Ongoing History Daily: The history of the word “punk,” part 4

Here is the next instalment of the evolution of the word “punk” from referring to a prostitute back in the 16^th century to describing a specific musical aesthetic. In the early 70s, some garage bands were referred to as “punk.”

Shortly thereafter, the experimental New York band Suicide stared advertising their gigs as “punk music shows.” But it really took until two other New York bands popularized the term for a certain type of stripped-down rock.

The first was The Dictators, a group that dressed in leather biker jackets reminiscent of the juvenile delinquents of the 1950s who were called “punks.”

And then there was The Ramones, also in jeans and leather jackets, who started performing songs like “Judy is a Punk.” But there was also the song “53^rd and 3^rd,” which spoke of a male prostitute—which, if you’ll remember was referred to back in the 17^th century as a “punk.”

So we’re starting to come full circle. We’ll finish things up next time.