Portrait of Authority
Bad Religion Lyrics
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An icon on the wall, decoration and duress,
That which many strive to be,
It's the marble statue staring over me,
And nobody has the will to tear it down,
it determines wrong and right,
but to me it's just a stereotype
and it makes us lose our sight.
The portrait of authority (portrait of authority),
You tell me that's what I'm supposed to be (portrait of authority),
You tell me that's what I'm supposed to be.
Another time, another man,
An oppressive intrusion
And a plague across his land,
And it haunts him every day,
It tells him that he has no chance
His hope just fades away,
And he lives his life prepared to tear it down,
But he can't muster the support,
And to him it's just a stereotype
Of his life-long fight.
The portrait of authority (portrait of authority),
It embodies what he cannot be (portrait of authority),
It's what he cannot be.
The portrait of authority (portrait of authority),
Portrait of authority.
The lyrics of Bad Religion's song "Portrait of Authority" suggest that the concept of authority, as symbolized and embodied by statues and portraits, has become a kind of prison for individuals who feel oppressed by it. The song describes an "icon on the wall," a marble statue that is both a decoration and a source of duress. The statue, for many, is something to aspire to be, but for the singer, it is nothing more than a stereotype that blinds people from seeing the truth. The portrait determines what is right and wrong, but ultimately it is only a symbol that limits the potential of individuals.
Furthermore, the lyrics suggest that authority is a force that prevents people from pursuing their dreams and goals. The second verse describes "another man" who is haunted by authority every day. His life is controlled by the portrait of authority, which tells him that he has no chance to succeed. He wants to tear it down but is unable to gather support. The portrait embodies all that he cannot be, and it becomes his life-long fight.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing more, nothing less,
The existence of the portrait is just that, nothing of value.
An icon on the wall, decoration and duress,
The portrait is just a decorative fixture on the wall, but it also puts pressure and stress on those who must conform to it.
That which many strive to be,
Many people aspire to be the portrait of authority.
It's the marble statue staring over me,
The portrait of authority is like a watchful eye, always present and always judging.
And nobody has the will to tear it down,
Nobody has the courage to dismantle the ideal of the portrait of authority.
it determines wrong and right,
The portrait of authority sets the standard for what is right and wrong.
but to me it's just a stereotype
The portrait of authority is simply a rigid and oversimplified model.
and it makes us lose our sight.
The portrait of authority blinds us to other possibilities and ways of thinking.
Another time, another man,
The same story repeats itself in different time periods and different people.
An oppressive intrusion
The portrait of authority is an oppressive influence.
And a plague across his land,
The portrait of authority is like a disease that infects society.
And it haunts him every day,
The portrait of authority is a constant source of worry and fear.
It tells him that he has no chance
The portrait of authority tells the man that he cannot succeed.
His hope just fades away,
The man's aspirations and dreams are crushed by the portrait of authority.
And he lives his life prepared to tear it down,
The man is ready to reject and destroy the portrait of authority.
But he can't muster the support,
The man doesn't have the help he needs to fight the portrait of authority.
And to him it's just a stereotype
To the man, the portrait of authority is just a narrow-minded and predetermined model.
Of his life-long fight.
The fight against the portrait of authority has been a lifelong struggle for the man.
You tell me that's what I'm supposed to be (portrait of authority),
People pressure others to conform to the standards set by the portrait of authority.
It embodies what he cannot be (portrait of authority),
The portrait of authority represents something unattainable for the man.
Portrait of authority.
The repetition of the phrase underscores the importance of the concept that it represents.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GREG GRAFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wow
on You
Everybody needs a slogan in their pocket or two
It never hurts to have a strategy you can go to
Sometimes I have no sense at all
As most flawed men are one to do
Just say fuck you
Pavlovian rude
A menace too
Pay homage to
Your bad attitude
You can even get cerebral if you want to
Make a radical assessment that sticks like glue
Sometimes it takes no thought at all
The easiest thing to do
Is say fuck you
Pavlovian rude
A menace too
Pay homage to
Your bad attitude
The reaction it brings, just one of those things
Your friends might not want you around
If the impulse is right you might get in a fight
Even though you can't hold your ground
But all rest assured, sometimes just a word
Is the most satisfying sound
Sometimes it makes no sense at all
The easiest thing to do
Is say fuck you
Pavlovian rude
A menace too
Pay homage to your bad attitude
Just say fuck you
What you gonna do to your attitude
Just say fuck you
Wtf is this shit, what retard wrote the wrong spng down….