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.
Sanity
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there's nowhere to roam
The lights are all on
But nobody's home
There comes a time
When you look up to the sky
And ask, "Why do my favorite songs
Always make me cry?
My sanity, my sanity?"
I've nothing to lose
So please let me be
I've got a firm grip
And strong roots like a tree
Burrowed deep in reality
I won't let you go
What else can there be?
You're all I have
When you swore to be true
Our bed was belief
But alternative facts
Snuck in like a thief
There comes a time
To release the cord of self
And with confidence declare your state of
Perfect mental health
Never doubting
My sanity
My sanity
Nothing to lose
So please let me be
My life is a song
A short melody
Harmonizing with reality
I've got it real bad
There's no remedy
You're all I have
My dear sanity
Sometimes there's no sane reason
For optimism
Oh, my sanity
My sanity
I've nothing to lose
So please let me be
My life is a song
A short melody
Harmonizing with reality
I've got it real bad
There's no remedy
My world picture is exemplary
I won't let you go
What else can there be?
You're all I have
My dear sanity
The lyrics of "Sanity" by Bad Religion explore the feeling of losing oneself in a world that has gone mad. The repetition of the phrase "I've nothing to lose, so please let me be" portrays a sense of desperation to hold on to what little sanity the singer has left. The metaphor of having roots like a tree burrowed deep in reality emphasizes the importance of staying grounded and connected to the truth in a world full of lies and alternative facts. The line "our bed was belief, but alternative facts snuck in like a thief" highlights how easily one's belief system can be infiltrated with misinformation and propaganda.
The chorus, "My sanity, my sanity, nothing to lose, so please let me be," is a cry for help and a plea for understanding. The singer is struggling to maintain their grip on reality and is questioning whether their favorite songs, which bring them solace, are actually contributing to their emotional breakdown. The bridge's line "Sometimes there's no sane reason for optimism" echoes the feeling of hopelessness that can arise when the world seems to be spiraling out of control.
Ultimately, the song is a reminder to prioritize mental health and to hold on tightly to one's sanity in a world that can feel overwhelmingly crazy at times.
Line by Line Meaning
When the world has gone mad
Amidst a chaotic and disorderly world
And there's nowhere to roam
And nowhere to find refuge from this disorderly world
The lights are all on
Even though there seems to be activity and movement around me
But nobody's home
I sense a feeling of emptiness and isolation despite the apparent activity
There comes a time
There is a point where one reaches a moment of reflection
When you look up to the sky
Where one tries to find answers from a higher source
And ask, "Why do my favorite songs Always make me cry?
Questioning one's emotional response to familiar songs
And am I losing My sanity, my sanity?"
Questioning one's own mental well-being
I've nothing to lose
There is nothing at stake
So please let me be
Allow me the time and space to reflect and avoid interference
I've got a firm grip
I have a strong sense of resolve
And strong roots like a tree
I am grounded and steadfast in my beliefs
Burrowed deep in reality
Firmly rooted in the truth of my life's experience
I won't let you go
I refuse to let go of my sense of sanity
What else can there be?
As there is nothing to replace it
You're all I have
My sanity is my most cherished possession
When you swore to be true
When I thought I could trust in something
Our bed was belief
When my security came from my faith in something or someone
But alternative facts
But then I was exposed to lies and deceit disguised as reality
Snuck in like a thief
Infiltrated my sense of security without warning
There comes a time
Again, there is a point where one has to take action
To release the cord of self
To let go of that which is untrue
And with confidence declare your state of Perfect mental health
And declare a conviction in one's own sanity
Never doubting My sanity, my sanity
Refusing to believe that one's own mind is compromised
My life is a Song
My life has a rhythm and a vibe
A short melody
It is only a brief moment in time
Harmonizing with reality
But it is in harmony with the truth of my life
I've got it real bad
I am deeply affected by this sense of dissonance
There's no remedy
There seems to be no solution
My world picture is exemplary
My perception of things is exemplary
I won't let you go
I refuse to let go of my sanity
What else can there be?
As there is nothing to replace it
You're all I have
My sanity is my most cherished possession
Sometimes there's no sane reason For optimism
Sometimes there is no good reason to be hopeful
Oh, my sanity My sanity
Once again questioning one's own sanity
My life is a song
My life has a rhythm and a vibe
A short melody
It is only a brief moment in time
Harmonizing with reality
But it is in harmony with the truth of my life
I've got it real bad
I am deeply affected by this sense of dissonance
There's no remedy
There seems to be no solution
I won't let you go
I refuse to let go of my sanity
What else can there be?
As there is nothing to replace it
You're all I have
My sanity is my most cherished possession
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brett W. Gurewitz, Greg Graffin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Sparkamus_Prime
Lyrics:
When the world has gone mad and there's nowhere to roam
The lights are all on but nobody's home
There comes a time when you look up to the sky
And ask why do my favorite songs always make me cry
And am I losing
My sanity, my sanity
I've nothing to lose, so please let me be
I've got a firm grip and strong roots like a tree
Burrowed deep in reality
I won't let you go, what else can there be
You're all I have
When you swore to be true, our bed was belief
But alternative facts snuck in like a thief
There comes a time to release the cord of self
And with confidence declare your state of perfect mental health
Never doubting
My sanity, my sanity
I've nothing to lose, so please let me be
My life is a song, a short melody
Harmonizing with reality
I've got it real bad, there's no remedy
You're all I have, my dear sanity
Sometimes there's no sane reason for optimism
Oh my sanity, my sanity
I've nothing to lose, so please let me be
My life is a song, a short melody
Harmonizing with reality
I've got it real bad, there's no remedy
My world picture is exemplary
I won't let you go, what else can there be
You're all I have, my dear sanity
@emptyemptiness8372
There is something about the way bad religion structure their music and lyrics that hits me on a deeply emotional level. As a young punk rocker 37 year's ago or now as a 52yr old it's the same feeling.
@josephschultz3301
30-years-old and no worries, you're not alone. It hurts how hard it all hits. For me, it hurts in very real ways.
@legendofkora8243
Wwx Ware awesome dude, awesome. And thank you 🤘🏽
@DannoKrueger420
this song straight up brought me to tears. Im struggling with my mental health lately and it hit me really hard. Beautiful. Loved this band since the early 90s.
@josephschultz3301
@Danno Krueger It's a very real song. It covers a topic that is very, intensely scary; the idea of losing your mind. It's especially frightening when, like a lot of us, our minds feel like all we have left to lose.
Trust Bad Religion to give such a thing a great sound.
@gez9145
amen to that. 41 and counting over here...
@SonataFanatica
"There comes a time when you look up to the sky and ask 'Why do my favorite songs always make me cry?'" – leave it to Greg and the guys to hit close to home.
@alflemon2783
Another Bad Religion quote that will be with me until the day I die.
@rumpledxkn
It becomes more and more true as I get older.
@zariski
"my life is a song a short melody harmonizing with reality"