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.
Hooray for Me...
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the shadow of tentacled towers by the red light of America,
I imagine how his mother felt when she heard that her husband was dying,
And that underground heroes of the tarmac shooting smack were blowing up worlds
And Damned out loud,
He, can you tell me how does it feel?
Doing anything that you don't have to?
Well that's what I'm accustomed to so hooray for me
When I slept with stony faces on the riverbank,
My angel devil reveler shook me desperately in dying,
I don't exactly want to apologize for anything, and now
We're all mad and tangled in secret rooms with roman candles,
On an endless graveyard train
Yeah, tell me, can you imagine, for a second, doing
Anything just 'cause you want to?
Well, that's just what I do so hooray for me
Yeah, I was dreaming through the "howzlife", yawning,
Car black, when she told me "mad and meaningless as ever..",
And a song came on my radio like a cemetery rhyme,
For a million crying corpses in their tragedy of respectable existence
Oh, yeah, I'm not respectable, and never sensible,
I've been incredible so damned irascible
And I like the things I do so hooray for me
The lyrics of Bad Religion's song Hooray for Me evoke different themes and experiences. The song begins by painting a somber picture of the singer's teenage father standing on a desolate corner, overshadowed by tentacled towers, while heroes of the tarmac (truckers) shoot up heroin, blowing up worlds. From there, the narrative seems to shift to the singer's own life as they recount strange and unsettling experiences, including sleeping with stony faces on the riverbank and being shaken desperately by an angel devil reveler. The singer ultimately concludes by stating "oh, yeah, I'm not respectable, and never sensible, I've been incredible so damned irascible, and I like the things I do so hooray for me," a celebration of their own unconventional and sometimes unsettling way of living.
The lyrics of Hooray for Me seem to touch on themes of counterculture and rebellion, the struggle to find oneself amidst a hostile or indifferent society, and the tensions that can arise between conformity and individuality. The song may also address the concept of nihilism and the meaninglessness of life, as hinted at in lines such as "mad and meaningless as ever" and "a million crying corpses in their tragedy of respectable existence".
Overall, the lyrics of Hooray for Me are layered and complex, evoking a sense of unrest and defiance while also pointing towards deeper questions of human purpose and existence.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see my teenage father standing straight on a desolate corner,
The singer imagines his father as a young man standing alone in the shadow of looming buildings and seedy lighting.
In the shadow of tentacled towers by the red light of America,
The singer envisions his father's desolate corner as one surrounded by ominous and powerful structures, while the glow of unsavory establishments casts a sickly hue on the area.
I imagine how his mother felt when she heard that her husband was dying,
The singer reflects on how his grandmother might have felt when she learned of her husband's impending death.
And that underground heroes of the tarmac shooting smack were blowing up worlds
The artist acknowledges those who engage in drug use and the ways in which their actions can dramatically impact the lives of others.
And Damned out loud, He, can you tell me how does it feel?
The artist demands to know how those who partake in harmful behaviors feel about their actions.
Yeah, tell me, can you imagine, for a second,
Doing anything that you don't have to?
Well that's what I'm accustomed to so hooray for me
The singer is used to making choices that don't necessarily enhance his life or wellbeing, but he celebrates these choices nonetheless.
When I slept with stony faces on the riverbank,
My angel devil reveler shook me desperately in dying,
The singer reflects on a time when he lay on a riverbank and a person or entity (perhaps within his own mind) shook him while he was passing away.
I don't exactly want to apologize for anything, and now
We're all mad and tangled in secret rooms with roman candles,
On an endless graveyard train
The artist feels no remorse and describes a situation where he and others are confined to secret rooms, exploding fireworks, and moving endlessly through a graveyard.
Yeah, tell me, can you imagine, for a second, doing
Anything just 'cause you want to?
Well, that's just what I do so hooray for me
The artist acknowledges that he acts purely on wants and not on practicality, and he celebrates this behavior.
Yeah, I was dreaming through the "howzlife", yawning,
Car black, when she told me "mad and meaningless as ever..",
And a song came on my radio like a cemetery rhyme,
For a million crying corpses in their tragedy of respectable existence
The artist was dreaming about life, and was indifferent and disinterested when someone told him about its bleakness. A song then described the tragedy of millions of people living unremarkable lives filled with sadness and despair.
Oh, yeah, I'm not respectable, and never sensible,
I've been incredible so damned irascible
And I like the things I do so hooray for me
The singer affirms that he is not concerned with being respectable or sensible, but prefers to act in his own way despite his irritable and contrary behavior.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRETT GUREWITZ
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….