Bedtime for Democracy

Bedtime for Democracy is the fourth and final studio album by American punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Released in 1986, songs on this album cover common punk subjects often found in punk rock lyrics of the era such as conformity, Reaganomics, the U.S. military, and critique of the hardcore punk movement. The album's title refers to the 1951 comedy film, Bedtime for Bonzo starring Ronald Reagan and also reflects the band's weary bitterness from the trial they were undergoing at the time over the controversial art included with their previous album. By the time recording of Bedtime for Democracy had begun, the Dead Kennedys had already played what would be their last concert with Jello Biafra and announced their breakup immediately after the release of the record, whose opening track is a cover of David Allan Coe's "Take This Job and Shove It."^[4]

Bedtime for Democracy
Studio album by Dead Kennedys
Released	November 1986
Recorded	April and July 1986
Studio	City Sound Recording and Hyde St. Studios
Genre	Hardcore punk
Length	48:40
Label	Alternative Tentacles
Producer	Jello Biafra
Dead Kennedys chronology
Frankenchrist (1985) Bedtime for Democracy (1986) Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death (1987)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
NME	[2]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	4/10[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Take This Job and Shove It"	David Allan Coe	1:25
2.	"Hop with the Jet Set"		2:05
3.	"Dear Abby"		1:09
4.	"Rambozo the Clown"		2:25
5.	"Fleshdunce"		1:29
6.	"The Great Wall"		1:32
7.	"Shrink"		1:44
8.	"Triumph of the Swill"		2:17
9.	"Macho Insecurity"		1:30
10.	"I Spy"	D.H. Peligro	2:30
11.	"Cesspools in Eden"	Dead Kennedys	5:56
12.	"One-Way Ticket to Pluto"		1:38
13.	"Do the Slag"	East Bay Ray	1:36
14.	"A Commercial"		1:33
15.	"Gone with My Wind"		1:43
16.	"Anarchy for Sale"		1:18
17.	"Chickenshit Conformist"		5:58
18.	"Where Do Ya Draw the Line"		2:39
19.	"Potshot Heard 'Round the World"	Biafra, Ray	2:10
20.	"D.M.S.O."	Dead Kennedys	2:09
21.	"Lie Detector"	Biafra, Ray	3:43
Total length:			48:40

All tracks are written by Jello Biafra, except when stated.

Personnel

Dead Kennedys

• Jello Biafra - lead vocals, producer, mixer
• East Bay Ray - guitar
• Klaus Flouride - bass, backing vocals
• D.H. Peligro - drums, backing vocals

Additional performers

• Tim Jones - synthesizer on "One-Way Ticket to Pluto"
• Jayed Scotti - timbales on "Dear Abby"
• Cal - backing vocals on "Fleshdunce", "Where Do Ya Draw The Line?" and "Chickenshit Conformist"
• Andrew - backing vocals on "Fleshdunce", "Where Do Ya Draw The Line?" and "Chickenshit Conformist"
• Blaze - backing vocals on "Fleshdunce", "Where Do Ya Draw The Line?" and "Chickenshit Conformist"
• P. O'Pillage - the voice of Rambozo on "Rambozo The Clown", artwork

Production

• John Cuniberti - engineer, mixer
• Winston Smith - artwork

Charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[5]	1

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[6]	Silver	60,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related

The East Bay punk band Isocracy parodied the name in their 1988 EP, Bedtime for Isocracy. The cover art depicted the band together in a bed, accompanied by Jello Biafra. After the record's release, Isocracy split up, with two members forming the group Samiam and another joining Green Day.^[7]