The Effects of the Dada on Punk Rock

‘Dada’ is a term with several definitions. Dada has been defined as “a not-quite-naked prank, a jape clothed in the barest g-string of aesthetic authority, a Bronx cheer in three-part harmony...” (Greil 198). Dada has also been called “a traffic accident; it was a cult. Dada was a mask, eyes without a face. Dada was a religion, spawn of ancient heresies, Dada was a war, but over souls, not bodies” (Greil 238). Dada was “the roar of …

…of the band members on a 1978 Bill Grundy television show. Much is to be said in addressing the topic of comparing and looking at the influences that Dada had on the punk movement. These groups are so similar that one may look at punk rock as Dada’s re-emergence in the seventies. A more comprehensive analysis will follow, as I have found an abundance of sources on this topic and am eager to learn more.