and my buddies skated to this band back in the late 1980’s…LOVED Suicidal Tendencies back in the old skate days!! Dead kennedys, DRI, Sex Pistols, misfits, etc…
One of the most iconic songs of all time. What a buzzkill reaction to something so legendary.😂
Appreciation though for honesty plus there is a nice element when something you love is rejected so you get to keep it instead of it becoming mainstream and imitated and duplicated.
Exactly, they are overthinking it
This, they don't like anything fast. If it doesn't have a "groove" they don't like it. One reason I don't really watch them anymore.
Institutionalized totally has a groove @@waynedeason213
Dude, come on, this is horrible. And it’s not only because it’s fast, it’s because it’s a complete mess.
This is a Gem X anthem. The generation of goths, skater punks , hip hop b-boys , metal heads and every misunderstood latch key kid. The generation of satanic panic and its 10 PM do you know where your children are. Funny how most of us raised ourselves in our little Wolfpacks of friends and every once in a while a parent would wake up and think we were crazy or on drugs or needed professional help. Of course we were and did but just give us a Pepsi and it would be ok , we'll figure it out.
See Ryan has a great caring parent reaction to this kind of angst and anger. We didn't all have that kind caring parentsin the 80's. This song spoke directly to us.
Oh my, this so much. It seems like the world has changed so much. I'm 47, and the level of parenting that I see these days is such a departure from the way that I was raised. I feel like I was figuring things out for myself from the age of 9. Latch Key Kids, that's what they called us. Now parents won't let them ride bikes outside out of sight. I don't think that my Dad ever really had any idea where I was at any given time.
Amen brother.
Awesome- that was a really insightful take, and yes this was an anthem for kids in the 80s who felt misunderstood by their parents while struggling with mental health issues, and we all cracked up at the line "All I wanted was a pepsi!" No, it wasn't a musical masterpiece, it was totally unhinged but totally authentic and no one had done anything quite like it before. And yes, therapy has come a long way! Back then it was like if your kid was struggling, parents were likely to just send you off somewhere to have the problem "corrected" rather than listening and dealing with it as a family. I had a number of friends who were sent off to institutions or military style schools because their parents didn't know how to deal. And it can feel like such a betrayal when you're young and just trying to navigate the terrain you were raised in. Looking back on this now and what he's describing about having trouble completing things or communicating properly and randomly spacing out, he was probably struggling with ADHD (even the thing about Pepsi- caffeine might have helped him focus!) Which we now consider a "neurodivergence" and something people can work with, rather than just slapping on the "crazy" label and shipping them off to the loony bin. So yeah, it was an important song, even if unpleasant.
Might it be time for a Punk marathon now fellas? Y'all have dived into Metal and grew to understand the things you didn't quite understand about metal. There's a lot to love about punk and hardcore punk! I can certainly see you guys getting into a lot of the post hardcore bands!
Need them to check our minor threat and Gorilla Biscuits
Agreed! I'd be interested in seeing them get into AILD and Underoath
Crucifucks - Hinkley had a vision
The songs go by to fast .i dont think they would get it. The people who get it know its about lots of songs coming at you rapid fire 1234 next song and with that hardcore beat you are supposed to slam and skank too.IF you dont understand the vibe its hard to get into
@@lntoTheSunsetI agree. They need to do post hardcore. 80s hardxore isn’t gonna be something they like - cause it was all about the angst and aggression and live shows.
Glad you guys were open minded enough to check this one out. You got the message. The awkward delivery of the song was intentional. Check out Nobody Hears. You guys would dig that one.
You need to do "you can't bring me down", "send me your money" and anything off of controlled by hatred is awesome.
Or How Will I Laugh Tomorrow
I think the only song that would get them on the ST train is "Trip at the Brain". Then they can get to the other stuff.
Nobody Hears.
The instrumentation behind this song is truly impressive.
Just the music is so much of the song. Even if you don't like the lyrics or how Mike talks, the music behind it all is great.
"All I wanted was a pepsi and she wouldn't get it for me.." - the greatest punk lyric ever written. Funny reaction you guys - thanks.
"I Saw Your Mommy and Your Mommy's Dead" is a prety close second if that's the case.
