I was playing Donkey Kong yesterday, listening to my 80s Arcade playlist, and I got this idea to write something that like ten people in the world would find amusing. Because I am one of those people, and my friend, Josh, who gave me a good note on the bit, is another, I’d like to say a special hello to the eight of you who also enjoy this the way we do.
*Extremely Patrick Bateman Voice*
Twisted Sister found international fame in 1984 with their album Stay Hungry, powered by the success of “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, which reached number 21 in the US. Some of the song’s popularity can be attributed to the ambiguity of what “it” was Dee Snyder would not take. Some critics claim it allowed a disaffected generation to claim the “it” for themselves, whatever “it” may be. Snyder spoke for them all, while simultaneously empowering their own voices.
But it is the album’s lesser-known single, “I Wanna Rock”, released in October of that year and only reaching number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 that is the true anthem for the moment. “I Wanna Rock” asks nothing of the listener. It allows for even less. It declares, “I Wanna Rock, and I don’t care if you’re going to take it or not,” and in so doing, defines the entire decade.
*Ax Swinging Intensifies*
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Nice. Love Under The Blade, You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N Roll and Stay Hungry!
I just downloaded “I Don’t Wanna Take It” to my iPhone, and I listened to it at least once a day. Great anthem for us all! The 80’s music was the best!!!
bop-b-b-b’bahhhhh, bop-b-b-b’bahhhhh, buh-“I wanna-“…. sorry I’ll show myself out
Awesome and too true! I am one of the 8 people, thank you so much for this!
1) This post is right in my laugh wheelhouse and it is hilarious.
2) I’m honestly surprised “We’re Not Gonna Take It” hasn’t been appropriated by anti-vaxxers. (Okay, Wikipedia says Mitt Romney and Donald Trump both started using it in their campaigns and Dee Snider told them not to because he didn’t support them.)
3) I love that your blog suggested a post about you playing Guitar Hero with your sons as a companion to this post.
“Extremely Patrick Bateman Voice”, I’d buy that shiort bro.
I remember the music video. “I carried an M16, while you carry that..that that guitar”
“What do you wanna do with your life.”
I WANNA ROCK
Looks like I’m the last of 8 people?
I’ve been obsessed with “We’re Not Gonna Take It” since Dee Snider re-recorded it a half decade ago. It’s a magnificent protest applicable to anyone who needs it, like you said.
But if you just wanna rock? There are only a few songs that compete with “I Wanna Rock” for just being loud and rocking out. Good times.
“Patrick, why is your floor covered in vinyl sleeves?”
—OR—
Gives new meaning to the phrase “We’ve got a kill screen coming up.”
Love this ❤ my step-dad restored Dee’s Boss 302, so he came to our teeny little town to pick it up and drive back to his home. He sat at our dining room table, enjoyed coffee and chatted with us like we are family. Dee is a wonderful person.
WHADDAYA WANNA DO WITH YOUR LIIIIIIIIIIFE
Hahaha–love it!
I remember Dee going up against the PMRC. While everything you (Wil) say about Dee I agree with, it was different for me. Dee was talking to the Tipper (and Al) Gore’s authoritarian view of the world was not only wrong and stifling, it was potentially dangerous. All of the same themes in “Instituionalized”. I was a teen and all this weird shit happening to me and everyone around me. Madonna was all over the place but then I’d listen to Love Line on KROQ and think that I didn’t connect with either. Disconnected, that was the feeling. Dee at Congress made me feel like not normal was normal.
As an 80’s teen myself…DAMN STRAIGHT!!! All we wanted was for it to be louder and for the world to be forced to hear what we had to say!
I am from Long Island and went to HS in the 80s. I must be one of your 8.
Same here. LI and HS in the 80s. Those were some good times. (WLIR!!!) I actually feel kinda bad for anyone who didn’t go to HS on LI in the 80s. What they missed out on will unfortunately, never be repeated.
After playing a lot of keyboards in rock-and-roll bands, I’m also one of those people who loves retro rock such as this. I remember when I first heard it I thought the song was overly-defensive reactionary, because I think short of physical force, most of us are able to “take” anything. If others don’t like our style, dance, music, fashion, etc., ….to each their own. 🙂 – What’s “popular” keeps changing with each generation, every decade and even year to year.
