Skinhead!! SHARP!!

(the title is taken from the title of a YouTube video I found and for some reason I decided that I liked it)

(The intro to this was re-typed and republished in Feb. 2020)

(SHARP is SkinHead Against Racial Prejudice)

As you know, I alter lyrics of songs I listen to and and post them. About half the ones below are based on stuff I politically despise, that's explained here.

There's some extra things I have to explain with this post. First, these are my poems about anti-racist skinheads. At some point I might do a post explaining why I believe them fighting Nazi skinheads is helpful to the anti-racist cause (including making it less likely Nazis will attack innocent people), but the legal stuff with that is iffy (if you want, email me and I'll email that to you). And although I focus in the poems largely on the violence, a lot of what anti-racist skinheads do that decrease the flow of recruits to Nazi skinhead groups is non-violent.

Also, I should point out that a HUGE part of this web-site is aimed at improving our anti-hate work and doing other things that will decrease the flow of recruits to Nazi skinhead organizations (although I haven’t read hardly anything on the web-site of the Southern Poverty Law Center for about 5 years, I get the impression that there may be fewer Nazi SKINHEADS today than there were 5 years ago, but when I first wrote this I had reason to believe they were still a serious part of the problem).

This will be the second post where I include stuff based on N. Ireland loyalist music which I also listen to (three of the poems below are based on it). Although I could point to the fact that I'm Catholic and Irish-American (which partly closes the gap between saying I shouldn't use those songs and saying I can do whatever I want with them), it can't hurt if I also remind people that I've done a lot to fight what that music stands for.

I have a small amount of knowledge about skinheads that is drawn from talking with them, and I have a lot from reading good sources, a lot of common sense, and 100% of what I have written in the notes and lyrics has gone uncritisized by a SHARP I know and an anti-fascist militant I know. The main thing is that I know that SHARPs are helpful to the anti-racist cause, and the odds are pretty good that I got the details about skinheads right.

Lastly, as far as i can tell, only some large minority of anti-racist skins can be considered solidly left-wing or progressive, probably a small majority in America would vote Republican (that's a rough, educated estimate) and many are sort of or very non-political. And probably most are very patriotic. THE POINT is that I'm not trying to give a slightly innacurate impression through my lyrics of the politics of anti-racist skins, but probably a small majority are more or less as left-wing as I am, and the fact is that I'm going to write these songs more or less as a leftist.

Also, some anti-racist skinheads identify as such just so that fewer people will think they're racist. These poems are certainly about those who go beyond that.

Since I originally wrote these poems, I have learned that what this or that color of laces means is even more confused than I thought. In general, white is fash, black is neutral, and non-black colored laces are anti-racist, but there are plenty of exceptions.

I also believe that even though they're skinheads, they're probably in some ways less violent than the Nazis. Fascism celebrates violence. And even though their numbers are small I would still ask, how often do you hear of anti-racist skinheads attacking innocent people? And they are anti-racist skinheads partly because they are worried about the image of skinhead, which I think makes it likely they are less likely to attack innocent people.

Lastly, I should address my frequent references to the working-class. Although there are probably some exceptions, skinheads in general are working-class and even when it’s warped by fascism, they have a strong sense of working-class pride. As far as the anti-racist ones, I’m not saying they’re at the heart of the working-class or represent more than some absolutely tiny percentage of that class or that they will play a central role in defeating fascism (I even wouldn’t be surprised if their numbers are fewer today than they were in the past). But I like to talk about what they are fighting for the way I do in the poems below.

Here and there I say that a "crew" is a skinhead gang. But, with the exception of the Nazis, it doesn't mean what you think.

I'm going to start with the least impressive and end with the most. I'll indicate which are based on racist, republican, loyalist or other stuff.


For the rest of the poems click on the "lyrics" label at the bottom (there are at least two pages worth of posts, so click on the "older posts" at the bottom of the first page). The rest of the SHARP poems are found, along with some other poems, here. There are three poems about Ian Stuart Donaldson here. Although it's partly a republican thing about N. Ireland, there is an anti-fascist video I found on YouTube and after I got permission from the person who created it, I uploaded it to my blog. It's pretty funny if you are anti-fascist and even remotely pro-IRA.


