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.
Shattered Faith
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The scientist purported that there ain't no purpose
and the theologian told me that it's all been designed
and I'm trying to maintain objectivity
The world won't illuminate what really matters
and I'm an imperfect modal/moral meaning extractor
processing the complexity
We weren't given a choice (There's no way)
What about free will? (What we have)
Do we have a voice? (Is shattered faith)
See them run in place (Here and now)
in the human rat race (No reward)
So much dead weight (No debate) to our disgrace (shattered faith)
Life begins when you accept your fate
Paralysis from forces raging out of control until
my confidence and will are at an all-time low
Just directionless wandering
Eternal life, eternal truth, eternal secrets
Isolated hopes and hypotheses just
Leave me feeling so hungry
Born of the Earth (Are we blind?)
We weren't given a choice (There's no way)
What about free will? (What we have)
Do we have a voice? (Is shattered faith)
See them run in place (Here and now)
in the human rat race (No reward)
So much dead weight (No debate) to our disgrace (shattered faith)
Life begins when you accept your fate
Right or wrong,
the main criterion is what you do and not what you say
The roads you take, the friends you make and those you throw away
The method is a simple synthesis of the past and present state
You never lose if the path you choose is one you can easily navigate
I had a dream, light and carefree
But now there's doubt and gravity
But I won't run in place (Are we blind?) in the human rat race (There's no way)
I can set the pace (What we have) and accept my fate (Is shattered faith)
Shattered faith (Here and now)
Shattered faith (No reward)
the part of me (No debate) I can't erase (shattered faith)
The song "Shattered Faith" by Bad Religion is a commentary on the existential dilemma of mankind. The opening lines allude to the divide between science and religion and the conflict that arises when trying to reconcile the two. It speaks to the human need to find meaning in life, but the singer is unable to do so amidst the intellectual and systemic complexities of the world. The chorus reflects the idea that life is a rat race, with people running and competing for little to no reward or purpose. The repeated phrase "shattered faith" is the culmination of the singer's disillusionment with the world and a dramatic reflection on the meaninglessness of human existence.
The second verse further deepens the singer's despair, as it describes a feeling of paralysis caused by uncontrollable external forces. The idea of eternal life and truth represents the human desire for something permanent and unchanging amidst the chaos of existence. The final verse offers some hope, suggesting that one's own choices and actions are ultimately what matter, and one must navigate their path accordingly. The chorus is repeated, emphasizing the overall theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
The scientist purported that there ain't no purpose
Scientist claims that life has no purpose
and the theologian told me that it's all been designed
Theologian believes that everything is created by a higher power
and I'm trying to maintain objectivity
Narrator is attempting to remain unbiased while evaluating the different viewpoints
The world won't illuminate what really matters
The world isn't helping to reveal what's crucial
and I'm an imperfect modal/moral meaning extractor
Narrator admits to being imperfect in understanding the world's moral values
processing the complexity
Trying to process the complicated nature of the world
Born of the Earth (Are we blind?)
Questioning the role of humans in the world
We weren't given a choice (There's no way)
The artist believes that humans had no choice in their existence
What about free will? (What we have)
Asking about the concept of free will
Do we have a voice? (Is shattered faith)
Wondering if humans have control over their own lives
See them run in place (Here and now)
Observing people's futile actions
in the human rat race (No reward)
Life is like a rat race with no clear reward
So much dead weight (No debate) to our disgrace (shattered faith)
There is a lot of unnecessary burden in life
Life begins when you accept your fate
Accepting fate is important to start living
Paralysis from forces raging out of control until
Feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by uncontrollable events
my confidence and will are at an all-time low
Narrator is feeling hopeless and powerless
Just directionless wandering
Feeling lost with no direction
Eternal life, eternal truth, eternal secrets
Contemplating on the concept of eternity
Isolated hopes and hypotheses just
Having unproven theories and isolated dreams
Leave me feeling so hungry
Feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled
Right or wrong,
Whether it’s right or wrong
the main criterion is what you do and not what you say
Actions speak louder than words
The roads you take, the friends you make and those you throw away
The choices you make in life will determine your path
The method is a simple synthesis of the past and present state
The way forward is a simple combination of past and present experiences
You never lose if the path you choose is one you can easily navigate
Choosing an easy path will ensure that you never fail
I had a dream, light and carefree
Narrator had a dream with happy-go-lucky qualities
But now there's doubt and gravity
Now the singer feels doubt and solemnity
But I won't run in place (Are we blind?)
