NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Kill the Poor

"Kill the Poor" (B-side "Insight") is a single by the hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys released in October of 1980. A different version of it was released on their debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. The song is from the point of view of government officials, who want to use the neutron bomb to rid the country of its poorest inhabitants. One could infer that the government officials in the song are conservatives, as the song's storyline mentions at one point that Jane Fonda "convinced the liberals it's okay", hinting that the officials are not liberals. When "Kill the Poor" got a surprising amount of play in some third world countries, the band wondered if the government took the song literally and were actively promoting it. Image File history File links Nocover. ... In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less*) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-side, often accompanied by several B-sides, usually remixes or other songs. ... The Dead Kennedys are a punk rock band from San Francisco, California. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Hardcore punk (or hardcore) is a faster and heavier version of punk rock usually characterized by short, loud, and often passionate songs with exceptionally fast tempos and chord changes. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Alternative Tentacles is a record label based in Emeryville, California. ... The Dead Kennedys are a punk rock band from San Francisco, California. ... Original US 45 rpm single picture cover: The Dead Kennedys - Holiday In Cambodia Holiday in Cambodia is a single by the hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys released in May of 1980. ... Original UK 45 rpm single picture cover: The Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk To Fuck Too Drunk To Fuck was the second Dead Kennedys single to enter the UK chart, reaching No. ... In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less*) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-side, often accompanied by several B-sides, usually remixes or other songs. ... Hardcore punk (or hardcore) is a faster and heavier version of punk rock usually characterized by short, loud, and often passionate songs with exceptionally fast tempos and chord changes. ... The Dead Kennedys are a punk rock band from San Francisco, California. ... Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is the debut album by the Dead Kennedys, released in 1980 through IRS Records (later by the DKs own Alternative Tentacles label) in the US, and Cherry Red Records in the UK. The best selling and generally the most critically aclaimed album by the Dead... A neutron bomb is a type of nuclear weapon invented by Samuel Cohen specifically designed to release a relatively large portion of its energy as energetic neutron radiation. ... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ... Jane Fonda, 2001 publicity photo Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an Academy Award-winning American actor, writer, producer, and political activist. ...

Another, extremely similar version of the song was released slightly later, but the lyrics "neutron bomb" were replaces with the lyrics "sattelite-bomb".

Musically, the song mixed the early hardcore punk aesthetic (hard, distorted chords and a basic musical assault) with post-Ramones rockabilly riffs and an outrageous and ingenius chorus (based around the Ramones "You're Gonna Kill that Girl," and probably meant as a parody of that song). "Kill the Poor" was the leadoff track to the 1980's classic Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables and is considered a classic of the early punk era and one of the Kennedys' best-known and most-loved songs. The Ramones were an influential early punk rock band, believed by many to have been the first and also seen as the fathers of pop-punk and are said to have kick started the British punk movement. ...

"Kill the Poor" reached #49 in the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks on the chart. The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ...

Categories: Dead Kennedys songs The Dead Kennedys are a punk rock band from San Francisco, California. ... Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), better known by the stage name Jello Biafra, is an American punk rock musician and political activist best known as the former lead singer of the Dead Kennedys. ... Raymond Pepperell, Jr. ... Geoffrey Lyall, better known as Klaus Flouride, was best known as the bassist for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys from the groups inception in June 1978 until the bands breakup in December 1986, although he also produced four solo albums during the 1980s and 1990s. ... D.H. Peligro D.H. Peligro (b. ... Bruce Slesinger, better known by his stage name Ted, was the original drummer for the Dead Kennedys, from June 1978 to February 1981. ... 6025, circa 1978 Carlos Cadona, better known by his stage name 6025, was the first drummer (from June to July 1978) and later second guitarist (from July 1978 to March 1979) for the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys. ... Brandon Edwin Cruz (born May 28, 1962 in Bakersfield, California) was a child actor and is a musician. ... Famous punk-rocker. ... An album is a collection of related audio tracks, released together commercially in an audio format to the public. ... The Kinks: vinyl EP, 1965 An example of an EP, Soft Science from Canadas Sproll released in 2006. ... Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is the debut album by the Dead Kennedys, released in 1980 through IRS Records (later by the DKs own Alternative Tentacles label) in the US, and Cherry Red Records in the UK. The best selling and generally the most critically aclaimed album by the Dead... In God We Trust, Inc. ... A Skateboard Party is a live album by the Dead Kennedys and was released in August 1983 on Starving Missile Records in cooperation with Alternative Tentacles as a limited edition release. ... Plastic Surgery Disasters is the second album released by the Dead Kennedys. ... Frankenchrist was the third album released by the Dead Kennedys in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles. ... Bedtime for Democracy is the fourth and final album released by the Dead Kennedys. ... Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death is an album by the Dead Kennedys. ... Mutiny on the Bay is a live album by the Dead Kennedys. ... Live at the Deaf Club is a live album released by Dead Kennedys in 2004. ... California Ãœber Alles (B-side The Man with the Dogs) was the first single by the Dead Kennedys. ... Original US 45 rpm single picture cover: The Dead Kennedys - Holiday In Cambodia Holiday in Cambodia is a single by the hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys released in May of 1980. ... Original UK 45 rpm single picture cover: The Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk To Fuck Too Drunk To Fuck was the second Dead Kennedys single to enter the UK chart, reaching No. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Bleed for Me (B-side Life Sentence) was the sixth single by punk rock band Dead Kennedys. ... Halloween is a seventh and final single by the Dead Kennedys. ... Hardcore punk (or hardcore) is a faster and heavier version of punk rock usually characterized by short, loud, and often passionate songs with exceptionally fast tempos and chord changes. ... Alternative Tentacles is a record label based in Emeryville, California. ... Penis Landscape, or Work 219: Landscape XX Penis Landscape, or Work 219: Landscape XX is a work of art by HR Giger. ...