"Nazi Scum" based on "S.H.A.R.P. Scum" (RACIST) by Vinland Warriors, original lyrics are here.

1. The original says "back" instead of "black" but it almost sounds like "black" which is hilarious. Also, in 1998 in Las Vegas, two SHARPs (Lin Newborn, 25, and Dan Shersty, 21), were killed by Nazis, one of them was black, so I decided to do the lyrics this way and dedicate the song to the Black anti-racist skinheads.
2. Although I believe people should beat the shit out of them, and I can make an exception for this next part, I actually am more or less against people killing them.
3. There's an argument, that I believe, that the Nazi skinheads are not really skinheads, they usurped the skinhead identity. This is based on the idea that since the skinhead sub-culture was started in connection with Jamaicans, if you're a racist you can't be a skinhead.
**4. 6% of this version is me, 94% is the original.
5. I give this song/poem three stars out of five.
6. Like many of my songs, I am writing with someone else voice. That's certainly the case here.
7. Based on some things I've learned, I believe black skinheads probably have some kind of black pride. In a SHARP youtube video, at the beginning, it says "pride without prejudice."

You take our style and our streets
We are skinheads, we're the elites
Get out of our way, we're coming for you
believe me that the talk is true

Chorus:
Nazi scum
You fucking scum
Nazi scum
Your time will come
Nazi scum
You're under attack
Class pride
We're proud to be black

We're gonna put all of you down
We'll put you six feet underground
You're gonna fall one by one
Now pay the price you fucking scum

Chorus

This war has just begun
We're coming for you with loaded guns
I want to put a bullet in your head
Put you in a coffin before you're dead

******

"Jan Kucera" based on "Billy Reid" (REPUBLICAN) author unknown, lyrics are here.

1. Jan Kucera was a Czech SkinHead Against Racial Prejudice killed by Nazis in early 2008. See this. Also, I found two commemoration videos (actually, there's others, but these are my favorites) here, and here (this one shows security camera footage of the incident, might be upsetting).
2. It's not likely the flags all flew at half mast, but they should have, and the best option seemed to be to leave it that way.
3. It's not clear, but I got the impression somewhere that the stabbing was in an apartment building, possibly Jan's. The impression I got was that the Nazis followed the anti-fascists from the pub and attacked again.
**5. 32% of this version is me, 68% is the original (that includes 100% of a new verse, where I twice altered the second-to-last verse of the original).
6. I give this song/poem four stars out of five.
7. Bonehead is an anti-racist term for Nazi Skinheads.

I'll sing you a song, of a terrible wrong,
When the flags all flew at half-mast
A man he lay dead, he was killed by boneheads,
And he died because he stood fast

chorus:
And the radio said, a skin was stabbed dead
And he died an antifascist to the last
But they never said why, Jan Kucera had to die
Well he died for the working-class

It happened in 2008, when boneheads full of hate
Set out to start a pub fight
Dumb as the KKK, they thought the SHARPs would run away
But the SHARPs knew they were right

Chorus

Back at his place, returned the Aryan race
And when the fight had begun
His position was dire, but his spirit never tired
His courage was second to no one's

chorus

Allthough the fash had a knife, Jan readily risked his life
His fists flew and they flew and they flew
But the fash stabbed with the blade, and then ran away
And Jan lay dying surrounded by his friends and his crew.

chorus

And when he was dead, all remembered for what he had bled
The casket, 400 friends and family did surround
And the fash still fear him yet, and they'll never forget,
How brave Jan Kucera stood his ground.

Chorus

If you think he was right, come join in the fight,
And help to protect the working-class
For although he is dead, we remember for what he bled
And in our minds his memory will last.

Chorus


******

“Stand Up And Be Counted SHARPs/RASH” based on “Stand Up And Be Counted” (RACIST) by the Klansmen, original lyrics are here.