@@Silence_Duder_Gooderpossessed to skate would be a third
@@Silence_Duder_Gooder Suicidal Failure is one of my favorites, the lyrics are great on it
@@danielwilson9724, "You Can't Bring Me Down" is one of my favorites, simply for the line, "Who are you calling crazy? You wouldn't know crazy if Charles Manson was eating Fruit Loops on your front porch." 😝
Convergence of Hardcore, Heavy Metal and Thrash. Suicidal Tendencies and this song was on the top playlist for skateboarders and also one of the songs which brought stage diving, mainly on the chorus. The video is essential for the song to grow on you.
Getting Mike a Pepsi is one of the world's first meme's before there was such a thing as a meme.
We've always had memes. Meme is not a word that originated in the internet era, it's actually really interesting stuff. Worth looking up
@@xlepermessiahxx4144the modern meaning of the word is different to the actual meaning of the word. Getting Mike a Pepsi is a classic version of the modern interpretation. Same with waking up Billie when september ends
Rocky Emerson is a genius guitar player, he’s ripping a guitar solo through this entire song and barely repeats ideas. His live playing is on a bunch of videos here on UA-cam now and he’s unbelievable
George nailed it with the teenage angst, and timeframe that it occurred it. Maybe that's why this song is so important to so many of us who grew up in the latchkey generation, who discovered music like this when we felt at war with the world. It made sense to out brains and was essentially therapeutic.
Perhaps a better representation of that is Pearl Jam's Jeremy.
I don't care for punk either, but I love the way this song wraps up. Also, the cool lead guitar throughtout.
I thought you guys also did you can't bring me down, and if I remember you didn't like it ether.
Suicidal tendencies is definitely not for everyone, and there's only certain songs by them I ever listen to.
7:20 exactly... So they did it perfect, its supposed to make you feel like an angst filled adhd teenager thats perpetually on the verge of lashing out.
The song is a play on words religion, school and government are all called institutions but nut houses were also called institutions so the idea in the song is people are saying he needs to be institutionalized for being crazy despite already being institutionalized his whole life by the system of institutions and he is saying it was these institutions that are making him crazy. In other words are we sick because our minds are broken or is our society sick because it breaks our minds. Is our mental health crisis from within or without?
Whoa... 🤯 Mind blown. I don't know why I never looked at it that way but damn if you're not absolutely right. Huh. 40 years later and Mike is still taking me to school. Amazing. Thank you for that.
The MTV music video goes perfectly with this song. Wish you guys did a ST - verses - Ice T Body Count tribute.
If i had first listened to this song as an adult, I would have had the same reaction. As an angsty teenager, it got me through high school. As a 55 year, it is still on my workout playlist and I pound away on the treadmill to it. Afterwards, look out day - here I come.
Haha true. I just turned 55 in Dec. We played this alot in my parents garage whilw working out
Guys, this is probably the greatest song written about how a teenager feels when he's a little different, and his parents think he has to be on drugs or crazy to be how he is. They don't get him and never will.
The Body Count version of this song is epic. Ice-T updates the lyrics to his life. It's hilarious
GOOD CALL! I totally forgot about Body Count's version, but you are 💯% !
In fact, I'm bouncing straight to that video from here. 🤘🏻
I just wanted to play some Xbox lol
Yes we humbly request a reaction to the Body Count version. Ice-T tried to recreate a classic in a different era and, much to my surprise, succeeded wildly.
Thank you! Banger
Thank you for this comment. I didn't know this happened. Added to playlist immediately.
This song reflects a trend at that time to send "troubled" kids to institutions or camps to straighten them out. It was a huge industry at the time.
All of us rebellious youth loved this song in the 80s. Just give Mike a damn Pepsi!
This song is from 1983, the generational gap between kids and parents back then was huge. A teenager back then was a alien, Suicidal Tendencies gave voice to all of those aliens that wanted to go fast,break stuff and revolt from the beige, disco bullshit suburbia from they're parents Reagan America
Yup
Omg, this song was literally an anthem of my youth! My dad had married who i still refer to as STEPMONSTER & he always drank Pepsi. I'd go to have one & she would bark, "those are your father's Pepsi's! Have water!" We lived in AZ, so tap water came out like 100 degrees lol. I'd go to get some ice and... you guessed it! "Those ice cubes are for your father's Pepsis!"🙄 The struggle was real, for real!
