The movement slowed down in the subsequent years following the breakup of Minor Threat, but the attitude this movement inspired still can be seen in every facet of culture. вЂњI think that the idea of straight edge, the song that I wrote, and the way people have related it it, thereвЂ™s some people who have abused it, theyвЂ™ve allowed their fundamentalism to interfere with the real message, which in my mind, was that people should be allowed to live their lives the way they want to.вЂќ This went against the very mindset Mackaye originally thought of while coming up with this attitude. Unfortunately it led to a very militant and violent movement, where people who did not subscribe to these views were often beaten up and harassed at different shows. But the X became a larger than life symbol of the fansвЂ™ allegiance to being straight edge and not conforming. They marked themselves with large XвЂ™s on their hands to signify the fact they were underage. This also allowed kids who were underage to attend shows, as they would not drink at the venues. A whole subculture grew out of this, with new bands like SSD and 7 seconds dedicating themselves to upholding these principles viciously. This inspired an innumerable number of kids and youth who felt restricted by the same social norms to live by this creed. Three things which meant so much to everyone in the world, were reduced to shards by a 19 year old refusing to yield his values. Mackaye defined his philosophy in three simple rules, no smoking, no drinking and no casual sex. IвЂ™m a person, just like you, but IвЂ™ve got better things to do than sit around and fuck my head, hang out with the living dead. This philosophy was captured in and subsequently named after the song вЂ“ straight edge. Disenchanted by all the drugs, alcohol, and debauchery of the original punk bands which came before, Mackaye defined a way of life for himself which would become a movement for thousands of others. There were two crucial ideas that Minor Threat pioneered which would change the face of culture not just musically, but socially. The entire discography of the band clocks in at forty seven minutes long and is an incredible body of work.Д«ut while the music that they made will stand the test of time, it is really what the band represented that truly makes them quite possibly the most important music act of the 1980вЂ™s. Instead of focusing on political issues like a lot of punk rock was geared towards, Mackaye tackled personal themes like the betrayal of friends, the loss of innocence, and the angst from being misunderstood as well as ignored.В The music captured all the aggression and frustration that any young person had ever experienced and delivered it in a format ready for the taking. Their songs were like a blitz, with an impressive and ballistic rhythm section keeping things in balance alongside a blazing onslaught of guitar riffs, while Mackaye barked some incredibly thoughtful lyrics with an animal like intensity and ferocity.

In my opinion, Minor Threat really defined what it meant to be вЂhardcoreвЂ™. Formed in 1980, in the heart of the nation, Washington D.C, by Ian Mackaye and Jeff Nelson, Minor Threat was one of the foremost guiding and potent forces in the underground punk scene of the 1980вЂ™s. This simple line encapsulates everything that legendary hardcore band Minor Threat stood for.

I might be an adult, but IвЂ™m a minor at heart.

Minor threat it follows me lyrics