Sonic Reducer -- The Dead Boys

I’m pretty sure it was, Scott Bayo. I’m pretty sure he was the ‘drug dealer’ in this late 70’s/ early 80’s Afterschool Special called ‘Stoned,’ or something like that. I could always just check the imdb, but then it just isn’t that important.
The reason the Afterschool Special is even worth mentioning here is it has this fantastic line to reject any form of persuasion. A line to rebuff even the most benign suggestion, a line that says – I’m not risking anything. It’s from the scene where the dealer is pushing the protagonist to give ‘grass’ a try.

To which the protagonist replies,

‘I don’t have to eat dirt to know what it tastes like.’

Try it, it works.

Honey, maybe you could slow down to 65?
I don’t have to eat dirt to know what it tastes like.

See…rebuffed.

Here’s one of my own variations —

Co-worker: Maybe you could give a little heads-up about the priority stuff you’re sending on?
Me: I don’t have to run around flapping my arms to see if I can fly.

Re…Buffed!

The basic point of the declaration is this ‘people will try and exploit you with persuasion and it’s best if you just don’t risk anything – ever.’ Critical Thinking -001.

So my choice, ‘Sonic Reducer’ is a real safe one. It’s equally difficult for me to sell shit as it is for me to buy shit. And this is such an obvious great song (uh.. Pearl Jam did a cover) that I don’t even have to try and sell its greatness. It’s not only about not really risking anything, it’s also about minimum persuasion.

I don’t have to shove feathers up my ass to see if I’m a duck.


Getting
On
With it

There is plenty to say about The Dead Boys, about Stiv Bators’ career and all the connecting bands, the late 70’s scene and influences. Thankfully, there is plenty that’s already been said, so I’m just leaving links at the bottom, just in case you have to know. These links also minimizes the amount of bullshit (informative information stuff) I have to spout in order to get to what I want to say about the song. And that’s what we call a win-win.

Here’s what I have to say about the song --

1.) The man (Stiv Bators) just flat out had a power behind the words he sang.
2.) ‘Sonic Reducer’ is all about the power.

Okay, here’s a little more –

3.) Sometimes lyrists fuck up the content of a song by getting too elevated by the cerebral aspect of ‘expression’ in writing a song and entirely forget that we are all pretty much goddamn animals.
‘Sonic Reducer’ is the anima and the ego, the R-complex and the cerebrum. The animal lashing out at the social dynamic of how others judge and value and react to the disenfranchised. Better still, there is no melancholy here, no whining about how ‘my poor little intellectual mind is so isolated and misunderstood,’ it’s all said in a pretty straightforward potent statement.

Once my time machine is done (cerebral), you fuckers are gonna pay (animal).

‘I’m not just anyone! I’m not just anyone!’
I’m sure Nietzsche is smiling somewhere.

[side note:]…Just now I’m wondering about a correlation between the lines ‘I got my time machine’ and Pop’s ‘Look out honey, ‘cause I’m using technology’ from Search and Destroy. Hmmmmmmmm…….

In conclusion:

Anyone who is feeling alienated, insignificant, undervalued, powerless….Get ready to feel better.


Video:



The Dead Boys
Stiv Bators