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.
Submission Complete
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Initiated are coddled and caged
Before you walk, as soon as you crawl
Hope is pointless when you're stuck in the trawl
Fuck the freshman lectures and blandishments
They just betray impoverished accomplishments
The puppet masters fear originality
Submission complete
Young recruits never have a chance
Enticed to the drill, admonished to dance
Early to rise and early to shine
Life is long but the end is nigh
Break the guilty trammels from yesteryear
Remember how rejuvenation conquers all fears
Lowly opportunists take commanding roles
And hawk ultimatums so their weakness won't show
The sad reflection of dead ambition
You live for nothing
Submission complete
Yeah, break the guilty trammels from yesteryear
Remember how the taste of failure makes it all clear
The lowly opportunists take commanding roles
And hawk ultimatums so their weakness won't show
The sad reflection of dead ambition
You live for nothing
Expectation, indoctrination
Life's damnation
Submission complete
Dying on your feet
Submission complete
A total defeat
The song "Submission Complete" by Bad Religion is about the dangerous effects of conformity and the pressures to submit to an authority in society.
The first verse of the song suggests that people are expected to dedicate themselves to a particular cause or institution without question. In doing so, individuals are caged by their own initiated beliefs, which leads to a sense of hopelessness. The second verse refers to the manipulation of young people into conforming through the use of lectures and blandishments. The puppet-masters, those who hold power and authority, fear originality and as such, they silence those who think outside the box by tightening the tethers and shackling their feet.
The pre-chorus of the song urges people to "break the guilty trammels from yesteryear" and "remember how rejuvenation conquers all fears." The chorus itself emphasizes the idea of submission with the line, "submission complete." The final verse reminds us that we live in a society that indoctrinates us with certain expectations of what success looks like. This indoctrination leads to a life of damnation, and ultimately to a total defeat.
Overall, Bad Religion's "Submission Complete" serves as a serious critique of the consequences of conformity and the impact it can have on individuals' life aspirations.
Line by Line Meaning
Dedication's the price you pay
Being fully committed requires sacrifice and hard work
Initiated are coddled and caged
Those who are initiated into a system are often protected but restricted in their growth
Before you walk, as soon as you crawl
You are immediately expected to conform and obey from a young age
Hope is pointless when you're stuck in the trawl
It's hard to have hope for change when you are trapped in a cycle of oppression or negativity
Fuck the freshman lectures and blandishments
The promises and incentives given to new recruits are often insincere and meaningless
They just betray impoverished accomplishments
These false promises only serve to maintain the status quo and prevent real progress
The puppet masters fear originality
Those in power are afraid of thinking and acting outside of established norms
They tighten up the tethers and they shackle your feet
Systems of power and control limit your freedom and creativity
Submission complete
You have fully given in to the demands of the system and lost your autonomy
Young recruits never have a chance
It's difficult for newcomers to break free of the established system and effect change
Enticed to the drill, admonished to dance
You are lured into compliance and conformity through coercion and pressure
Early to rise and early to shine
Success in the system requires rigorous dedication and constant effort
Life is long but the end is nigh
Even if you succeed in the system, your ultimate fate is inevitable and unavoidable
Break the guilty trammels from yesteryear
Release yourself from the oppressive chains of the past that still constrain you
Remember how rejuvenation conquers all fears
Find inspiration in the idea that a renewed sense of purpose can empower you to overcome your fears
Lowly opportunists take commanding roles
Those who are less principled and more manipulative often rise to positions of power
And hawk ultimatums so their weakness won't show
They use strong-arm tactics to hide their own lack of competence or conviction
The sad reflection of dead ambition
Failing to break free from the system can lead to a life of unfulfilled potential
You live for nothing
Your life becomes meaningless when you abandon your own values and goals to conform to the system
Expectation, indoctrination
The system imposes certain standards and beliefs on you, shaping your worldview and behavior
Life's damnation
The oppressive system is a curse on your existence
Submission complete
You have fully surrendered to the system, sacrificing your individuality and autonomy
Dying on your feet
Even though you are still alive, you have already given up control of your life and destiny
Submission complete
Emphasizes the finality and totality of your capitulation to the system
A total defeat
The ultimate outcome of a life lived in service to the system is dehumanizing and unfulfilling
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRETT W. GUREWITZ, 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….