Always loved that song.
There are more than 8 of us…
Love this!
That makes me laugh! Considering Twisted Sister was on Tipper’s dirty mind list, I’d say there’s more then 10 people who not only get this, but enjoy the mental pics this inspires!
This, indeed, is very amusing. Thank you for it.
Word
I have to let you know that your blog post was one of the emails I was going through during a lull in the work day. This gave me a thorough laugh lol. It quenched my dark sense of humor lol. Thank you for this. I needed it.
The first time I heard ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ the song really resonated with me. I was an abused kid – physical, mental, you name it – and the song became my mantra. The entire album was played on repeat during that period of my life, and eventually I stopped taking it. I spoke out against the abuse I was receiving at the hands of my mother and my step father, and started taking steps towards a better life for myself. I was 11-12 and still had a lot of life to live. And I really did wanna rock. Instead I love ON a rock (the isle of Newfoundland) all these years later.
Hahaha! Awesome!
Word.
Nice. The Twisted Sister line that always got me? It’s one I didn’t even hear until later, really, when I truly learned all the lyrics (I’m a ’76 model and lived in a house where, when we got cable because it was free on base, MTV was blocked). Anyway, it’s “if that’s your best, your best won’t do.” I saw/see it from both sides. Side A, if you will, is the parental disappointment, even when you’ve done your best. It’s never enough. So it’s a sad line. But on the B side, there’s the notion of no, it’s not good enough for COVID vaccines to be free. Insulin should be too, dammit. And barely acknowledging the existence of trans people, rather than giving them full rights as human beings? Nah, bros. That’s not enough. When you know better, do better. So, yeah.
And also, I Wanna Rock is a great song. I think I’ll go play some Ms. Pac-Man now.
That album also has a song titled Burn in Hell where the devil is telling somebody (you, me, Dee?) that they are on the express train to hell f they don’t straighten up. So many mixed messages on that album.
I love that song, partly because I always have that scene from Peewee’s Big Adventure stuck in my head whenever I hear it.
Did music videos for “IWTR” and “WNGTTI” both feature that guy from Animal House? Or was it just “WNGTTI”?
Both of these songs are one reason we re-watch Rock of Ages at least once a year. That is a fucking hilarious film and Tom Cruise does all his own singing!
Lol
I am amused.
Thanks for sharing!
At the oldie age of 57 I considered them both to be my fight songs. Iron Eagle sorta enhanced the mood. I never became a fighter pilot but to this day they are my gotos along with Danger Zone from Top Gun. I might have missed what you were implying but that’s my take on that.
If I weren’t nearly hairless I’d be throwing my locks around like a proper hair band!
You’ve mentioned your playlists before. Is there any way that you can share them with us? I’d certainly be interested in an 80s arcade playlist.
If you have Spotify, you can search for my name, and it’ll give you links to all my public playlists.
I do! I’ll look that up. Thanks so much!
The video for this song was a defining moment of my childhood. Even at age 7 I knew seconds into my first viewing I’d be read the riot act if my parents caught me watching it, but I always sat through the entire video anyway whenever it came on.
This Patrick Bateman impression means nothing if you are not wearing the translucent white rain gear. “Axe swinging intensifies” indeed!
More of a curiosity than a response to the post in question, but played any good games lately Wil?
We played Sushi Go on vacation, and it was as fun as it always is. I’m also spending an extraordinary amount of time playing Donkey Kong on my arcade cabinet, and NHL22 on my PS4.
Can you share your 80s arcade playlist? I spent a good deal of the 80s at my local arcade so would be curious if this would stir up some memories.
On a side note; Twister Sister released a Christmas album called Twisted Christmas and the song “Oh come all ye faithful” is done to the exact beat of “We’re not going to take it”.
Twidted Sister:: knowing that Mark Metcalf, from Animal House, One crazy Summer is the “Father” in the video makes it so very cool!!
Never occurred to me till just now how close to “O, Come All Ye Faithful” “We’re Not Gonna Take It” is. Bizarre, truly bizarre. But then, Twisted Sister.
I think you’ve captured some truly forgotten spirit of the era. Not sure I’d want to go back to it, but still…