I'M NOT CRAZY!!!😂😵💫
Jesus fuckin Christ!! I have an aunt who was like that to my cousin who just so happened to be my uncles oldest and only son that wasn't with her 😏 such a bitch, I remember being shocked when I stayed the night with him and he had us literally sneaking for a bowl of cereal in the morning and when we got caught.. ughhhh.. idk how adults can act that way to kids, I'm 45 now and I couldn't imagine treating my niece or gf's granddaughter like that, I love them kids 😁
@danielwilson9724 dude! She was insane af lol too many people complimented my hair, she buzz cut it, tried to ship me off twice but there always some divine intervention at play. she grounded me an entire summer for lying about a candy bar (ok, I get it about lying lol) but if there was a bday party, she would get hammered and announce, "NO cake for Debbie, she is a little liar!" But some woman at a grocery store said she & I looked alike in the eyes, I was like "Oh no! This is not my real mother, this isy stepmom" I got grounded for that, but lying is wrong? Hahaa
Wtf, mind games abounds, but the Pepsi shit irritates me to this day lol
Needless to say, I left home at 15.... I figured I couldn't mess things up any worse than these crazy mfs😃
@debbi damn. Sorry to hear that. What a horriblevhuman she was edebster5806
I know exactly what you are talking about, I went through it as a teen because of a gold-digging whore that my dad decided to marry. She knew exactly how to push my buttons, and she would do it on purpose. She would purposely antagonize me then once I would react she would basically turn to my dad and say, "look you see how he acts, I told you that he's crazy", and she would kick me out of the house.
I was only 15 the first time that I had to find a place to sleep on the streets. Not having any idea of where to go, I went to the park down the street and slept in the playground. I remember waking up at sunrise shivering uncontrollably, and having to wake up and just wander around town for a few hours to warm up until school started.
All that said, even if I had the power to change what I've been through I wouldn't. I learned a lot going through everything and I believe that it's given me a much broader perspective of the world, and dealing with somebody like that really taught me how important self control is, even when you have people purposely twisting their proverbial knife in your emotional wounds.
And all you wanted was a Pepsi. Just ONE Pepsi. And she wouldn't give it to you!!!
Most kids in the 80's went through this with their parents. It's more about how old fashion parents were and how they brought you up. Teens who listened to metal back then had a huge label on them. Parents solutions was to blame the music and say you need help instead of looking at themselves.
I took deep pleasure in you guys hating that 😂 What a tune! Pure unadulterated rebellion
I know what you mean. I actually enjoyed watching them hate it.
Hear the guitar rhythm and how it adds emotional layers to the vocals.
This doesn't sounds like a typical song to me, it reminds me of performance poetry, but like a punk version.
You guys took the song very literal, the point of being noisy, rant-like is precisely the feeling the kid has, all fits perfect; I was a misunderstood kid at times, listening to noisy metal and playing loud guitar, thank god my parents were cool with it, but some other kids weren't that lucky.
Suicidal showed me that it's okay questioning "normal".
Rocky George not getting a mention! As always! (It’s okay haha) but seriously the man was/is one of the most underrated guitarists I’ve heard! Check out how will I laugh tomorrow if you haven’t!
When you hear this song as a young teenager it just hit different
Back then, punk music was for the suppressed, oppressed, and misunderstood. There wasn't really much out there like this at the time, and it became an absolute anthem for SO MANY people. If I'm being honest, at first Ryan had a pretty close-minded and shallow take on this one, but recovered a little at the end. I can respect that even though it wasn't your particular preference, you at least try to understand it for what it is though. This wasn't made to be a musical masterpiece either, it's a talking piece meant to sound like discord, struggle, anxiety and massive frustration. I'd say it did its job extremely well, and made a HUGE splash in the industry, sparking change.
P.S. Ryan, you sounded like the parent in the song for a second, bruh.
