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 Resist Stance
Bad Religion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you nourish them and water them they'll grow into a healthy what for?
And if revolution isn't what's in store
How can you care anymore?
It's a dangerous slip,
A conscientious shift
In the spirit of resistance you gotta hold your grip
You're an archetype,
That they can pin to the wall
As you cling to all convictions like a farm animal in its stall
Never thinking of the bigger world outside
As they take you for a ride
It's a dangerous slip,
A conscientious shift
In the spirit of resistance you gotta hold your grip
Because passion unabated will be readily conflated with belligerence
It's a dangerous slip,
A conscientious shift
The spirit of resistance you gotta hold your grip
And the verdict won't be kind 'cuz they're desperate for a viable alternative
Take a stance. The Resist stance.
Take a stance. The Resist stance.
Take a stance. The Resist stance.
Take a stance. The Resist stance.
Bad Religion's song The Resist Stance is a call to arms for those who are fed up with the status quo and are ready to take a stand to effect change. The first two lines of the song speak of seeds of rebellion that are waiting outside one's front door, and how if these seeds are nourished and watered they will grow into something strong and healthy. This is a metaphor for the idea that if people take action, they can achieve what they want. The chorus then urges people to take a stand and adopt a "resist stance" to fight for what they believe in.
The second verse of the song is a warning about the dangers of becoming too extreme in one's beliefs. It describes how a person can easily slip into a "fundamentalist" way of thinking if they become too rigid in their beliefs, and how this can be dangerous. The verse also warns against becoming too attached to one's own beliefs to the point where one can no longer see the bigger picture.
The final verse of the song is a call to action. It urges people to take a stand regardless of the consequences, and to hold fast to their beliefs even if they are labeled as belligerent or extreme. The chorus is repeated again, reinforcing the idea that people need to adopt a "resist stance" if they are to effect real change in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Seeds of rebellion lay outside your front door
Potential for change is present right in front of you
If you nourish them and water them they'll grow into a healthy what for?
If you nurture the seeds of rebellion, they can lead to positive change
And if revolution isn't what's in store
How can you care anymore?
If there's no possibility for change, why bother trying?
It's a dangerous slip,
A conscientious shift
In the spirit of resistance you gotta hold your grip
Lest the state of your resolve makes you quickly devolve to a fundamentalist
Resisting the status quo involves a precarious balancing act. If you become too zealous, you can become a narrow-minded extremist
You're an archetype,
That they can pin to the wall
As you cling to all convictions like a farm animal in its stall
Never thinking of the bigger world outside
As they take you for a ride
Those who resist change are easy targets due to their rigid beliefs, their tunnel vision, and their vulnerability to manipulation
Because passion unabated will be readily conflated with belligerence
Determination can be mistaken for aggression by those who want to maintain the status quo
And the verdict won't be kind 'cuz they're desperate for a viable alternative
Those who oppose change will resist it fiercely, making it difficult for new ideas to take hold
Take a stance. The Resist stance.
In order to affect change, you must take a stand and resist the forces that want to maintain the status quo
Take a stance. The Resist stance.
Resisting the status quo requires a persistent and unwavering commitment to change
Take a stance. The Resist stance.
Only by standing up to those who resist change can you hope to make a difference
Take a stance. The Resist stance.
Don't give up or back down in the face of resistance; keep pushing for change
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRETT W. GUREWITZ, GREG GRAFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Varjak
"You're an archetype they can pin to the wall when you cling to your convictions like a farm animal in its stall." - This is why Bad Religion outclasses 99% of other punk bands lyrically and politically.
mr where's my hug at
jesus christ I know punk means thinking for yourself and all that but come on guys these are the most poppy boy band groups ever. go listen to black flag or something at least please
Drew P. Weiner
ClotoxBleachTM I like Green Day for the most part, but lyrically they don’t hold a candle to Bad Religion. Even Billie would admit that.
CloroxBleachTM
Green Day?
Marcos underground 2
Uma das melhores músicas do nfs hot pursuit 2010
Plante2131
I keep on hearing hate for this album... I don't know why there would be hate. Their lyrics are still impactful and meaningful, their instrumentals are spot on and awesome... So why the hate? They are not as young as they use to be, and neither am I. As long as they keep popping out tunes with awesome lyrics, I will always love them. :) Keep it up Bad Religion!
Mattnh
This album is great. Don't believe everything they say to you. What was Greg telling you for so long?
Kritical Eye
Sounds quite different from the live version I'm used to, but I LOVE IT. The vocal harmonies are much more noticeable, of course. The main riff sounds WAY better with the added guitar harmony, sounds MUCH more full. Feels a lot more livelier
sbrcs564
This is pretty amazing. I mean, they may have moved away from their punk roots a little, but I guess I really like the sound of this and I'm not ashamed of that.
X 99
What do you mean? This is totally punk rock yo