Song #10 in our set list is one of our finest – the most Gang of Four-sounding song we have (and I LOVE Gang of Four). “Reason Wrong!” uses ‘reason’ as a verb to provide faux advice on how to succeed in life. The lyrics cite examples of faulty logic which succeed in notoriety, and then the song applies this motif to the modern phenomenon of ‘going viral’. The song, then, provides a bridge from the ‘80s, in which 2/3 of the song was written, to now, where we add a verse and update the arrangement. A special shout-out in this song goes out to our bassist Vernon, who laid down the original snarky bass riff back in the 80s. Jim channels Andrew Gill (RIP) with sustained guitar feedback that captures the jarring cognitive dissonance that this new-world counter-logic produces. The song itself was not formally recorded until 2023 – see the link below.

Here’s the chorus:
Reason Wrong
It will cure you
Conscience won’t affect you
Reason Wrong,
We will believe you
‘Cause we reason like you

Cynical, no? But it’s such a FUN song!
This song was recorded previously live only
See for yourself – we released it as a single in 2023:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMV-T-P59WE

Come see us open the show tomorrow night in Baltimore!

The sixth song in our order is “Save the Changes”, which, to be blunt, might be the most in-the-moment song in our repertoire, even though it was written a couple decades back.  The title is the refrain, and, yes, as we undergo changes in our world today, it should be pointed out that some things have been changed for the good and need to be saved. “Save the Changes” is built on a classic punk riff but  also features soaring musical orchestration as Jim does his best single-guitar Agent Orange imitation and the band cuts loose for the entire end of the song.

There is no favorite line. The more these lines get read, the better.  Here ‘s the whole thing:

SAVE THE CHANGES

So much history,

So much debt stacked endlessly,

We store it in machines,

But they don’t have the memory-

The special word programs

Are making short work of the ages,

But what has really been done lately,

And where’s our way to liberty wandered?

Save the changes,

‘Cause once they’re gone, 

They may never come back

Save the changes,

We may never be back

This way again . . .

There’s no story to tell,

There is just this situation,

We ponder through the piles,

Searching for a panacea-

Lately its been better,

Tomorrow not so sure,

I think it’s changing as we speak.

More like it was before . . .

Save the changes,

We’ve come too fucking far

to turn back-

Save the changes,

Some day it’ll come out

Sounding right-

Nothing is ever finished,

The editing goes on and on,

We take what we can handle,

We share what we can understand-

The special word programs

Hold the keys to generations,

Everything we work for,

Echoes throughout time

Save the changes,

‘Cause once they’re gone, 

They may never come back

Save the changes,

We may never be back

This way again . . .

#5 in The Submensas’s set is “Love You”, a 2-minute power-pop-punk song that is aptly named, though it is not the usual love song. It’s about carefree, untethered romance – carpe diem, so to speak. Here’s the opening lines:

Asphyxiated minds

And penetrated souls

The only thing that’s happening

Is holding on to you* –

Yet I am not sure where the song comes down – it’s kind of ambiguous as to whether this is a love song or a kiss-off song.  I guess it’s both – the ‘literary ambiguity’ that we all know and love.  Right up there with David Bowie.  

Musically it’s got a great, danceable beat and a guitar lead in the middle that simulates a brisk afternoon fling – that’s exactly what you were thinking, right, Jim?

“Love You” is also available on Spotify and I-Tunes etc

* dontcha love the slant rhyme “souls” and “you”?  I mean, they both have a “u’…)

“Headache” is song #4 on our set list.  This is a classic punk song – it sounds right out of the ‘80s, cause it was written in the 80s, only never actually finished until recently.  I needed a song for my stage play 1980, so I pulled this one out of the files and Jim put a pretty cool riff to it for the play. When the Submensas reformed it was a natural fit.  So it has the unique quality of being very old and yet our newest original song. We released it as a single and it is doing the best on Spotify of all of our songs. The lyrics are short and direct, as in:

My head hurts / I know why

Too much searching / Not enough prize,

My head hurts/ I know why

Can’t find the Grail in a garbage pile.

Thematically, it is what it is, a song about angst and dreams unfulfilled, but it’s got a catchy refrain and a cascading drum montage by Darryl that really sells the song.  Also a special shoutout to Vernon for a superb vocal arrangement.  Plus, the final mastering was done by a Grammy-winning engineer!

This song kicks off a series of five classic punk-type  songs… the heart of our order. 

Song #3 in the set list is “Blood on the Bands”… hmm, what can we say about BoB?  First off, the AC/DC-esque title is not far off the mark – this song is a screamer (not like Bon Scott, however, more like Henry Rollins).  And, yes, there’s blood, and bands, and one of Jim’s most fascinating guitar leads that sounds like a crazy science experiment boiling over – this lead comes in response to one of my best lyrics ever:

The blood is on the bands

The demands of misfits 

They’re having hope,

But it’s the secret hidden dope in their ears.

… and then Jim’s guitar lead conjures up that ‘dope in the ears’ sensation – and one tends to bang one’s head in that circumstance… Hence, I would call this one a ‘banger’,  It also has a  rhythm that I would put right up next to System of a Down. Thematically, the song calls into question the soporific effect that modern music has on the population – another distraction from the five alarm fire at the center of power. You can’t wash your hands.; the blood is on the bands. Good song #3.

The second song in our set list is our newest addition, “Trading Cards of Glory,” the title song from our 2012 compilation release (44x songs available on Bandcamp). It was one of the last songs composed by the Subs in our first incarnation (‘83 – 93), and it probably hasn’t been played more than once or twice ever. That said, it’s a fantastic song, and more relevant today than ever. It’s got a great guitar hook and the ever-increasing presence of Vernon with his sweet, David Bowie-esque background vocals – we are becoming quite Buzzcocky with our harmonies lately. The ending verse says it all:

“Now is the time for healing and feeling,

So let’s go down to the flea market.”

There’s a lot to unpack in this one, but we are commenting on the passage of time from the 1980s to present day. The only thing is, perhaps recent times have awakened a new energy that puts our reminiscing on hold. But even so, the relics of the past hold even more significance now. Possibly it is in the past where hope that things can be better can be found, and that we can help make it so. Or, perhaps the song looks forward to a future in which the conflagrations of our times are but embers and all of us can just relax and go down to the flea market. I honestly couldn’t tell you which angle the song is taking.