Theoretically, a Homeowners Association should work to improve its community and support its neighbors. Otherwise, what are the exorbitant fees even for? What happens instead, in almost every case, is that the HOA is propped up by a corporate entity and led by corrupt individuals who don’t care about the community as a whole. Or, the board president is some retired busybody with nothing better to do than spy on their neighbors and issue citations for having a basketball hoop in the driveway.
In a Utopian society, we wouldn’t have Homeowners’ Associations. And if you’re really punk, you wouldn’t be living under an HOA in the first place. But for all those who are working to thwart the system from the inside (painting your house a non-regulation color, for example), these four songs are for you.
“Killing in the Name” by Rage Against the Machine
“Killing in the Name” was released in 1992 as Rage Against the Machine’s first single. This song went on to become a beloved 90s anti-authority anthem, which is what also makes it perfect for defying your HOA. Who the hell does Mike, the board president, think he is to demand you remove the 12-foot Home Depot skeleton from the front yard? So what if it’s the middle of August? It’s got swim trunks on, for crying out loud.
So when Mike, the board president, comes knocking on the door, hit him with a little Rage Against the Machine. “F**k you, I won’t do what you tell me” is a fitting sentiment for a persistent HOA, don’t you think?
“Moral Majority” by Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys released their only EP, In God We Trust, Inc., in 1981. It included the iconic track “Nazi Punks F**k Off” as well as their cover of “Rawhide”. However, “Moral Majority” often takes a backseat to the bigger hits on the B-side. It’s a quick and dirty track condemning the brief 1979 right-wing Christian organization, the Moral Majority. But the overall sentiment can also be applied to money-grabbing HOAs.
Sometimes it seems like HOAs are only concerned with presentation and image. Everything has to be uniformly perfect for their cookie-cutter neighborhoods. It almost mirrors the conservative obsession with morals and purity. “You call yourselves the Moral Majority / We call ourselves the people in the real world / Trying to rub is out, but we’ll survive / God must be dead if you’re alive”.
“Which Side Are You On?” by Billy Bragg
“Which Side Are You On?” was originally written in 1931 by Florence Reece in response to the violent labor disputes in Harlan County, Kentucky. On one side of the conflict, there were coal miners and union organizers. They went up against law enforcement and coal industry firms on the other. As a labor union song, “Which Side Are You On?” will stay relevant as long as exploitation remains a feature of American industry.
In 1985, Billy Bragg released a version of the song in support of the U.K. miners’ strike that year. The lyrics, specifically the titular question, are meant to embolden those who are striking to stay strong and focused on their cause. Additionally, it’s also meant to unsettle those who are considering crossing the picket line. Why not use it as a call to rally your neighbors against a corrupt HOA? And maybe remind those who feel like snitching that you’re supposed to be on the same side.
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