Greg Graffin, the band's frontman, holds a Master's degree in geology from UCLA and a Ph.D. in zoology from Cornell University. His dissertation for Cornell was a comprehensive study of how modern scientists, especially those who believe in strict Darwinism, view theism and religion, and how their own religious beliefs, if any, affect their study and work. He has since published it for fans of the band.
In 1983, Bad Religion released into the unknown, a keyboard-driven psychedelic rock album that was enormously unpopular among the band's core fan base. It is now out of print, and generally disowned by the band. However, in past years it has become a collectors item, and has gained some acceptance from fans. It now can be seen going for more than $100 on eBay, and is often pirated.
In 1984, Greg Hetson (Circle Jerks) replaced Gurewitz. Bad Religion returned to a somewhat mellower, rock and roll version of their original sound with the back to the known, but they disbanded soon after.
The band reformed in 1987 and released suffer in 1988, cementing their comeback in the punk community. Not only is this album considered one of their best by most fans, but it is often credited with "saving" the Southern Californian punk rock scene by fans and Bad Religion's contemporaries alike.
no control (1989) and against the grain (1990) further increased the band's popularity, followed by generator (1992). Before the recording sessions for the latter album commenced, drummer Pete Finestone left the band in to focus on his other band, The Fishermen. Bobby Schayer joined the band as his replacement. recipe for hate (1993) followed shortly thereafter.
With alternative rock breaking into the mainstream, Bad Religion left Epitaph for major label Atlantic and quickly re-released Recipe for Hate on the major label. 1994's stranger than fiction followed, but shortly after its release Brett Gurewitz left the band again. Officially, he cited the increasing amount of time he was spending at Epitaph's offices as the Offspring (then a part of the Epitaph roster) became one of the biggest bands of the mid-1990s. But it was well-known that the departure was not on good terms, as he later accused the band of selling out for leaving Epitaph in favor of a major label. Gurewitz recorded a song with his new band The Daredevils entitled "Hate You," reportedly directed towards Jay Bentley. Gurewitz, moreover, was struggling more seriously with heroin and other addictions that had plagued him for years.
Gurewitz was replaced by Brian Baker, former member of bands such as Minor Threat and Dag Nasty. Previously, Graffin and Gurewitz had split songwriting duties, but Gurewitz's departure left Graffin as the band's lone songwriter.
What followed were a series of moderately successful albums, the gray race (1996), no substance (1998), and the new america (2000). As their popularity waned, Bad Religion left Atlantic in 2001 and returned to Epitaph. Bobby Schayer left the band following a serious shoulder injury and was replaced by Brooks Wackerman (Suicidal Tendencies) and Brett Gurewitz rejoined the band in time to record the process of belief (2002). the empire strikes first was in June 2004. Both albums are widely regarded as a return to form for the band.
In 2004, the band released digitally-remastered versions of five of their early albums (How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, Suffer, No Control, Against the Grain, and Generator). The How Could Hell Be Any Worse? re-issue also contained all of their first EP, the Public Service EP (alternative versions of Bad Religion, Slaves and Drastic Actions from the self titled EP) and Back To The Known.
Bad Religion's fourtheenth full-length studio album, titled new maps of hell, was released on July 10, 2007. It debuted at #35 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 21,000 copies in its first week. It was originally intended to be released in 2006, but was pushed back largely due to the release of Graffin's second solo album, cold as the clay and his work at UCLA.
In 2010, Bad Religion released 30 Years Live for the band's 30th anniversary. The album was available for free to subscribers of the Bad Religion mailing list. Later the same year, Bad Religion released their fifteenth studio album, The Dissent of Man. The album took nearly two years to write and record, mainly due to the band's heavy touring schedule.
Brett Gurewitz, who still heads Epitaph Records, still records with the band and plays local shows, but doesn't tour with them. Greg Hetson can still be found at the occasional Circle Jerks show and helped open a bar in LA. Wackerman is working on a side project called The Kidneys. Graffin spends 10 weeks a year teaching two classes (Life Sciences 1 and Earth and Space Sciences 116) at UCLA. Jay Bentley keeps the Bad Religion MySpace page updated.
Cease
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a chemical reaction or a steam roller
Spreading randomly
There's a distant and a low frequency
It tickles my ear, it rumbles under my feet
And it shakes the leaves off of every tree (violently)
What pretension! Everlasting peace
Institution on the Hill
Like a beacon in the mind of an ancestor
To ignite a people's will
There's a shadowed stain on the west facade
It has spread like decay to enshroud the fraud
And the descendants find oh so odd
(oh so odd)
What pretension! Everlasting peace
Everything must cease
Grave memorial hewn white stone
Like the comforting caress of a mother
Or a friend you've always known
It evokes such pain and significance
What was once, is reduced to rememberence
And the generations pass without recompense
What pretension! Everlasting peace
Everything must cease
In "Cease" by Bad Religion, the band dives into the idea that everything in life must come to an end. The opening line, "Blacktop pavement cover me like a chemical reaction or a steam roller spreading randomly," serves as a metaphor for life and the way it can suddenly change without warning. This imagery suggests that we are all at the mercy of the universe, which can sweep us up and carry us along in its inexorable path.
The second verse talks about an "Institution on the Hill," which could be a reference to the government or any other powerful organization. The lyrics suggest that these institutions have a certain degree of power over our lives, but that power is always temporary. The "shadowed stain" on the building's facade, which "has spread like decay to enshroud the fraud," represents the corruption and decay that inevitably grows within these powerful organizations.
The final verse speaks about a "Grave memorial hewn white stone," again suggesting the finality of death and our ultimate insignificance in the grand scheme of things. While the stone may bring back memories and evoke strong emotions, it cannot bring back the past or offer any solution for the future generations.
Overall, "Cease" reminds us that everything in life, including our own existence, is temporary and must eventually come to an end. It's a poignant reminder that we should cherish every moment we have and make the most of the time we're given.
Line by Line Meaning
Blacktop pavement cover me
The singer is asking for an escape from reality provided by modern conveniences such as roads.
Like a chemical reaction or a steam roller
Spreading randomly
The spread of such conveniences is overwhelming due to their efficiency and convenience, like a dangerous reaction or force.
There's a distant and a low frequency
It tickles my ear, it rumbles under my feet
And it shakes the leaves off of every tree (violently)
The singer is attuned to the vibrations and tremors caused by industrial progress and can sense the destructive power it holds.
What pretension! Everlasting peace
Everything must cease
The idea that human-made progress can achieve a utopia is absurd, and consequently, everything created will ultimately come to an end.
Institution on the Hill
Like a beacon in the mind of an ancestor
To ignite a people's will
The artist is referring to political institutions acting as an ideal to unite people for the sake of the country.
There's a shadowed stain on the west facade
It has spread like decay to enshroud the fraud
And the descendants find oh so odd
(oh so odd)
Corruption in politics is seeping out to the public and is becoming more prevalent, which future generations are not accustomed to.
Grave memorial hewn white stone
Like the comforting caress of a mother
Or a friend you've always known
A grave comfort those who mourn, and the singer sees the substance of the dead's memory as something all-encompassing and capable of being related to personally.
It evokes such pain and significance
What was once, is reduced to rememberence
And the generations pass without recompense
The artist looks past the fact that the deceased are remembered into the significance of what memories they leave behind--that the memory of their existence only exists within carvings and engravings without compensation.
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….