1. The original is a classic Ku Klux Klan song.
2. SHARP is SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice, RASH is Red and Anarchist SkinHeads.
3. Doc Martens are boots worn by something like 99% of skinheads.
4. Three Arrows is an anti-fascist symbol (that’s what I call it). Braces are suspenders.
5. Bonehead is an anti-racist term for Nazi Skinhead.
**86. 44% of this version is me, 56% is the original.
7. I give this song/poem two stars out of five.
 8. My thoughts about American democracy are here.

Chorus:
Stand up and be counted, help us stop the fash
Stand up and be counted, join the SHARPs or the RASH

We are anti-racists, who love the working-class too
We always can be counted on, when there's a job to do
We serve the working-class day and night, to keep it always free
Proudly wear our Doc Martens, protecting liberty.

Chorus

Survival calls for vigilance the symbols of our scene
Baseball bats and Three arrows, boots and braces, we’re anti-fash machines
Against hate and fascism we fight the fash hand to hand
We must defeat the boneheads to save our democratic land

Chorus

******

This song is based on "Skinhead Boy" by Prussian Blue (RACIST).

Here are some notes:
1) Towards the begginning, even though I'm not a sociologist, I feel comfortable saying that "race" is something we should stand up against.
2) I changed the color of laces from WHITE to BLUE (in my experience, blue stood for anti-racism).
3) "Pride." We know what kind of fucked up pride they mean, but skinheads also have a sense of working-class pride, so in this version it refers to that.

Unfortunately for me (depending on the circumstances in which I sing it) the original was written by two teenage girls who adore nazi skinheads. No matter what version I sing, I'm skipping the chorus for various reasons (the chorus, bearing in mind that "oi!" is a skinhead phrase, is "oi, oi, oi Skinhead boy, you're my oi boy"). Although under certain circumstances I'd be willing to sing the anti-racist version of "Skinhead BOY" (there's two lines I'm comfortable singing, but the chorus, at least the vast majority of the time I imagine singing it for people, it would not be appropriate) below are the anti-racist lyrics for "Skinhead GIRL." (a Chelsea is a skinhead girl haircut) The original lyrics can be found here (they get one line wrong- instead of "come inside give us a view" it should be "comrades like you are so few").

**2% of this version is me, 98% is the original (excluding sex changes).

I give this song/poem four stars out of five.

UPDATE 11/30/09 I'm tempted to change the 3rd and fourth lines to: Skinhead girl, courage unsurpassed/ Standing up proud for the working-class. Let me know what you think in comments or by email.
UPDATE 1/20/20 I just made that change.

"Skinhead Girl"
Skinhead girl, standing fast
Not afraid to kick some ass
Skinhead girl, courage unsurpassed
Standing up proud for the working-class
Skinhead girl, skinhead woman, please stay true to our plan
Skinhead girl, skinhead woman, some day you will save our land
Skinhead girl with the boots and braces
Your boots tied with bright blue laces
Chelsea hair and eyes so blue
Comrades like you are so few
Skinheads are my favorites
They're the real patriots
They have honor, they have pride
They have courage deep inside

****

"Get Out Nazi Boneheads" based "go On Home British Soldiers" (REPUBLICAN) by South Dublin Union (performed by lots of groups), original lyrics are here.

