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.
The Handshake
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could it be that it's only superficiality?,
Without regard to well-being, without an inkling of compromise,
Handshakes are nothing but a subtle "fuck you",
Contracts determine the best friendships
This is the way of the modern world, everyone's vying for patronage,
This is the way of the modern world, and something has gotta give
Every time you shake someone's hand,
And you share neither color or creed,
You gotta overcome the obstacles of history,
There is restrained passion, mistrust, and bigotry
And these have created the new foundations of society,
There's no harmony just class and race
This is the way of the modern world,
Everyone's fighting for dominance,
This is the way of the modern world,
And something has gotta give
Now I believe in unity, and I am willing to compromise,
But I'm not gonna lie or sell my soul
Every time you shake someone's hand,
It determines where you stand,
And if you won't uphold your side then it's better to
Fend for yourself, and shun the handshake,
Someone's gotta give
The lyrics to Bad Religion's song "The Handshake" bring attention to the superficiality of human connections, specifically through the practice of shaking hands. The first verse paints the picture that a friendly handshake doesn't always hold true to its meaning, especially when dealing with contracts and business agreements. It almost acts as a veiled insult, revealing the lack of genuine concern for the other party's well-being. In the second verse, the song takes a broader view of how historical segregation and bigotry have divided our society. We are supposed to overcome these obstacles, but they only lay the foundation for classes and races, creating a landscape of dominance and conflict. However, the singer believes in unity and speaks to the importance of not selling out our values in the pursuit of compromise.
The message of the song is that we must recognize and resist the ways that society conditions us to prioritize self-interest and superficiality. The handshake, in this sense, acts as a symbol for the various ways we interact with each other. Bad Religion suggests that the issue goes beyond pleasantries and business dealings; it's an issue of how we coexist as people with different backgrounds and opinions. We need to navigate through the inherent mistrust and bigotry that we have inherited and foster genuine connections that go beyond societal boundaries.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time you shake someone's hand and it feels like your best friend,
It seems like you've found a friend in a handshake, but is it just a facade?
Could it be that it's only superficiality?,
The possibility of it being merely shallow is real.
Without regard to well-being, without an inkling of compromise,
Handshakes represent a lack of concern for one's welfare, compromising less, and holding onto power more.
Handshakes are nothing but a subtle 'fuck you',
Instead of an agreement and mutual respect, handshakes are threatening and demeaning.
Contracts determine the best friendships
Signed contracts matter more than the underlying friendships.
This is the way of the modern world, everyone's vying for patronage,
Competing for sponsorship is the dominant aspect of our era.
This is the way of the modern world, and something has gotta give
This mentality can't be retained without consequences.
And you share neither color or creed,
When race or religion is different, distrust and bigotry are present.
You gotta overcome the obstacles of history,
To move forward, it is necessary to seek mutual understanding and leave the past behind.
There is restrained passion, mistrust, and bigotry
Though everyone might not show it overtly, there are always prejudices and hate behind the scenes.
And these have created the new foundations of society,
Bigotry is at the heart of how society is set up today.
There's no harmony just class and race
Instead of unity and understanding, class and race divide society.
Everyone's fighting for dominance,
A pecking order has been established, and everyone is trying to climb to the top.
Now I believe in unity, and I am willing to compromise,
The singer thinks that joining together and bargaining is the only method for a better future.
But I'm not gonna lie or sell my soul
Despite wanting to achieve harmony, the singer won't betray their values to do so.
It determines where you stand,
The handshake reflects whether you are in agreement, which significantly influences where you stand.
And if you won't uphold your side then it's better to
It is wiser to break the handshake and abandon the agreement if you will not hold up to your end.
Fend for yourself, and shun the handshake,
The best option when one is not willing to maintain their part of an agreement is to fend for themselves and give up the handshake.
Someone's gotta give
The compromise is required to move forward without chaos and conflict.
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….