This one has grown on me A LOT. I'd say my current rating is now 8.2/10, especially if we're talking the live version from Redrocks. I've had that on repeat as of late! 🤘-Joel

I saw them live on Warped in Dallas,TX. They were the closer and Rise Against went on before them. It's started to rain toward the end of Rise Against set. NOFX came on play half way through the set and the rain started to coming down on us hard. After the rain die down, the show continues. The sound guys announced to Fat Mike that they're only have enough time for five more songs. NOFX started to play the Decline and after the song, Fat Mike told the crowds that was one song. The sound guy wasn't amused lol.

This song is deep. It took me 20 some years to fully get the whole message. I wish I was currently in a more eloquent type of mindframe, because it is going to be hard to verbalize the complexities in this song. Recently I've come to the conclusion that it is my all-time favorite song. There really isn't a better song out there. I'm only 11 mins in to the reaction, but one thing I can tell that you missed already, was the "dime in California" part. It's referring to the contrast in marijuana criminality in California versus Michigan. In Michigan, he receives a 20 year prison sentence, whereas in California, he would have received a $20 fine. "Jerry only stayed a couple months," i.e., he killed himself by asphyxiation, because, "it beats 17 long years of being someone's bitc*." The whole song is pointing out various ways we are in "The Decline," and begs us to wake up and fight back. It's a masterpiece, and I wish it was more recognized. However, I kind of enjoy the obscurity of punk rock. It's like being in a special club, that few have the password for. It's like speaking another language that only few can decipher. *side note- Marijuana is now legal in Michigan. Shows how far we've come in the 20 years or so since this song was released. Jerry wouldn't have had to stay at all! Thank God for progress! Wish we could get some more of that!

I'm glad you guys checked this one out. You should check out the live version they just released with an orchestra when you have an extra 20 minutes. LOL. NOFX and Bad Religion are old friends and have been touring together for years. Keep it up boys!!

Jerry’s story: Jerry lived in Detroit. Got caught with a dime bag of weed. Sentenced to 20 years in prison. After being raped in prison he chose to take his own life rather than being “someone’s bitch” for the next 20 years. Great song, great band. And they work on whatever level you want them to. If you want to be childish, they got you covered. If you want to debate the problems with the world, they can do that too!

"We are worker (bees), we love our queen (bee)" They're talking about hivemind mentality found in the working class. "We're soylent green" is a reference to a film (Soylent Green) where a corporation with a monopoly on food production introduces their newest product: soylent green -- which turns out to be made from human flesh. So it's also a commentary on this culture of corporate cannibalization.

Don't doubt the complexity of this song. Every single line is soaked in meaning. It takes years to get every detail, reference, nuance, and see the overall picture. It's really magnificent. 👌Thank you so much for this reaction.

When I saw NoFx in concert Fat Mike opened with "The first 20 minutes of this show is fucking great, the rest will probably suck" then started straight into The Decline. It was indeed "Fucking Great". Love the reaction guys! Soylent Green is a reference to the movie of the same name from thr 70's. Post Apocalyptic future with starving masses. Soylent Corp provides the rations for the population "Soylent Red" and "Soylent Yellow", but their NEW product "Soylent Green" has "Oceanic Plankton" that makes it a more nutritious option. *SPOILER ALERT* it wasn't Plankton.

the epitaph of a nation, and the most important punk song ever written. NOFX.

Im sure someone already pointed this out but the Michigan California dime reference was a dime bag of weed. At the time the song was written pot was still illegal in both states but it was basically a slap on the wrist in cali and you could go to state prison in michigan (and most other states) which is why the laws at the time were so hypocritical

Holy shit you guys actually did it! I beg every reaction channel, not you guys since I only just discovered you guys a few days ago, to do this and I feel most get turned off by the 18 minutes. Might just be one of the best songs ever recorded across all genres.

Pure poetry! I adore Nofx 🖤

Some good songs of theirs to hit up next would be "The Idiots are Taking Over," "Best God in Show," "Blasphemy," and "My Orphan Year." Great reaction as usual guys! 🔥

I know this is an old video, it came up in my recommended so I figured I’d give it a watch. On the podcast Chris Demakes A Podcast, just recently he sat down with fat mike and they go through this song and Mike explains the hidden stories within it and what it all means. I don’t know if you guys are still interested in this song but on the off chance you are and what to know more, it’s so worth the listen

Great reaction video, guys! Especially for such a long and crazy song. I remember buying this on CD when it came out and it didn't leave my CD player for a while.

Amazing video guys! Cannot belive you dont have thousands and thousands more subscribers. Love NoFx and The Decline is a masterpiece. Was lucky to hear it live in Melbourne, Australia years ago. Should check out the lyrics in Nofx's 'Fuck Euphemism', pretty damn clever. Great work guys!

I have 2 legs and 2 arms, if anyone wants I will gladly trade any to see them perform this live again.

rhapsody of punk, one of there best songs of all time!

