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.
Incomplete
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a hero, I'm a zero,
I'm the butt of the worst joke in history,
I'm a lock without a key,
A city with no door, a prayer without faith,
A show without a score,
I'm a bad word, a wink, a nod, a shiver,
An untold story, sex without fury,
I am incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, incomplete
Doctor, cure me, what is the cause of my condition,
This madness shoots me,
Like bullets smashing glass in a silent movie,
I'm a trap without a spring,
A temple with no god,
A jack without an ace,
The tip of your tongue,
I'm a promise, an unmailed letter,
An unbuilt motor, deck without a joker,
A creeping gray memory
I am incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, incomplete
Tell Saint Peter not to bet on me,
I got a naked obsession,
A good intention gone bad,
I am incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, incomplete
Bad Religion's song Incomplete is a reflective look at a person who feels inadequate and incomplete. The lyrics are introspective, exploring the singer's feelings of being a "hero" and a "zero" and the "butt of the worst joke in history". The singer uses analogies to describe their state of being, such as being a "lock without a key" and a "city with no door". The singer seems to be questioning their place in the world and seeking a sense of purpose.
The singer's internal struggle continues as they ask for a cure for their condition, seemingly suffering from a sense of madness that's compared to "bullets smashing glass in a silent movie". The singer is presented as being trapped, with no way out as they are a "temple with no god" and a "jack without an ace". The singer is searching for meaning in life and feels that they are lacking in some way, leading them to describe themselves as "incomplete", repeating the phrase several times throughout the song.
The song concludes with the singer telling "Saint Peter" not to bet on them, stating that they are "incomplete" and have a "naked obsession" and a "good intention gone bad". The song leaves the listener with the impression that the singer is still searching for something to help them feel complete.
Overall, Incomplete is a powerful song that speaks to the universal human experience of feeling inadequate and incomplete. Through its insightful lyrics and poignant imagery, the song explores the struggle of finding meaning and purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Mother, father, look at your little monster,
The singer is directing attention to themselves, as seen through the eyes of their parents.
I'm a hero, I'm a zero,
The singer feels like both a hero and a failure at the same time.
I'm the butt of the worst joke in history,
The singer feels like they are the target of the world's biggest joke, and they are the punchline.
I'm a lock without a key,
The artist feels trapped in their situation and can't find a way out.
A city with no door, a prayer without faith,
The artist feels stuck in a place where they can't escape and they have lost any sense of faith they once had.
A show without a score,
The singer feels like their life is pointless and has no direction or purpose.
I'm a bad word, a wink, a nod, a shiver,
The singer is expressing themselves through different types of communication, some of which may be inappropriate or secretive.
An untold story, sex without fury,
The artist's life is full of secrets and mysteries, but lacks passion and excitement.
A creeping gray memory,
The artist is haunted by memories of the past that seem to be fading into obscurity.
I am incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, incomplete
The artist feels like something is missing from their life and they are not whole.
Doctor, cure me, what is the cause of my condition,
The singer is asking for help and wants to know what is wrong with them.
This madness shoots me,
The artist is being overwhelmed by their own thoughts and feelings.
Like bullets smashing glass in a silent movie,
The singer feels like they are being attacked, but no one else seems to notice or care.
I'm a trap without a spring,
The singer is stuck in a situation that they cannot escape from.
A temple with no god,
The singer feels like they have lost any sense of meaning or purpose in life.
A jack without an ace,
The artist feels like they are missing the one thing they need to succeed.
The tip of your tongue,
The artist is trying to communicate something, but they can't quite find the right words.
I'm a promise, an unmailed letter,
The singer has made promises that they can't keep, or they have not followed through on something.
An unbuilt motor, deck without a joker,
The singer is incomplete, like a machine that has not been finished or a deck of cards that is missing a crucial piece.
A creeping gray memory
The artist is haunted by memories of the past that seem to be fading into obscurity.
I am incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, incomplete
The artist feels like something is missing from their life and they are not whole.
Tell Saint Peter not to bet on me,
The artist is expressing doubt about their own worth and value.
I got a naked obsession,
The singer is fixated on something that may be inappropriate or unattainable.
A good intention gone bad,
The artist had good intentions, but something went wrong and it turned out badly.
I am incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, incomplete
The singer feels like something is missing from their life and they are not whole.
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….