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.
I Want to Conquer the World
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your actions speak so loud I can't hear a word you're saying
Hey sister bleeding heart with all of your compassion
Your labors soothe the hurt but can't assuage temptation
Hey man of science with your perfect rules of measure
Can you improve this place with the data that you gather
Hey mother mercy can your loins bear fruit forever?
I want to conquer the world
Give all the idiots a brand new religion
Put an end to poverty, uncleanliness and toil
Promote equality in all of my decisions
With a quick wink of the eye and a "god you must be joking!"
Hey mister diplomat with your worldly aspirations
Did you see your children cry when you left them at the station?
Hey moral soldier you've got righteous proclamation
And precious tomes to fuel your pulpy conflagrations
I want to conquer the world
Expose the culprits and feed them to the children
I'll do away with air pollution
And then I'll save the whales
We'll have peace on earth
And global communion
In Bad Religion's song "I Want to Conquer the World," the lyrics describe the frustrations and desires for change from the perspective of different personas. The first verse criticizes a "brother Christian" and "sister bleeding heart" who are more interested in their own personal spiritual fulfillment than making meaningful change in the world. The second verse takes aim at a "man of science" who may have measurable data but can't necessarily make a significant difference, and a "mother mercy" figure whose good deeds may not necessarily lead to lasting change.
The chorus then proclaims the singer's desire to conquer the world and make a better place for everyone, including giving "all the idiots a brand new religion" and "promoting equality in all of my decisions." The final verse takes down a "mister diplomat" who prioritizes his own ambition over his children's well-being, and a "moral soldier" whose noble intentions are fueled by controversial ideologies. The song concludes with the singer again proclaiming his desire for world peace and a global community.
Overall, "I Want to Conquer the World" is a criticism of those who prioritize personal gain or the status quo over meaningful change, and a call for individuals to take action and make the world a better place. The song also touches on themes of religion, science, and politics and questions their effectiveness in creating lasting change.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey brother christian with your high and mighty errand
Addressing those who believe they are superior due to their religion, which they use to justify their actions.
Your actions speak so loud I can't hear a word you're saying
The actions of these individuals contradict their beliefs and make their words meaningless.
Hey sister bleeding heart with all of your compassion
Addressing those whose compassion for others doesn't translate into concrete solutions to their problems.
Your labors soothe the hurt but can't assuage temptation
Their efforts provide temporary relief, but aren't effective in preventing the source of the problem.
Hey man of science with your perfect rules of measure
Addressing those who believe science is the answer to everything, and that data and logic will solve all of society's problems.
Can you improve this place with the data that you gather
Questioning whether the objectives of science have truly proved beneficial to the well-being of society.
Hey mother mercy can your loins bear fruit forever?
Addressing those who expect others to solve their problems and bear their responsibility.
Is your fecundity a trammel or a treasure?
Questioning whether the act of bearing more children is truly a benefit to society, or whether it creates more problems.
I want to conquer the world
Expressing the desire to create a better world, one that is free of suffering and inequality.
Give all the idiots a brand new religion
Satirical comment on how religion is often a tool used to manipulate and control people who do not think carefully.
Put an end to poverty, uncleanliness and toil
Desire for a world without inequality, where everyone can live without poverty or hardship.
Promote equality in all of my decisions
The importance of creating just societies where everyone is equal and deserves respect and dignity.
With a quick wink of the eye and a 'god you must be joking!'
Satirical comment on how some people use religion without actually following it, and how easy it is to make fun of those who claim to be religious but aren't.
Hey mister diplomat with your worldly aspirations
Addressing those who are concerned mostly with appearances, power and control, and seek to maintain it at the expense of others.
Did you see your children cry when you left them at the station?
Questioning the morality of pursuing worldly success at the expense of one's loved ones and family.
Hey moral soldier you've got righteous proclamation
Addressing those who claim to be fighting for a higher cause, but whose actions do not align with their beliefs.
And precious tomes to fuel your pulpy conflagrations
Using religious texts to justify actions that harm others or create an unjust world.
Expose the culprits and feed them to the children
Calling for accountability and justice in how resources are managed, and how those who cause suffering and harm to others are dealt with.