🤣 "I'm not on drugs, Mom! I just want a Pepsi!" I loved this song as a kid! And being one of those fucked up teenagers in and out of institutions in the 80s and early 90s, yeah, it definitely resonated with me.
You should definitely follow this up with the "sequel/tribute" that came out a few years back from Body Count. It's fantastic lol. Kinda the grown up version of this, work and wife and just folks in general pushing your buttons until you lose your shit and go off. Still the same manic, steam of consciousness kinda of thing, just with Ice T doing it instead
I teach at a Tribal School we call it bepsi
I love both versions!
In 6th grade we all walking around saying “ALL I WANTED WAS A PEPSI!!” Love this song.
I was totally into metal growing up from about the age of 8 or 9 onward and also punk starting in junior high. While it was never suggested that I be shipped off to a mental hospital, I vividly recall the huge gap in understanding that most adults - teachers and parents, my parents included - especially my father - showed toward me, my friends, and other kids/teens that looked like us. They made a big deal about how we dressed and how we styled our hair - whether it was long or spiked or dyed black, blue, or green. We were labeled Satan worshippers and drug users - admittedly, there was plenty of weed smoking and some psychedelic consumption, but to this day I’ve still never met anyone who claims to worship the devil. Basically there was just a lot of judging books by their covers without the slightest attempt to read a single page.
All types of metal was my escape as a teen. I remember getting kicked out of several high school English classes because of my t-shirts😂
I actually had a teacher attempt to put duct tape over the front of my $20 shirt that had a skull on it. FOH. I speak and read better than most, and ANYONE that felt like they could censor the “smart kids” and be cool with the popular kids whether they had a clue or not was a major antagonist. Maybe react to “Alone” by ST. I truly believe you’ll at least like the lyrics.
This is what makes y’all the best reaction channel ! There’s been a few times y’all broke my heart not liking a song I love , but that’s how you know you guys are keeping it real. A lot of the other reaction channels you can blatantly see they’re pretending to like it for views . And of course your guys appreciation and understanding of the musicianship is top notch!!
I wonder what you guys would think about the Body Count cover. Ice-T came at it from the point of view of a working adult. It's pretty funny.
I seen them open for Queensryche in 91, absolutely no one was paying them any attention when they were on stage.
That is the Deepest Intellectual Dive into a Fun Song that doesn’t really need such a “Break Down”.
Exactly, you guys are taking this song way too seriously!
Y’all need to watch the music video to this song, might clarify the humor
It's the angst of the gen X kid back in that day also was real big with skater culture
Fun fact: at the end of Cypress Hill’s “How I Can Just Kill A Man” B Real pays homage to this song by saying “all I wanted was a Pepsi”
The song is a reflection of its time. Mental health in the 80’s was in its infancy compared to now.
Also, the kid objectively does not have mental health issues, while his parents have anxiety based disorders, the kids could have ADHD, but is drug free and stable, until the parental abuse and gaslighting starts.
Suicidal are one of the most influential bands from the early 80s era. The skater era of the early 80s. The early thrash era of the early 80s.
They were very important.
Because of the messages that they were getting across.
That even the biggest bands couldn't get across back then.
PROOF.
We are listening to this.
From 1983.
And it still is important.
TO THIS DAY
TREND SETTERS
Suicidal Tendencies was an important band, they were one of the first to really play at that speed and intensity. They were also one of the first bands that really bridged punk and metal and creating the crossover style. It's also kind of a fun song with the 'All I wanted was a Pepsi'. It's like a musical meme or something. :D
As a genx’r I can tell you this spoke to us on a lot of levels. A lot of us raised ourselves but had parents who questioned our behavior and treated us like we were crazy. So a song saying wait, screw you get me a Pepsi was so relatable. I still listen to it, and Ice T’s updated version and it takes me back.
That being said you’re right, it wasn’t clean, it was raw. They got WAY better. Check out damn near any track on Suicidal For Life, you won’t be disappointed.
You’re not kidding about raising ourselves.
This is another example of y'all just not quite getting what's going on with certain songs. This was from the early/mid 80s. It was the BOMB
To get punk, at its core, you had to basically be born in the 60s and had to Grow through it.
