Where did Sonic Youth get their name from?
 

I wouldn't have a clue.
Maybe a little inspiration from The Sonics?
Who knows?

sonic
fred "sonic" smith

youth
big youth

Good question, ask them.

Pokkeherrie is right.

Thanks Pokkeherrie.
I didn't know that.

I think sonic youth is a phrase from a beat poem.

^^^^
naaaaaaaaaaah,pokkeherrie is right. 100 points.

He is right, but it brings up something that's always bothered me:

They always refer to themselves as "The Sonics" which, to me, is almost offensive!!! What about the actual band, as pictured above, who totally tore shit up, actually called "The Sonics"?!

the sonics are dead. the sonic yotuh is alive. fuck the dead!

There's this band in the area I live with the same name but they spell it 'The Sonix'. Stupid twats.

I fucking hate those twats11111!!!!

the sonics are bad. but i like them.

ah, I see pokkeherrie already answered the question.

ya no forum streetcred for you :'(

their biography author says both words comes from other artists/band names, i can't remember from what bands exactly they come but i believe pokkeherrie vbmenu_register("postmenu_124317", true); is right. vbmenu_register("postmenu_124317", true);

to the bone!

as if.

i'm sure thousands of band have thought of the name sonic youth, it's not that original (though i like it). i'm pretty sure there's no explanation to the name sonic youth other than the desire to make new fresh music...

Hi. I just signed up to this forum to say.....

Didn't they get their name from the lyrics to the song Nic Fit, by the Untouchables.

SY covered that song on the Dirty album.

The lyrics go:

Get it up, get it in
Sonic tooth, sonic truth
Nic fit, nic fit, nic fit, nic fit

Sign'em up, gotta smoke (?)
Arafat, get a smoke (?)
Nic fit, nic fit, nic fit, nic

Nic fit, nic fit, nic fit, nic fit

Sonic truth, sonic death
Sonic smoke, sonic youth
Nic fit, nic fit, nic fit, nic

Really? I don't think so. But see my post just b4 this... re the Untouchables song.