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.
Chimaera
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a case of crackers
And you made a maelstrom of organic debris
Then you took a work bench
And a rusty anvil
And you polished them for everyone to see
You have created an unhealthy monster
So I guess I'll just cope with my provisions
From now until the day they lay me down
You took a baboon
And made him perfect
You took a lion
And stripped him of his pride
Then you took a million more varieties
A scalpel and a sartory
And you stitched up a horrible surprise
You have created an unsocial monster
And you're searched for all over the globe
And most believe that things would sure be better
If you'd come down here and tell us what you know
Who is to blame for this?
Someone tell me please
His handiwork is flawed
And it's there for all to see
Mutations, aberrations and blatant anomalies
They multiply and give rise to this, monstrosity
You took the most abundant smallest bits of matter
And you instilled them with affinity
And then you stratified accumulations
Weeded out bad variations
And blended up your unique recipe
You have created a powerful monster
With direction and purpose all its own
And if you were here
Would things be any different?
Or are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone?
In the song "Chimaera," Bad Religion is commenting on the advancements in science and technology and the potential dangers that arise when human beings play god. The lyrics describe the creation of various monsters and aberrations, both organic and technological, alluding to the fact that they have been created by scientists who are no longer present to control them. The opening stanza mentions a "time bomb" and a "case of crackers" which could potentially represent the volatile mixture of scientific advancement and human folly. The chorus asks who is to blame for this monstrous creation, and if the creator was here, would things be any different.
The overall theme of the song is the danger of unchecked scientific experimentation and the consequences of advancing beyond moral and ethical considerations. The use of vivid, almost grotesque language, to describe the experiments and creations, underscores the potential horrific outcome of playing god. The use of the word "Chimaera" itself signifies the blending of different species or elements, just as science seeks to meld and manipulate different aspects of life.
Bad Religion uses "Chimaera" as a metaphor for the dangers of excessive technology and its impact on humanity, warning listeners that without proper consideration and regulation, science may ultimately be our undoing.
Line by Line Meaning
You took a time bomb
And a case of crackers
And you made a maelstrom of organic debris
Then you took a work bench
And a rusty anvil
You combined dangerous elements, explosives with a case of explosive triggers, and created chaos from the resultant organic waste. Then, you put together a workbench and rusted an anvil and displayed them openly.
You have created an unhealthy monster
But you're nowhere but nowhere to be found
So I guess I'll just cope with my provisions
From now until the day they lay me down
Your creation is an unhealthy monster, but you are out of sight. So, I guess I'll have to live with what I have and what I can get until I die.
You took a baboon
And made him perfect
You took a lion
And stripped him of his pride
Then you took a million more varieties
A scalpel and a sartory
And you stitched up a horrible surprise
You perfected an imperfect baboon, then you took a lion and robbed him of his pride. Finally, you took many more different creatures and wielded a scalpel and surgical scissors to stitch them together to create a terrible surprise.
You have created an unsocial monster
And you're searched for all over the globe
And most believe that things would sure be better
If you'd come down here and tell us what you know
Your monstrous creation is unsociable, and there is a global manhunt to find you. Many believe that the world would be better if you came down here and enlightened us with your knowledge.
Who is to blame for this?
Someone tell me please
His handiwork is flawed
And it's there for all to see
Mutations, aberrations and blatant anomalies
They multiply and give rise to this, monstrosity
Who is responsible for this monstrosity? Please, someone tell me. His creations are flawed, and this is evident to all who see it. Mutations, aberrations, and blatant anomalies multiply and come together to make this monstrosity.
You took the most abundant smallest bits of matter
And you instilled them with affinity
And then you stratified accumulations
Weeded out bad variations
And blended up your unique recipe
You took the tiniest particles of matter, made them cohesive, and then separated them into distinct layers. You cleared out the negative variations and created your own unique recipe.
You have created a powerful monster
With direction and purpose all its own
And if you were here
Would things be any different?
Or are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone?
You have created a mighty monster with a definitive direction and purpose. What if you were here? Would things have been different? Or, are you just a collection of thoughts and ideas?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GREG GRAFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fernando Jerez
what a beautiful song. one of my favorites.
Happyal2024
I used to skip this track until recently..... but I noticed the lyrics and listened to it again while reading them... it completely changed the way I thought about this song and instilled a brand new appreciation
Christopher Bingham
This song is one of my all-time favorites.
Roberta Carajol Delvage
Toda uma vida ouvindo essa música!
carriedhome
as true today as the day it was written
Power to The People
After my life saving surgery I dedicated this to the doctor who saved me and he listened to it and like the lyrics LOL
Jürgen Hopp
<3 Hammerhart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
crowmagnum
#yeet