Replacements – Kids Don’t Follow

***Today I will be guest hosting a blog post featuring my top 10 favorite songs that the Beatles covered…with comments from Keith Allen (nostaligicitalian). Please come and visit if you can…Keith is the DJ I interviewed. Next week it will be my favorite Beatle songs that other people covered***

This Replacements song was inspired by U2’s  I Will Follow. Paul Westerberg had seen U2 perform on April 1981 at bar named Sam’s, where they actually played the song twice in their set.

He liked the sound of “I Will Follow,” but he balked at what he considered its unrealistic message. The kids he knew weren’t going blindly forth, their faith steadfast, their belief unwavering in the face of adversity.

They were still in their punk phase but on the next album they would start expanding their sound. I’ve been listening to their albums in order and the first three I wasn’t as familiar with but I’ll be posting at least one song off of each album as I go. 

The song was on their second release…an ep called Stink. It was released in 1982 on Twin/Tone Records.

The Replacements - Stink

The intro to the song was not made in the studio, it was a real party where the police was called because of the noise.

The Replacements were playing at a rent-party for visual artist Don Holzschuh, opening for the the band Warheads. It was a massive multi-keg affair attended by a lot of underage kids. The Replacements’ noise levels drew a visit and warning from the local police. Not long after they’d finished their set, the Minneapolis police decided to end the fun entirely.

As a uniformed officer took the microphone to disperse the crowd, Replacements’ soundman Terry Katzman pressed record on his tape player. “This is the Minneapolis Police . . . the party is o-ver,” he announced, to a collection of boos.

Future Soul Asylum singer Dave Pirner was at the party and he was one of the kids harassing the police. He has taken credit for being the one to yell “Hey, f**k you, maaaan!” starting at around 7 seconds below on the song.

Don Holzschuh talks about the party where the intro came from…

Kids Don’t Follow

Go home…..this is the Minneapolis police….the
party’s over…if you all just grab your stuff &
leave there won’t be any hassle..the party’s been
closed….etc.

One, two, three, four

Kids won’t listen
To what you’re sayin’
Kids ain’t wondering
Kids ain’t praying
Mo says he’s worried
He says talk away
He says yeah I’ve been cured

I need some attention
No house of detention
I’d love some attention
Don’t start again

Kids don’t need that
Kids don’t want that
Kids don’t need nothing of the kind
Kids don’t follow

What you’re doin’
In my face out my ear
Kids won’t follow
What you’re sayin
We can’t hear

Can’t stop looting
Can’t stop smoking
Kids ain’t wondering
Can’t stop choking
Kids won’t stand still
Kids won’t shut up
Kids won’t do it
You talk to ’em now

Kids don’t follow
What you’re doin’
In my face and out my ear
Kids won’t follow
What you’re saying
We can’t hear

Kids won’t follow
What you’re saying
In my face out my ear
Kids don’t follow
What you’re sayin’
We can’t hear
What you say
Not tomorrow
Not today

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

31 thoughts on “Replacements – Kids Don’t Follow”

    1. Christian I don’t know if you know much about them but they are worth checking out. After this EP they started to get out of the punk…they kept the spirit but have some of the best songs of that period to me.

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    1. I love the story about the party also. That had to be a cool music scene they had going up there to be a part of.

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    1. That is a band I need to listen to. I’ve heard great things about them.
      What song off of this EP do you like best? To me it’s weaker than the debut.

      The book so far…Paul Westerberg reminds me of Lennon. Quick wit, mercurial personality, but more immature. Of all the books I’ve read…I’ve never read about a band like this.

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      1. I’ve given Stink a couple of spins on Spotify but unlike the others I never owned it on CD. Kids Don’t Follow and Go are the big ones.

        IMO Waterboys have one exceptional album, Fisherman’s Blues from 1988. Other good ones, but that’s where it came together.

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    1. I’m reading a book about them…dude….I think they were Keith Moon’s kids lol. They didn’t compromise an inch. I remember that magazine…I got it a few times. I can still see the cover.

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  6. BTW, nice job on your list of cover versions by The Beatles. Just left a comment on Keith’s blog. Afterwards, I remembered that I previously put together my own list of Beatles songs covered by other artists. It’ll be interesting to see your picks.

    While I didn’t rank my selections (just not my thing!), I have a clear no. 1. I have a funny feeling you already know which tune it is! 🙂

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    1. Yep! it’s hard ranking them. I list them as my favorite but of course as you and I have talked…I change with the wind.
      On those covers the Beatles did…it was hard to leave the Carl Perkins out….Thanks Christian for reading it on Keith’s site.

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    1. You my dear are rough on singers lol…I don’t know how though you could sing that straight…even if you had a great voice.
      I did like the real life events of the police caught on tape

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      1. So, that was real? I thought it was set up for the recording. Heh.

        I have trouble with singers that make me want to stick ice picks in my ears. He can’t *sing*. He just shouts in the microphone with gravel in his throat. He was so off key, Ollie looked at me and jumped off the couch. Dogs were howling across the street. LOL!

        The music was fantastic. Well played and good melody.

        Everyone has their own tastes. Case in point…SuperTramp. I want Roger Hodgson to hush. Let Rick Davies sing. I want ice picks (or cigarette butts or cotton balls) for my ears with Roger. I start making the Elvis hairlip…

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      2. No…the guy that says “Fuck you to the police” is the future singer of Soul Aslyum.

        LOL…that is punk though…keep that in mind…but after this the punk will be ending. He would make tapes for himself of writing these wonderful insightful songs…they didn’t fit a punk band and they changed.

        I’m glad you liked the music though…I think you did like some of the other stuff he sang that I posted…no more shouting lol…they will be more real songs.

        I listened to them in the 80s but I so wish I would have dived into them more…I might have liked the 80s a lot more!

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      2. Some of their crazy stuff wasn’t just the drinking…they were honestly frightened of success BUT they also were a bit jealous of REM…well you have to play the game a little…they refused.

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      4. Yes…they would not play and they remained true to themselves and if you think about it. If they would have had that one big hit…would they be known now for that one big hit or their whole catalog like they are now? It could have worked in their favor.

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