While there was some "Poor boy born in the rubble" tough guy, cops are down on me, type lyrics in the Standells songs, the Standells didn't write their songs, Ed Cobb (of the Four Preps) did.
There was a Rolling Stones, bad boy, stance adopted by a lot of bands in the mid 60s. Genuine political protest came later (and many of the songs from that era are completly devoid of politics, apart from maybe free sex and drugs).
The Monks included a stray comment about Vietnam in the lyrics of Black Monk Time but they were American ex-GIs who only played/recorded in Germany. The comment about his "brother died in Vietnam" is really more symbolic than literal, Gary didn't have a brother who died there.
No when you hear discussion of "punk" to far too many people it started in England in the 1970s or else they are talking about hardcore punk. It's like trying to say that "Heartbreak Hotel" and "In The Year 2525" are both "rock and roll". They may both be "rock" songs but they aren't both "rock and roll". The roll is gone in the hippy tune.
As difficult as it is to find a solid political (and especially leftist, say "Great Society" booster) content in mid-60s songs, it is virtually non-existant in 1950s rock and roll (especially wild rockabilly which is the punk of the 1950s).
brillient analysis and on the spot quick.
i know my obscure groups as well as anyone, i'm impressed.
(how about them plastic bald munks cowels those guys wore.
what a hoot.
Thank you for going to the trouble to explain this. I am clueless about music of the last 30 years, so I appreciate the detailed information.