Narrator won't be complacent
in the human rat race (There's no way)
He won't be stuck in the meaningless cycle of life
I can set the pace (What we have)
Narrator believes he can control his own life
and accept my fate (Is shattered faith)
Coming to terms with destiny
Shattered faith (Here and now)
Losing faith in the present moment
Shattered faith (No reward)
Losing faith in any reward or purpose
the part of me (No debate) I can't erase (shattered faith)
Narrator struggles to erase feelings of doubt and despair
Lyrics © MOTHERSHIP MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: BRETT W. GUREWITZ, GREG GRAFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PabloHFDS
The scientist purported that there ain't no purpose
And the theologian told me that it's all been designed
And I'm trying to maintain objectivity
The world won't illuminate what really matters
And I'm an imperfect moral meaning extractor
Processing the complexity
Born of the earth (are we blind?)
We weren't given a choice (there's no way)
What about free will? (what we have)
Do we have a voice? (is shattered faith)
See them run in place (here and now)
In the human rat race (no reward)
So much dead weight (no debate) to our disgrace (accept your fate)
Life begins when you accept your fate
Paralysis from forces raging out of control until
My confidence and will are at an all-time low
Just directionless wandering
Eternal life, eternal truth, eternal secrets
Isolated hopes and hypotheses just
Leave me feeling so hungry
Born of the earth (are we blind? )
We weren't given a choice (there's no way)
What about free will? (what we have)
Do we have a voice? (is shattered faith)
See them run in place (here and now)
In the human rat race (no reward)
So much dead weight (no debate) to our disgrace (accept your fate)
Life begins when you accept your fate
Right or wrong,
The main criterion is what you do and not what you say
The roads you take, the friends you make and those you throw away
The method is a simple synthesis of the past and present state
You never lose if the path you choose is one you can easily navigate
I had a dream, light and carefree
But now there's doubt and gravity
But I won't run in place (are we blind? ) in the human rat race (there's no way)
I can set the pace (what we have) and accept my fate (is shattered faith)
Shattered faith (here and now)
Shattered faith (no reward)
The part of me (no debate) I can't erase (accept your fate)
PabloHFDS
The scientist purported that there ain't no purpose
And the theologian told me that it's all been designed
And I'm trying to maintain objectivity
The world won't illuminate what really matters
And I'm an imperfect moral meaning extractor
Processing the complexity
Born of the earth (are we blind?)
We weren't given a choice (there's no way)
What about free will? (what we have)
Do we have a voice? (is shattered faith)
See them run in place (here and now)
In the human rat race (no reward)
So much dead weight (no debate) to our disgrace (accept your fate)
Life begins when you accept your fate
Paralysis from forces raging out of control until
My confidence and will are at an all-time low
Just directionless wandering
Eternal life, eternal truth, eternal secrets
Isolated hopes and hypotheses just
Leave me feeling so hungry
Born of the earth (are we blind? )
We weren't given a choice (there's no way)
What about free will? (what we have)
Do we have a voice? (is shattered faith)
See them run in place (here and now)
In the human rat race (no reward)
So much dead weight (no debate) to our disgrace (accept your fate)
Life begins when you accept your fate
Right or wrong,
The main criterion is what you do and not what you say
The roads you take, the friends you make and those you throw away
The method is a simple synthesis of the past and present state
You never lose if the path you choose is one you can easily navigate
I had a dream, light and carefree
But now there's doubt and gravity
But I won't run in place (are we blind? ) in the human rat race (there's no way)
I can set the pace (what we have) and accept my fate (is shattered faith)
Shattered faith (here and now)
Shattered faith (no reward)
The part of me (no debate) I can't erase (accept your fate)
George Dykes
Pablo Gamer BR thanks
Mog
You're getting the wrong message, some of the people here who have discomfort with the fatalistic nature of the song, you're not giving Graffin the credit he deserves as a writer - he didn't write a song about laying down and welcoming death because there's no hope and no point, he's detailing the struggle to live and live well in spite of the overly disenchanting and hopeless nature of life that is thrown at so many of us. It's more of an anthem for hope and conquering despair than any of their songs.
I'm more inclined towards older BR efforts, but I was really happy with The Process of Belief, it was a massive improvement from New America. I got the special edition (I think it was the Japanese release of TPOB) and this song was on it, it just blew me away. I saw BR in 2003 when they were touring in support of TPOB and it is still one of the greatest and most brilliant shows I've attended in my life.
Tierah Jacobs
Hey, I loved New America
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Princess Plushima
One of those songs that really makes you think. Love the band's seemingly perfect balance of spirit and mind.
45x99
19 years as a fan... over half my life. awesome song... awesome band.