Badge Means You Suck
1980 · Pineapple VRRNP-864-865 · Houston, Texas
- Artist
- AK-47
- Title
- Badge Means You Suck
- Release
- The Badge Means You Suck
- Year
- 1980
- Label
- Pineapple # VRRNP-864-865
- Format
- Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Houston, Texas, USA
- Genre
- Rock · Punk Rock
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation
Punk Rock formed in 1979 in Houston, Texas, USA. Members included: Tim Phlegm (vocals), Harry Leverette [aka Raton Pi], Stewart Cannon [aka Neutron Stu] (guitar), Jim Crane [aka James Allstar] (bass), Sleepy (drums). The song "The Badge Means You Suck" is about police violence against minorities, and in this case, the true story of African-American Vietnam veteran, Milton Gover, killed by 8 shots, on 21 March 1976. (1) (2) (3) The song started with the veteran back home "black man just back from Nam". He went jogging at night to "calm his nerves" - possible a reference to PTSD - which "to a cop is a nigger crook". So they shot him dead.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Deliberately anonymous punk band founded in Houston, Texas in 1979 by guitarist Harry Leverette; their lone single 'The Badge Means You Suck' b/w 'Kiss My Machine' (1980), protesting killings by Houston police, drew a threatened $1 million lawsuit from the Houston Police Officers Association that failed because the members could not be identified. [Source: Texas Monthly]
Themes
Vet · Civil Rights · PTSD