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.
Marked
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am a willing one,
This roller coaster ride is an enticing one,
On the tip of a continuum flowing wavelike
Through disorder carry me like a vessel to water
Everything you see leaves a mark on your soul,
Everything you feel leaves a mark on your soul,
Everything you make leaves a mark on your soul
If I can touch it,
I can destroy it,
If it's imaginable to some degree,
I can become it,
Like a hungry turning vortex that just flickers to existence,
Consuming bits and pieces until I'm finally extinguished
Everyone you see leaves a mark on your soul,
Everyone you bare leaves a mark on your soul,
Everyone you touch leaves a mark on your soul,
Everyone you love leaves a mark on your soul
Everything you take leaves a mark on your soul,
Everything you give leaves a mark on your soul,
And all the fear and loneliness that's impossible to control,
And every tear you cry leaves a mark on your soul
The lyrics of Bad Religion's song Marked express the idea that everything we experience leaves a mark on our soul. The singer describes himself as a "monster" who is willing to embark on a roller coaster ride that is both enticing and dangerous. He compares himself to a vessel flowing on a continuum, implying that he is swept along by the currents of life. He acknowledges that he has the power to destroy anything he touches, and that he can become whatever he imagines.
The chorus reiterates the main theme of the song: everything we see, feel, touch, and make leaves a mark on our soul. The singer suggests that these marks are like tattoos on our psyche, indelible and lasting. He acknowledges that we cannot control our emotions, and that experiences such as fear, loneliness, and sadness also leave their mark.
Overall, the lyrics of Marked suggest a sense of fatalism, as if the singer is powerless to escape the marks that life leaves on him. At the same time, there is a sense of empowerment in the idea that he can become anything he imagines, and that he has the power to destroy as well as create.
Line by Line Meaning
If I'm a monster,
If I am something to be feared,
I am a willing one,
I am okay with people being afraid of me,
This roller coaster ride is an enticing one,
This unpredictable ride is interesting to me,
On the tip of a continuum flowing wavelike
At the intersection of constant change,
Through disorder carry me like a vessel to water
Chaos always takes me where I need to go,
Everything you see leaves a mark on your soul,
Every sight shapes who you are,
Everything you feel leaves a mark on your soul,
Every emotion stays with you forever,
Everything you touch leaves a mark on your soul,
Every touch is significant to your being,
Everything you make leaves a mark on your soul
Every creation defines who you are,
If I can touch it,
If it is tangible,
I can destroy it,
I can ruin it,
If it's imaginable to some degree,
If it exists in your mind,
I can become it,
I can embody it,
Like a hungry turning vortex that just flickers to existence,
Like a never-ending black hole,
Consuming bits and pieces until I'm finally extinguished
Inevitably destroying everything that comes my way,
Everyone you see leaves a mark on your soul,
Everyone you come across shapes you,
Everyone you bare leaves a mark on your soul,
Everyone you reveal yourself to affects you,
Everyone you touch leaves a mark on your soul,
Everyone you make a connection with impacts you,
Everyone you love leaves a mark on your soul
Everyone you love will always have a place in your heart,
Everything you take leaves a mark on your soul,
Every thing you claim as your own changes you,
Everything you give leaves a mark on your soul,
Every thing you give away says something about you,
And all the fear and loneliness that's impossible to control,
The perpetual fear and sadness that is out of your control,
And every tear you cry leaves a mark on your soul
Every tear you shed shapes your soul,
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRETT W. 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….