The dime reference is about the punishment you would get for getting caught with a dime of weed(basically 2 blunts worth) in different states.

he talkin about in a "dime" bag of weed. Where in detroit (mostly innercity poor/black people) you get felonies and thrown in prison for a little bit of weed. In contrast, in Cali the same dime bag gets you a 20 dollar fine. The lyrics then continue about prison

Fun Fact: The Jerry part starts at 420

I just discovered your channel! It's so cool to see you discover the music that rocked my adolescence haha! Try the group Less Than Jake with the song All my best friend are metalhead!

It is fun to play at a bar and watch people’s reactions and see some just leave. 😂

I know this is a couple years old, but "We are worker" and "We love our Queen" are references to being mindless worker drones like in an ant or bee colony.

I would say you guys might enjoy some of the band Ignite's lyrics. I would say A Place Called Home and Our Darkest Days. Or you could just go into Bad Religion. Those lyrics you might have to take some college level courses to truly understand Greg Graffins lyrics, cause he at one point was a college professor in philosophy I wanna say, he might still be. I was super jealous when I was in college at one school and there was a more major school a friend of mine was attending who actually crashed his class one time and was super engaged asking questions and he asked if he was in the class and his response was "no, I just recognized you and had a free period so decided to crash the lecture."

It's a 'state of the union address' of how they felt the state of the US was in the late 90s (and tbh, hasn't got much better). It's not just about one specific thing

Soylent Green is PEEEEEOOOOOPLLLEEEEEEE!. Gas review. One of my all time favorite songs to play

These videos just keep getting better!

His musical home street home is classick

Didn't see anyone mention it, but the carcass of William, is a reference to the Bill of Rights, I believe.

I’ve listened to this song a hundred times a 6 pack. I bet these guys are hooked

Great song

what you have to take in to context is this album was released in 1999.......Also the price for the dime bag in Detroit and California was the price you pay for getting caught......

This song... 15 years later seratonin still hasn’t come back to Wisconsin

Watch this Live at Red Rocks…..

Still waiting for some strung out reactions 😁

This album is awesome, when it came out we used to time trips based on how many Declines it took to get somewhere. Unfortunately punk rock has gone from being anti government to pro government. Fat mike writes good songs.

I saw them once and a guy had his daughter with him and she had a nofx shirt on and fat mike mentioned he had a daughter about that age and she is not allowed to listen to his music and you shouldn't bring kids that young to a NOFX show. You could tell he was visibly upset with this so at first he just said dont bring kids to our shows. Then the fun really began because after every song he would say things like " hey sweetie you know what a chili dog is? Its when you poo on your wifes chest which is the chili and insert the hotdog in the buns except he did not use the clean version like i just did. Another song he stops"hey sweetie you know what fooching or whatever he said is and that was after a gay man has his... release into his mate he gets a straw and removes his fluids from him with the straw. Again i gave the clean version or atleast as close as i could.

I like about half of this song, then I get bored lol. One thing i like about nofx, is how they mix the pop punk sounds with the anarco type lyrics. You dont hear too many pop punk bands talk about those kinds of things.

I love your videos! If you’re looking for another great NOFX song would be seeing double at the triple rock

AAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Soylent Green is PEOPLE!

spoilers... But Soylent green is people! IT'S PEOPLE!!!!!

Soylent green is a movie.

Nofx Generation Z please, awsome lyrics

Chuck gets the cell for “bounce aroundy”

I dont know how the dime thing went over yoyr heads guys. Lol

how can I get you guys to react to clear channel luck off by leftover crack

Just get the lyrics under a roof connect then from biginning to end and . There you are Best lyrics everwritten bout american society and it's inner conflicts

Soylent Green is an old dystopian movie…go watch it.

At around 9:24 and yall are missing the lyrics. The references to a 'dime' are about drug laws. A dime bag. A small amount in Michigan / Detroit will get you a 20 year sentence and a suicide, but just a $20 fee in california. edit: and this was before pot was legal anywhere in the usa

Great reaction! Can you react band called Snuff? Album: Demmamussabebonk, song: B Or Album: Tweet Tweet My Lovely, song: lyef Taidu Leikh Thanks and Greetings from Finland

Turning the pages of Fat Wreck

We love our queen is reference to still being under British rule because of globalism

1 brain cell for sure.

You paused it during or right before the good parts sooo just saying drink 4 beer and give it another go

Why at 1340 ish would you stop during hefes solo.... I feel like you’re more focused on your video cast than the song which will lead to your decline. Free advice no hate

you guys know that NoFX are extreme liberal?

you seem like cool dudes, but you're terrible reviewers.... honestly, there's so much to say about this song.....wtf? do you not understand that a "dime" is a dimebag? and he's commenting on sentencing disparity withing the country and how thats driven by insane localized culture or corruption?

Even foreign native people unterstand it. Even me! Why do often foreign speaking peoples have to explain your own ?songs?

This one is like several songs in one. A giant run on sentence. Ehhhh….