Padded Cell
Black Flag · Damaged [1981]
EARTH'S A PADDED CELL
DEFANGED AND DECLAWED
I'M LIVING IN HELL IT'S A PARADISE FRAUD
STRAIGHT JACKET MINDS IN LINE TO BE OLD
TELLING ME TO WANT,
LET TIME SLIP THROUGH MY TEETH
WELL I'M NOT THE FOOL,
I'M GOING TO TOWN
MANIC REACTIONS ARE ALWAYS A BUZZ
I'M SUSPECT, THE STRANGER IN DISGUISE
IT'S FORCED ITSELF UPON ME,
SOMETHING I CAN'T HIDE
SEE IT IN - MANIACS
THEIR EYES - MANIACS
MANIACS, MANIACS
LOOKING AT YOU INSIDE OF YOU
BEHIND YOUR EYES, THROUGH YOUR MIND
LOOKING AT YOU, INSIDE OF YOU
I'M INVISIBLE, NOWHERE TO HIDE
I'M OBSCENE THE LIVING DEAD
SEE THE FLYS FEED OFF YOUR HEAD
LOOKING AT YOU I'M INSIDE OF YOU
IT'S WALDEN TWO BUT THE FLOWER'S DEAD
SEE IT IN - MANIACS
THEIR EYES - MANIACS
MANIACS, MANIACS
EARTH'S A PADDED CELL
DEFANGED AND DECLAWED
I'M LIVING IN HELL IT'S A PARADISE FRAUD
STRAIGHT JACKET MINDS IN LINE TO BE OLD
TELLING ME TO WANT,
LET TIME SLIP THROUGH MY TEETH
WELL I'M NOT THE FOOL,
I'M GOING TO TOWN
MANIC REACTIONS ARE ALWAYS A BUZZ
I'M SUSPECT, THE STRANGER IN DISGUISE
IT'S FORCED ITSELF UPON ME,
SOMETHING I CAN'T HIDE
SEE IT IN - MANIACS
THEIR EYES - MANIACS
MANIACS, MANIACS
DEFANGED AND DECLAWED
I'M LIVING IN HELL IT'S A PARADISE FRAUD
STRAIGHT JACKET MINDS IN LINE TO BE OLD
TELLING ME TO WANT,
LET TIME SLIP THROUGH MY TEETH
WELL I'M NOT THE FOOL,
I'M GOING TO TOWN
MANIC REACTIONS ARE ALWAYS A BUZZ
I'M SUSPECT, THE STRANGER IN DISGUISE
IT'S FORCED ITSELF UPON ME,
SOMETHING I CAN'T HIDE
SEE IT IN - MANIACS
THEIR EYES - MANIACS
MANIACS, MANIACS
LOOKING AT YOU INSIDE OF YOU
BEHIND YOUR EYES, THROUGH YOUR MIND
LOOKING AT YOU, INSIDE OF YOU
I'M INVISIBLE, NOWHERE TO HIDE
I'M OBSCENE THE LIVING DEAD
SEE THE FLYS FEED OFF YOUR HEAD
LOOKING AT YOU I'M INSIDE OF YOU
IT'S WALDEN TWO BUT THE FLOWER'S DEAD
SEE IT IN - MANIACS
THEIR EYES - MANIACS
MANIACS, MANIACS
EARTH'S A PADDED CELL
DEFANGED AND DECLAWED
I'M LIVING IN HELL IT'S A PARADISE FRAUD
STRAIGHT JACKET MINDS IN LINE TO BE OLD
TELLING ME TO WANT,
LET TIME SLIP THROUGH MY TEETH
WELL I'M NOT THE FOOL,
I'M GOING TO TOWN
MANIC REACTIONS ARE ALWAYS A BUZZ
I'M SUSPECT, THE STRANGER IN DISGUISE
IT'S FORCED ITSELF UPON ME,
SOMETHING I CAN'T HIDE
SEE IT IN - MANIACS
THEIR EYES - MANIACS
MANIACS, MANIACS
Padded Cell - Black Flag
Released on the 1981 album Damaged, 'Padded Cell' stands as a quintessential example of Black Flag's raw, punk-rock intensity. The track embodies the band's signature blend of aggressive speed and visceral energy, characteristic of the early 1980s hardcore scene. As a key component of their discography during this pivotal era, the recording captures the band's commitment to uncompromising sound and thematic focus on urban decay and institutional oppression. Its inclusion on Damaged highlights the group's evolution from pure noise to a more structured yet equally frenetic approach, cementing their legacy as a foundational force in the post-punk and hardcore movements.