I'll do away with air pollution
Desire for a world without pollution, where everyone can breathe clean air.
And then I'll save the whales
Desire to protect and conserve wildlife and the natural world that is under threat.
We'll have peace on earth
Desire for a world without war, conflict, or hatred.
And global communion
Desire for unity, cooperation and harmony among all people, regardless of their race, nationality, or creed.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRETT GUREWITZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NiktheGreek
Ze lyrics
Hey brother christian with your high and mighty errand
Your actions speak so loud I can't hear a word you're saying
Hey sister bleeding heart with all of your compassion
Your labors soothe the hurt but can't assuage temptation
Hey man of science with your perfect rules of measure
Can you improve this place with the data that you gather
Hey mother mercy can your loins bear fruit forever?
Is your fecundity a trammel or a treasure?
I want to conquer the world
Give all the idiots a brand new religion
Put an end to poverty, uncleanliness and toil
Promote equality in all of my decisions
With a quick wink of the eye and a "god you must be joking!"
Hey mister diplomat with your worldly aspirations
Did you see your children cry when you left them at the station?
Hey moral soldier you've got righteous proclamation
And precious tomes to fuel your pulpy conflagrations
I want to conquer the world
Expose the culprits and feed them to the children
I'll do away with air pollution
And then I'll save the whales
We'll have peace on earth
And global communion
Jevon Washington
WWE Backlash 2009 Theme Song Bad Religion I Want To Conquer The World Commentary Jerry "The King" Lawler & Michael Cole & Jim Ross 3 Ring Announcer Megan Roberts & Chris Mink & Andrew Nelson
ECW Championship
Jack Swagger vs. Christian
CM Punk vs. Kane
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs Chris Jericho
I Quit Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy
6-Man Tag Team Match For The WWE Championship
Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon vs. Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase
Great Khali Kiss Cam with Santina Marella
Last Man Standing Match For The World Heavyweight Championship
John Cena vs. Edge
NiktheGreek
Ze lyrics
Hey brother christian with your high and mighty errand
Your actions speak so loud I can't hear a word you're saying
Hey sister bleeding heart with all of your compassion
Your labors soothe the hurt but can't assuage temptation
Hey man of science with your perfect rules of measure
Can you improve this place with the data that you gather
Hey mother mercy can your loins bear fruit forever?
Is your fecundity a trammel or a treasure?
I want to conquer the world
Give all the idiots a brand new religion
Put an end to poverty, uncleanliness and toil
Promote equality in all of my decisions
With a quick wink of the eye and a "god you must be joking!"
Hey mister diplomat with your worldly aspirations
Did you see your children cry when you left them at the station?
Hey moral soldier you've got righteous proclamation
And precious tomes to fuel your pulpy conflagrations
I want to conquer the world
Expose the culprits and feed them to the children
I'll do away with air pollution
And then I'll save the whales
We'll have peace on earth
And global communion
Mr Jumbarrawa
my fav lines ..
Hey mister diplomat with your worldly aspirations
Did you see your children cry when you left them at the station?
Hey moral soldier you've got righteous proclamation
And precious tomes to fuel your pulpy conflagrations
vkbz
I always return to this song. So powerful and meaningful.
Mr Jumbarrawa
me too :)
such an underated band in music history.
The Mutt From Taco Town
Check out I Against I
Vida de gamberro
People need to pay attention to these lyrics. They put them out there in the 90s and no one payed attention
Dano F
Really? I 58 and bought their first album in 1982. And then cassettes for my ride, then CD's and then, well you know the rest. All my skate bros listened to them. Except this one guy who skated for Vision who was into iron maiden.
Gamers against Lean Alberta 2007
@verdeslam44 Iron Maiden aren't bad either tbh,or Saxon,Tank,Mötorhead,Diamond Head,Judas Priest,and some Def Lepoard tbh. 80s NWOBHM is a solid subgenre.
jasvav1
Boingo's, Insanity.
Richard Keen
Wait what? I'm sorry I wasn't listening. I'm kidding I was listening and only old people I'm 58 years old only old people listen to this kind of music and understand skate or die punk rock is too smart for folks that's why rap is cool now because it's unintelligible