Although most people consider the Standards and Grudges blog to be mainly about politics, the blog also features many other types of content. In the past, writers like Steven A. Stehling have spoken about shows they liked, such as Flight of the Conchords, and movies that address the concerns that the mainly military audience base can relate to, like The Hurt Locker. In a recent article, Stehling decided to give some props to the music that can regularly be heard from his headphones.

One of his favorite songs may seem simple at first glance, but there is much more to the song than meets the eye. The tune, “Scavenger Type” by NOFX, sounds much like many other songs in the same genre - a quick rhythm, simple and loud music, and lyrics that are half sung and half spoken. However, the cutting lyrics of “Scavenger Type” are what make it stands head and shoulders above the common garden variety of punk songs that might be heard on the radio. The lyrics tell the tale of Bill, a protagonist that is looking for just a little bit of money to buy a beer. The singer describes Bill as being a “scavenger type” because of his simple way of living and his focus on a single goal. At the end of the song, Bill dies, but the reason for the death is not given. It is assumed that Bill was an alcoholic and this was eventually his demise.

While the lyrics do have a deeper social and political meaning, the reason that the song has resonance with Stehling and others is its simplicity and the way it can be sung with friends. In fact, the guitar chords are quite easy and anyone with just a limited knowledge of the instrument should be able to learn the song in no time at all.

The reason that Stehling is obsessed about “Scavenger Type” is that it takes him back to a certain period in his life, like so many great songs do. For him, the place is California and the time is when he was serving active duty with a platoon of troops from Hawaii. One of the more popular entertainment activities was to have a grill out in one of the troop’s yards. The Forward Observer of the platoon was a musical type and often brought his guitar to these gatherings. In addition to the more traditional Hawaiian songs that dominated the playlist, the man would also invent new songs for the boys to sing.

Stehling relates his experience in that specific period of time to the “Scavenger Type” song because of how life was much simpler in those days. Even though it may have felt more complex at the time, looking back always adds a new perspective to what actually happened. In the case of Stehling, he was able to see that those days were actually a great time in his life and he was too caught up with the little problems to fully appreciate the positive environment that he was in.

Stehling’s article ends with a speed up to his modern day experience. For him, the current times are much more complex and it can make him feel like he just wants to disappear at times. The burden that he is placed under is quite great and it can feel like the world is often resting on his shoulders. With these kinds of feelings, it is easy to see why Stehling could find a common feeling with “Scavenger Type” and the main character of Bill. However, knowing that the hard times will come to an end comes with experience and it may turn out that the roughest patches were actually the best.