1. Bonehead is an ant-racist term for nazi skinhead.
2. The idea, quite credible, is that the nazis aren't real skinheads and don't understand what it's about. The idea is that the Nazi skinheads are not really skinheads, they usurped the skinhead identity. This is based on the idea that since the skinhead sub-culture was started in connection with Jamaicans, if you're a racist you can't be a skinhead.
3. Although there were explicitly anti-fascist skinheads before this, they got more explicit in 1987 by using the term "SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice."
4. I'm sure they're willing to keep fighting for as long as neccessary, but I decided to go with the original (which says 800). Besides, it gives the rest of the anti-fascist/hate movement incentive to make some progress, we'll only have our skin allies for 22 more years! : )
5. The ARA is anti-racist action, a group aligned with anti-racist skins which the nazis like roughly as much as they like SHARP (in hindsight I'm not sure I really HAD to refer to the ARA, but apparently when I was altering that line ARA worked best; I appologize if the ARA is offended).
6. In 1998 two anti-racist skins were killed by Nazis in Las Vegas, NV. They were Lin Newborn, 25, and Dan Shersty, 21.
7. I imagine that after making some effort to prove they've changed, nazis are welcome to join SHARPs, probably with some exceptions. I've heard of one who became a nazi because his dad was telling him what to do, but then the Klan started telling him what to do, so he became a SHARP.
8. Psychotic might not be the best word for what I was thinking, but makes more sense than "violent."
9. the red, white, and black are the colors of the nazi flag.
**10. 55% of this version is me, 45% is the original.
11. I give this song/poem four stars out of five.
12. When I refer to the working-class united, that's not as weird as you might think. I can't remember the details but in a class on African-American history, I learned that sometime in the 1700s in America there were rebellions by the lower classes and that these were very diverse. In response, the upper-classes started talking up white supremacy as a way to divide and weaken the lower classes.

Chorus:
Get out Nazi boneheads, get the fuck out
Have you any fucking idea what Skinhead is all about?
for twenty-two years, we've fought you without fear
and we will fight you for twenty-two more.

If you stay, Nazi boneheads, if you stay
you'll never ever beat us or the ARA
the brothers in 1998, will be the last before we end your hate
so take a tip and join us while you may.

Chorus

skinhead's not fascist, it's not hateful it's not psychotic
It's working-class! and proud we are to be
so fuck your red, white, and black, we want our scene back
we want to see the working-class united once more.

Chorus

Well we're fighting nazi boneheads for the cause
we'll never bow to the fash because
throughout our history, everyone was born to be free
so get out Nazi boneheads leave us be.

Chorus

*****

"Jane Hawkins," based on "Joe Hawkins" (originally non-political skinhead song, now SHARP) by The Oppressed, original lyrics here.

1. To be honest, when I first read the lyrics for the original, I hated it. Mostly because of the anti-hippie stuff. I'm not in love with them, but as a socialist, I figure about half of them are my allies, and skinhead hostility towards hippies is, at best, stupid. And I have reason to believe there has actually been some harrassment-violence towards hippies. But then I watched the video (I think it might be official instead of fan-made), for some reason I can't figure (I'm pretty sure most of the skinheads in the video were non-political; if they're anti-racist, I like it even more), I really liked it, and I certainly like the music, and as far as their anti-fascist/left-wing stuff, I love The Oppressed.
2. I started changing it simply by switching it from male to female- I don't know how I got that idea, but considering the final result, I'm glad I did.
3. Bonehead is an anti-racist term for nazi skinheads.
4. Chelsea is a skinhead girl hair-cut.
5. Roddy Moreno is/was the leader of The Oppressed, and spread the message of SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice from America to Europe, and probably had some affect on the growth of SHARP elsewhere.
6. Suss, I think basically refers to smarts.
7. I left out the third line of the Chorus- "she cares about you" just sounds lame.
8. If there actually was a real Joe Hawkins, that makes it a little awkward, but odds are there wasn't.
**9. 15% of this song is me, 85% is the original (I didn't count sex changes).
10. I give this song/poem four stars out of five.

