The song "No Friends" by Adolescents, featured on their influential 1981 debut, often referred to as "The Blue Album," is a raw and aggressive indictment of inauthenticity and trend-following within the burgeoning Southern California punk scene. Born out of Fullerton, California, a working-class suburb, the Adolescents were part of a wave of Orange County bands like Social Distortion and Agent Orange that forged a unique sound, blending the raw energy of hardcore with more melodic punk elements. The lyrics of "No Friends" offer a scathing critique of individuals perceived as poseurs, those who readily abandon their roots and beliefs to jump on the latest fad, rather than genuinely embracing punk's DIY ethos and spirit of rebellion.

The opening lines, "So your hair's bleached white now / It's in to put Orange County down," immediately set the tone, pointing to superficial changes in appearance and a betrayal of local origins. At the time, Orange County punk was developing its own identity, sometimes dismissed by the more established Hollywood scene. The song targets individuals who would disparage their home turf ("Orange County down") while seeking acceptance elsewhere, particularly with the "L.A. sleaze". This highlights a tension between the authentic, grassroots Orange County scene and the perceived superficiality of the Los Angeles punk establishment or those who tried to curry favor with it.

The repeated accusations, "Sang for the Slashers you told Hermosa Beach / So you used to be a surfer in Huntington Beach / You're a liar if you follow all trends / Get out of here asshole, you've got no friends," paint a picture of someone constantly reinventing their identity to fit in, betraying past allegiances or lifestyles. Huntington Beach was known for its surf culture, and the song implicitly mocks those who would shed one identity (surfer) for another (punk) merely because it became "in". The line "Sang for the Slashers" could be interpreted as a specific jab at a rival band or a general metaphor for playing to a different crowd for acceptance, signifying a lack of loyalty or genuine conviction. The ultimate insult, "You're a liar if you follow all trends / Get out of here asshole, you've got no friends," underscores the band's disdain for phoniness and their belief that such individuals ultimately lack true companionship or respect within the community they seek to join. In the context of adolescence, the urge to belong is strong, and a lack of friends can be deeply isolating, but the song uses it as a weapon against those who compromise their integrity for acceptance.

The lines "Just cling to the scene / But not when everybody knows what you are / Where are you gonna go next? / I hear San Francisco's second best" further emphasize the transient nature of these trend-followers. They "cling to the scene" only until their inauthenticity is exposed, then they're ready to move on to the next emerging subculture or city, with San Francisco being ironically suggested as the "second best" alternative, implying that even the supposed "alternative" scenes become targets for these cultural carpetbaggers.

The violent imagery in the bridge, "Do you think you're real tough with those locks and chains? / You know we want to use them to beat on your brains / Show up in Fullerton with blue dye on your head, / You stupid fucker, I wish you were dead," showcases the raw anger and protectiveness the Adolescents felt for their scene and its values. Locks and chains were punk fashion staples, and the lyrics turn these symbols of rebellion back on the poseur, suggesting they lack the genuine toughness they project. The reference to "Fullerton with blue dye on your head" is a direct challenge to anyone bringing a contrived, inauthentic version of punk into their hometown. This visceral rejection speaks to the fierce territoriality and the deep-seated desire for authenticity that characterized early Orange County hardcore punk.

"No Friends" effectively captures the punk rock ethos of anti-conformity, even within its own subculture. It's a defiant anthem against pretentiousness, a call for genuine passion over fleeting trends, and a stark reminder that true acceptance comes from integrity, not imitation. The song remains a powerful statement on the importance of staying true to oneself, a message that resonated deeply within the punk movement and continues to do so.