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.
Fields of Mars
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Flames an omni-directional sword
For he as ever failed to gather up the fruit
And thus was banished with his loot
He cantered aimlessly through endless permutations of night
Seeking a purpose and the meaning of kin
And when it finally came to him
The women wished him well
Every time he cast off marching to hell
Now, if you've never seen a terrible sight
Stroll the garden of Earthly delight
Maybe we can make it right someday
I'll see you high above the fields of Mars
High above the fields of Mars
He knelt down before the unholy mob and cried:
"War is god!"
Gleaming outwardly with great pride and
Prepared to die
The women wished him well
Every time he cast off marching to hell
Now, if you've never seen a terrible sight
Stroll the garden of Earthly delight
Maybe we can make it right someday
I'll see you high above the fields of Mars
High above the fields of Mars
High above the fields of Mars
High above the fields of Mars
Who cannot fight anymore
Will never love any less
That kid inside of murder
Must be committed
To live a life of hostility
Never asking what it means
When Mother Nation
Blood and Religion
Sanction killing upon the fields of Mars
High above the fields of Mars
High above the fields of Mars
High above the fields of Mars
The song "Fields of Mars" by Bad Religion explores the concept of the fall of man, his banishment from the Garden of Eden, and the impact of war and religion on humanity. The first verse describes the Garden of Eden, where Adam was cast out by God for failing to gather up the fruit. The use of the word "omni-directional" to describe the sword represents its unstoppable and overwhelming power. The verse also implies that Adam was banished from the Garden with his "loot," or the fruit he had picked, which is a nod to the idea that he had taken a bite from the Tree of Knowledge.
The second verse depicts a lost and confused Adam wandering aimlessly through the night, searching for a purpose and meaning to life. He eventually finds it, but it is described as the "meaning of sin," suggesting that he has found something dark and dangerous. The lines "The women wished him well every time he cast off marching to hell" implies that women, who are traditionally viewed as nurturing and caring, are complicit in the violence and war that he is perpetuating.
The chorus suggests that there is hope for redemption and a chance for humanity to make things right. However, the final verse discusses the destructive nature of war and violence, especially when fueled by extremist religious beliefs. The line "To live a life of hostility, never asking what it means when Mother Nation, Blood and Religion, sanction killing upon the fields of Mars" implies that the desire for power and control can lead to the sacrifice of innocent lives.
Overall, "Fields of Mars" paints a bleak picture of humanity's darker nature and the consequences of greed, war, and religious extremism.
Line by Line Meaning
In the garden where he was cast out by the Lord
Referring to Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden for eating the forbidden fruit.
Flames an omni-directional sword
A sword that seemed to be in every direction, which represents the wrath of God for disobeying his command.
For he as ever failed to gather up the fruit
Adam failed to resist Eve's temptation to eat the forbidden fruit, resulting in their punishment.
And thus was banished with his loot
As punishment, Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden with the fruits they had taken.
He cantered aimlessly through endless permutations of night
The artist is using poetic language to describe a lost and wandering soul searching for a purpose.
Seeking a purpose and the meaning of kin
The singer is searching for personal meaning and connection.
And when it finally came to him
After much searching, the singer has a moment of epiphany.
You could've mistook it for the meaning of sin
The artist's revelation was not a positive one, and could be confused for a sinful thought.
The women wished him well
The women (representing society) supported and wished him luck on his journey.
Every time he cast off marching to hell
Despite the artist's journey being a personal one, society only saw him going to hell.
Now, if you've never seen a terrible sight
The singer is referencing the Garden of Earthly Delights, which is full of temptation and sins.
Stroll the garden of Earthly delight
The artist is metaphorically walking through the Garden of Earthly Delights, surrounded by sin and temptation.
Maybe we can make it right someday
The singer hopes to fix or make amends for their past mistakes.
I'll see you high above the fields of Mars
The singer will meet the listener in peace, on a distant planet far from Earth.
He knelt down before the unholy mob and cried:
The singer is confessing his beliefs to a mob or society that does not agree with him, thereby provoking them.
"War is god!"
The artist is using violence and war as a means to an end or a solution to their problems, which is a controversial stance.
Gleaming outwardly with great pride and
The artist is proud of their provocative beliefs and is not afraid to show it to society.
Prepared to die
The singer is willing to die for their beliefs, which is a very extreme stance.
Who cannot fight anymore
Those who cannot fight are often left behind or forgotten in society.
Will never love any less
Love does not decrease or disappear in people who cannot physically fight anymore.
That kid inside of murder
The artist is using poetic language to describe the killer instinct inside every human being.
Must be committed
The artist believes that people must commit to their violent instincts to survive in a violent world.
To live a life of hostility
The singer is discussing a life lived in a hostile world where violence is normalized.
Never asking what it means
In this hostile world, people never question the violence they see or participate in because it's normalized.
When Mother Nation
The singer is identifying the country as the mother of its citizens, which can be a problematic view in modern times.
Blood and Religion
The motifs of blood and religion (or nationalism) are used as justifications for violence and war.
Sanction killing upon the fields of Mars
The singer believes that somewhere in the universe there must be a planet far from Earth where violence is justified and sanctioned.
High above the fields of Mars
The artist returns to the refrain, reiterating their desire to meet the listener in peace, far from a violent Earth.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRETT W. GUREWITZ, 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….