Bad Religion is a punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, known for th… Read Full Bio ↴Bad Religion is a punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, known for the social commentary in their lyrics. The band was formed in 1979 by high school students Greg Graffin (vocals), Jay Bentley (bass guitar), Jay Ziskrout (drums), and Brett Gurewitz (guitar). In 1981, they released their eponymous debut EP on their own newly-formed label, Epitaph, managed and owned by Gurewitz. 1982 saw the release of their first full-length album, How Could Hell be Any Worse?, which gained them a sizable following. During the recording, Ziskrout left the band and was replaced by Peter Finestone.

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.

God Song
Bad Religion Lyrics

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And did those feet in ancient times
Trod on America's pastures of green?
And did that anthropocentric god
Wane with their thoughts and beliefs all unseen?

I don't think so, he's up there with the others laying low
Vying with those, who you've traded your life to to bless your soul

Have they told you how to think
Cleansed your mind of sepsis and autonomy?
Or have you escaped from scrutiny
And regaled yourself with depravity?

Now we all see, 'Religion is just synthetic frippery
Unnecessary in our expanding global cultural efficiency'

Now we all fear this impasse we have built to our future (ever so near)
Ever so near, and oh so austere

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bad Religion's God Song are a critique of unquestioned religious belief and the idea of a God who is anthropocentric, or solely focused on humanity. The first two lines of the song reference the legend that Jesus Christ visited England and "trod on America's pastures of green." The lyrics pose the question of whether God would focus solely on humanity or if he would have an interest in the natural world as well.

The song then goes on to question the role of religion in society, and whether it has been used as a means of controlling people's thoughts and actions. The reference to "those who you've traded your life to to bless your soul" suggests that some people are willing to give up their autonomy and free will to religious leaders in the hope of a promised afterlife. The chorus asserts that religion is "just synthetic frippery" and unnecessary in the modern world.

The final verse of the song suggests that we are at a critical juncture in history, with the future "ever so near" and "oh so austere." The use of the word "impasse" suggests that humanity may be at a turning point, with religion and faith on one side and reason and progress on the other.

Overall, the lyrics of God Song present a scathing critique of organized religion and a call for people to think for themselves and question their beliefs.

Line by Line Meaning

And did those feet in ancient times
Did people in the past travel across green pastures like they do now?

Trod on America's pastures of green?
Did people walk on America's green lands that exist today?

And did that anthropocentric god
Did that god focus only on humans and ignore other living beings?

Wanes with their thoughts and beliefs all unseen?
Does that god lose power as people stop believing or change their beliefs?

I don't think so, he's up there with the others laying low
I disagree and believe that the god is still present but keeping a low profile.

Vying with those, who you've traded your life to to bless your soul
The god is competing with other gods whom people have devoted their lives to in order to bless them.

Have they told you how to think
Did religious leaders instruct you on how to think and believe?

Cleansed your mind of sepsis and autonomy?
Did they rid your mind of impurities and independent thinking?

Or have you escaped from scrutiny
Did you evade close examination by religious authorities?

And regaled yourself with depravity?
Did you indulge in immoral behavior?

Now we all see, 'Religion is just synthetic frippery
We now understand that religion is artificial and unnecessary.

Unnecessary in our expanding global cultural efficiency'
It is not needed as society advances and becomes more efficient.

Now we all fear this impasse we have built to our future (ever so near)
We are anxious about the dead end we have created for ourselves as we approach the future.

Ever so near, and oh so austere
It is imminent and grim.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GREG GRAFFIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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