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.
Pity the Dead
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girl face-up staring at the moon
And there's no one around to hear their lonesome cries
Then they pass away alone into the night
Why do we pity the dead?
Are you churned by emotion from voices in your head?
(are you scared of the logic that swirls within your head)
Oh why do we
Pity the dead?
Pity the dead!
Well, you've seen the disease, suffering and decay,
And you whisper to yourself blissfully "it's okay"
And you still refuse the possibility
That the dead are better off than we
Tell me what you see, tell me what you know
Is there anyone who lives a painless life?
If there is show me so
The destitute and famished, demonic and the
Banished, dejected and the ostracized, the
Brainwashed and the paralyzed, the conquered
And objectified, the few who see the other side
Tell me what you see! It's a mortal wretched cacophony
In the end you may find there's no guiding subtle light,
No ancestors or friends, no judge of wrong or right
Just eternal silence and dormancy
And a final everlasting peace
The song "Pity the Dead" by Bad Religion opens with a description of two youths, a boy and a girl, both in a state of misery and desperation. The boy is impoverished, indicated by his "crimson rags," and appears to be using drugs with his spoon. The girl is lying on her back, staring up at the moon. The line "And there's no one around to hear their lonesome cries" suggests their loneliness and marginalization from society. The subsequent lines describe their lonely, tragic ending, as they "pass away alone into the night."
The chorus "Why do we pity the dead?" seems to question the common belief that death is an escape from the pain and suffering of life. The lyrics suggest that the belief might be a result of fear or a refusal to accept reality. The lines "Look at all the living and you'll ask yourself why/Oh why do we/Pity the dead?" seem to imply that living people should be the object of sympathy and concern as they are the ones experiencing pain and struggling to find meaning and purpose in life.
The second verse emphasizes the universality of suffering. The question "Tell me what you see, tell me what you know" implies that anyone can see and know the misery of the world. The rhetorical question "Is there anyone who lives a painless life?" implies the answer is no. The lines "The destitute and famished, demonic and the/Banished, dejected and the ostracized, the/Brainwashed and the paralyzed, the conquered/ And objectified, the few who see the other side" suggest that everyone is subject to suffering, in a variety of forms.
The final verse seems to describe a bleak, existentialist view of death, with no afterlife or ultimate purpose. The lines "In the end you may find there's no guiding subtle light/No ancestors or friends, no judge of wrong or right/Just eternal silence and dormancy/And a final everlasting peace" suggest that death is simply a cessation of existence, with no higher purpose or transcendence.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a boy in crimson rags with a grimace and a spoon, and a little sullen Girl face-up staring at the moon
There are two homeless children, one with a grimace and a spoon, and a little girl staring at the moon with a sad face.
And there's no one around to hear their lonesome cries
No one is around to hear their cries of loneliness.
Then they pass away alone into the night
They die alone in the night.
Why do we pity the dead?
Why do we feel sorry for those who have passed away?
Are you churned by emotion from voices in your head?
Are you feeling emotional because of the voices in your head?
Look at all the living and you'll ask yourself why
If you look at all the living people, you may ask why we feel sorry for the dead.
Oh why do we, Pity the dead?
Why do we pity the dead?
Well, you've seen the disease, suffering and decay, And you whisper to yourself blissfully 'it's okay'
You have witnessed disease, pain, and rot, and tried to comfort yourself by saying it's alright.
And you still refuse the possibility, That the dead are better off than we
You still deny the possibility that the dead may be in a better state than we are.
Tell me what you see, tell me what you know
Inform me on what you know and what you observe.
Is there anyone who lives a painless life?
Is there anyone out there who lives without any pain?
If there is show me so
If there is, then demonstrate it to me.
The destitute and famished, demonic and the Banished, dejected and the ostracized, the Brainwashed and the paralyzed, the conquered And objectified, the few who see the other side
There are those who are poor and hungry, those seen as demonic and those who are exiled, those who undergo mental depression and social ostracism, those who are brainwashed and paralyzed, those who were defeated and oppressed, as well as those who perceive things differently than most.
Tell me what you see! It's a mortal wretched cacophony
I implore you to show me what you see! It's a miserable and discordant situation.
In the end you may find there's no guiding subtle light, No ancestors or friends, no judge of wrong or right
In the end, you may realize that there is no faint light guiding you, no friends or ancestors, and no judge of what's wrong or right.
Just eternal silence and dormancy
Only everlasting silence and inactivity.
And a final everlasting peace
And concluding with an eternal peace.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GREG GRAFFIN
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….