See her walking down the street
Doctor Martens on her feet
Levi Jeans, Ben Sherman shirt
Nazis fuck with her, they'll get hurt

Chorus:
She's a skinhead, and she cares
Marten boots and Chelsea hair

Walking down on the Brighton pier
Nazi boneheads filled with fear
Crunch of bone as the boot goes in
Jane's so proud to be a skin

Chorus

Roddy Moreno changed her ways
Now she's SHARP, she's her to stay
So if you think you've got the suss
Be a SHARP, be like us

Chorus

She's a Queen, Queen of the skins
What's her name, Jane Hawkins

******

"Skins of the RASH" based on "Men of the UDA" (LOYALIST) by the Thornlie Boys (wouldn't surprise me if the lyrics are originally by someone else, with loyalist and republican stuff the author is often unclear/unknown) (can't find original lyrics on internet, see this)

1. RASH is Red and Anarchist SkinHeads.
2. Orange County CA seems to have more than it's fair share of Nazi skinheads (that sounds wierd, like there should be a more equal distribution- I'd like to see more in Valhalla or Hell (preferabbly Hell, I'm not sure if people who gang up on (likely) weaker people because of bigotry deserve Valhalla (actually, I'm against killing them, for various reasons, and am mostly against permanently injurying them)).
3. I'm not sure if Nazi skinheads (boneheads) are disproportionately found in the former Confederacy, but it seemed like the best substitute.
4. "No Pasaran" is a slogan from the anti-fascist side of the Spanish Civil War, it means "They Shall Not Pass."
5. All/most RASH wear red-laces, although a lot of Nazi skinheads also wear red laces.
6. The original is about the Ulster Defense Association, which has, to one degree or another been connected to British Nazis. So, this song is not one where I have not twisted the original lyrics into the exact opposite of what they were intended, but there is still great conflict between my poem and the original.
**6. 50% of this version is me, 50% is the original.
7. I give this song/poem four stars out of five.

in a dear little country they call America I joined with the skins of the RASH
and I was trained in combat with my comrades to defeat the fucking fash

now we'll go on down into Orange County, we'll go into the Confederacy
to seek out and fight the boneheads, and knock those fash down to their knees

Chorus:
"No Pasaran" is our motto, and this is why we fight the fascist threat
For none shall ever seperate the brothers and sisters of the Proletariat

our members, they're some of the bravest since the 1945 push for Berlin
and that is why they volunteer to join with the red-laced skins

you know they're all over America, and in this anti-fascist war they'll prevail
and when the working-class she calls on them, their courage it never fails

chorus

******

"Three Arrows" based on "Orange Wings" (LOYALIST) (multiple versions, can't find the right one, but a similar version is here)

1. Three arrows is an anti-fascist symbol; I'm certain of that, but besides that I know nothing of this symbol.
2. I wouldn't say they're America's best, non-violent anti-racists are even more important.
3. part "...before it's too late/We're gonna end, this fascist hate" is more or less borrowed from "Nazi Nightmare" by The Oppressed.
4. OC refers to Orange County, CA, where there's a LOT of Nazi skinheads.
5. I don't expect the ANC to endorse American anti-racist skinheads, but I don't think they'll complain about this either (it's clearly referring to the military wing, it's not referring to the organization in government, or the faction that broke off, but the military wing which doesn't even exist anymore).
6. It'd be nice if there were 10,000 anti-racist skinheads in America, there's probably closer to 3,000. Maybe if my arguements in favor of them get out there more, there'll be more.
7. obviously, I mean former Confederacy, although I'm not sure if Nazi skinheads are more common there than in PA or IN for example.
8. Bonehead is an anti-racist term for Nazi skinhead.
9. White laces are worn by Nazi skinheads on their boots (in America, if they're nazis and they wear red laces, that usually means they at least tried to kill someone).
10. I'm certain they don't pass on their boots, but it made the most sense, and rhymed. I'm not sure if Nazi skinheads are the grass-roots, but it's close to accurate.
UPDATE 2/2/11 I just realized that "bats," "Docs," (docs are boots) might have been better. Sometime soon I will look at the rhymes available with those words.

11. The original is about the UDA, a loyalist paramilitary with more or less strong ties to British Nazi organizations, so this is twisted.
**11. 56% of this version is me, 44% is the original.
12. I give this song/poem four stars out of five.