Body Count, you know, the band with Ice-T as the lead singer, not so long ago did their own version of this song. Timeless and awesome song 🤘😀.
I never would have recommended this song to you guys. There’s a difference between hearing it for the first time when you’re a teenager, and the lyrics are relatable, and hearing it for the first time as a grown adult where you can see the scenario from the parent’s point of view.
I agree chica.
This is Suicidal Tendencies oldest "hit" song. It's a one off song that's famous but not representative of their greater music. If yall want to check out my favorite Suicidal Tendencies song, check out "You Can't Bring Me Down". It's badass. Thanks guys...
Ice T and Body Count does a great cover of this song.
Gen Xer from Los Angeles checking in; nobody in 1983 was talking about mental health that I was aware of. My parents were convinced listening to KISS was equivalent to worshipping the devil, and I was once accused of wanting to do drugs because I liked a Huey Lewis and the News song. Times were strange is what I'm saying. When ST came on scene it definitely spoke to me and most of my friends who could all relate to having a difficult time communicating with parents and dealing with rage and frustration without knowing a better way than through loud and often obnoxious music. I still love this song and find it highly amusing today. Thank you Mike Muir wherever you are today!
I’m crying laughing, Everything you said is so true.😅 The 80’s were so awesome and I wish we could go back in time.
Still the best music reaction channel years later because you guys are real, love punk, love your truthful reactions
There is some humour in this that has been missed. Check the video! Knew you'd hate this. I love it.
Although, saying that someone shouldn't express themselves and that it's more for a journal is concerning. Any artist should be able to express their mental health issues in a way that's real to them. We don't need to like it. But it should never be denied. Although you guys do give sympathy too which is really cool.
Again, I think there is a lot of ironic humour in it.
Thanks for doing this and keep up the great work!
The song was kind of like therapy for those of us that lived through this stuff. Parents seeing you acting "different" and automatically assuming you're "doing drugs" - that was definitely a real thing.
Thanks for the honest reaction guys. Much respect.
The genius here is the beautiful mix of honest rawness and Humor... sorry ya'll missed the humor. But ya'll nailed the honesty. (Also this was literally written and performed by a teenager... Muir was like 16-17 when he wrote the lyrics to this... so there's that honesty coming through.)
I saw this video back in the day and as soon as I had money went out and bought the LP. The video featured 2 LA actor luminaries (Jack Nance of Twin Peaks fame and Mary Woronov) and it had a black dude completely shredding metal licks (I'd started playing guitar around then but could never shred like this). This song is part comedy and part real issues. Think of the famous rap lyric, "it's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under"; This song is very important to punk rock community skate board community. It's the same kind of issues a lot of music (metal, hip-hop, folk, rock) talk about, but it's always brought out in different ways depending on the times in history, etc. Probably a precursor to properly diagnosing depression as a real illness, ADD/ADHD, etc. I think your analysis around the 9:30-10min time frame are on point. It's good that a song you don't objectively like can still reach you with its message.
Love you guys and appreciate what you do. Definitely respect your ability to sit through this kind of angry/ frustrated/ abrasive music for the sake of artistic appreciation and ..... trying to understand where an artist is coming from and what they are attempting to communicate ........ even when it's rough. At least you are making the effort!! Punk music by it's very nature tends to be somewhat confrontational. It's definitely not for everyone. It has its audience, it has been influential, it has left its mark on rock music ...... Free Thinkers, Rock On!!
Back in the day, there was an episode of Jerry Springer featuring homeless teens, and at one point, of the many homeless teens in the audience stands up and tells Jerry "My parents decided it was in my best interest to put me in an a place where I could get the help that I need." The rest of the homeless kids in the audience all smirk and grin knowingly. Then the straight-laced advocate for the homeless on the panel asked him in earnest "And did you get the help that you need?"
You guys remind me of the homeless advocate.
Meanwhile im sitting here enjoying the shit out of the music and story. It catches the confusion/despair/anger vibe like no other song
A little deeper than it is. The song just sums up what GenX is all about:
You don’t understand me, just leave me tf alone.
Mike wasn’t struggling with anything that needed psychiatric help. He’s just a teenager, pissed at the world.