Three arrows, upon my breast
For we are anti-racists, America's best
10,000 of us will fight before it's too late
We're gonna end, this fascist hate

And when we go into the OC
Just like the soldiers of the ANC

10,000 of us will fight before it's too late
We're gonna end, this fascist hate
Three arrows, upon my breast
For we are anti-racists, America's best
10,000 of us will fight before it's too late
We're gonna end, this fascist hate

And when we go, into the Confederacy
The boneheads, will be brought down to their knees
The scum in white laces, we will smash their faces
We are skinheads, of all races

So when we're dead, we're in our graves
No fancy tombstones, shall we crave
Just give our boots, to the new recruits
And they will fight, the racist grass-roots

Three arrows, upon my breast
For we are anti-racists, America's best
10,000 of us will fight before it's too late
We're gonna end, this fascist hate

******

"SHARP" based on "CYC" (LOYALIST) by Rab C., original lyrics are here (this loyalist song is probably the most offensive thing I listen to, the lyrics might be upsetting)

1. The first two lines are almost unchanged and despite the fact that they oddly don't rhyme, they seem to work.
2. Ian Stuart was the world's most famous Nazi skinhead. UPDATE 2/2/11 Saying that they terrorized the entire nation is an exaggeration, but lots of people have been terrorized by Nazis.
3. SHARP is SkinHead Against Racial Prejudice.
4. The ARA is Anti-Racist Action, a group with some connections to anti-racist skinheads, and is mostly/entirely youth, (their website, which has changed sometime recently, used to emphasize the youth aspect of the group) the average age is probably 19 ((I feel odd referring to an actual organization like that and hope they aren't offended, but the original refers to a second group related to the first).
5. Fred Perry and Ben Sherman are kinds of shirts traditionally worn by skinheads.
6. For a while I wasn't sure about this, but it seems like there is a lot of conflict between cops and SHARPs. As I've said elsewhere, I'm sure there is some friendliness here and there between cops and Nazi skinheads, although it's probably not common at all- it sort of makes sense that the Nazis would hide behind the cops.
7. The Connolly Column was the main Irish contribution to the anti-fascist side in the Spanish Civil War, and were something like 50-90% former IRA members. Between that and the fact that the original is about a youth-wing of the UDA (a loyalist paramilitary with more or less strong ties to British Nazis) the lyrics are twisted.
**8. 29% of this version is me, 71% is the original.
9. I give this song/poem five stars out of five.

All told their partners when they got home that
They didn't know where the blood came from
They beat them with bottles and their fists and their feet
And they kicked them up and down the street

'cause they hate Ian Stuart and Nazi organizations
That's what's terrorized the entire nation
All the Nazis were acting like pricks
And the SHARPS beat them with their bats and their kicks

When the cops tried to stop their bus
The union driver said it's nothing to do with us
So on your way, and have a nice day
Up the boys and girls in the ARA

It was the maddest thing that you ever have seen
All the young SHARPs as an anti-racist machine
They beat them good, they beat them insane
They fought like the Connolly Column in Spain

When the cops tried to intervene
They got it too, the best you've ever seen
Nazis ran away and hid behind the cops
Up the young people in the Fred Perry tops

The crowds all cheered as the SHARPS marched by
All the soldiers with their heads held high
They clapped their hands and stamped their feet
Anti-racist fighters are on the street

So please love don't be mad with me
Send my Ben Sherman out for a wee dry-clean
And if the cops are at my door
Tell them I don't live here anymore

One last note: Even with the songs that are only about 10% me (and at the upper end, one is 75% me), I have a request, although I don't have strong feelings or expectations about this. First, I want credit for these songs. Second, I'd appreciate it if the notes follow the lyrics around the internet. If you modify the lyrics further, please either make some notes for the changes if you leave some of my changes, or just provide a link to this URL so people can see my version. Although I'm not sure how many people will like what I'm doing with the lyrics, to one degree or another (depending on how much I changed them) I'm proud of these songs- and at the risk of getting a little personal, if people like the songs, I could really use the extra boost of getting credit for them right now (or if you don't like them, they were all written by Sarah Palin- that fascist, what kind of sick person enjoys altering racist lyrics?).