In 1980, at age 15, Graffin and a few high school classmates formed Bad Religion in Southern California's San Fernando Valley. After making a name for themselves in the Los Angeles punk scene, releasing three EPs and two full-length albums, they disbanded in 1984. However, the band re-formed in 1987, with the How Could Hell Be Any Worse? line-up with an addition of former Circle Jerks guitarist Greg Hetson, and released their highly acclaimed comeback album, Suffer, in the following year. The album was a comeback for Bad Religion as well as a watershed for the Southern California punk sound popularized by their label Epitaph Records, which is owned by guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The band has recorded and toured frequently ever since the release of "Suffer." Bad Religion is known for its articulate and often politically charged lyrics as well as its musically sophisticated (yet fast-paced) harmony, melody and counterpoint.
Graffin and Gurewitz are the band's two main songwriters, though Graffin wrote the bulk of the material on his own for a three-album period in the late 1990's when Gurewitz left the band. Graffin recorded a solo album in 1997, called American Lesion, which consisted of softer, more pop-oriented songs. After a stint with major label Atlantic Records ended in the early 2000s, Bad Religion re-signed with Epitaph and Gurewitz rejoined to record two more albums, and the band released their fourteenth studio album, "New Maps of Hell" in 2007.
In June of 2005, it was reported that Graffin would continue his solo work with the release of Cold as the Clay[1]. The new album is an amalgamation of new songs by Graffin and 18th and 19th century American folk songs. It was produced by Brett Gurewitz and released on Anti- Records on July 10, 2006.
Graffin double majored in anthropology and geology as an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles. He went on to earn a masters degree in geology from UCLA and received his Ph.D. in evolutionary paleontology from Cornell University. However, according to a video clip originally from the Bad Religion official website and also available from The Cornell Evolution Project homepage, the PhD thesis was officially a Zoology PhD thesis, supervised by William B. Provine at Cornell University. The thesis was entitled "Monism, Atheism and the Naturalist Worldview: Perspectives from Evolutionary Biology". It is described as being essentially an evolutionary biology PhD but having also relevance to history and philosophy of science.
Greg Graffin currently resides in Los Angeles, California and is teaching life science at UCLA.
Back to Earth
Greg Graffin Lyrics
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The song "Back To Earth" by Greg Graffin speaks to the idea of living life to the fullest, with an unbridled sense of optimism and energy. The opening lines describe a person waking up with a sense of adventure and hope, eager to seize the day and all it has to offer. The singer feels fortunate to be alive and believes that the future is bright, even though he or she is not necessarily followed by others.
The chorus of the song, however, speaks to the danger of living with such unbridled enthusiasm. The singer's "alacrity for life" is described as being "more than people stand," and there is a sense that this boundless energy and optimism could lead to recklessness, danger, or neglect of practical concerns. The chorus urges someone to "bring him back to earth" before things get out of hand, suggesting that the singer needs to be grounded and reminded of the realities of life.
The second verse similarly describes a woman whose "alacrity for life ain't going to help her get by," implying that both protagonists may be risking their futures or failing to take care of practical concerns in their zeal for exploration and discovery. The song seems to suggest that while it is important to embrace life with gusto and enthusiasm, it is also important to remain grounded in reality and attend to practical matters.
Line by Line Meaning
he wakes with the glow of adventure and hope
He wakes up feeling optimistic and excited for the opportunities that lay ahead of him.
the morning smells sweet and replete with opportunity
The morning air feels invigorating and abundant with various possibilities.
he dressed into another day feeling lucky to be alive
He feels grateful for another day and is thankful for his life.
though nobody follows him he's sure his future is bright
Even though he may feel alone in his journey, he believes that his future is full of promise.
bring him back someone's going to have to bring him back to earth
His enthusiasm and passion for life is becoming overwhelming and someone needs to ground him.
he's getting out of hand his alacrity for life is more than people stand
His eagerness for life is becoming too much for others to handle and is becoming excessive.
discipline and toil, well lit made her blood boil
The idea of hard work and discipline excites her and fuels her passion.
the finer things were impatient waiting discovery
She's eager to discover the more intricate and refined things in life.
like a bird in spring the sun made her sing
She feels as free and carefree as a bird in the springtime, lifted up by the warmth of the sun.
with seeming inattention she was on to other things
Despite appearing distracted or uninterested, she's focused on pursuing other passions and interests.
bring her back someone's going to have to bring her back to land
Her single-mindedness and enthusiasm is becoming overwhelming and she needs to be reminded of the importance of practicality and focusing on grounding oneself.
she's way too high her alacrity for life ain't going to help her get by
Her heightened state of excitement and passion for life is becoming too much and may not be beneficial in the long run.
who's it going to be? i can assure you it ain't gonna be me!
The singer acknowledges that someone needs to ground the individuals in question, but it won't be him/her.
bring them back someone's gonna try and bring them back to land
The enthusiasm of the individuals in question needs to be reined in and someone will likely attempt to do so.
and i'll be there to catch them when they fall and send them up again
The singer will be there to support the individuals in their passions and help guide them towards a more grounded state while still supporting their ambitions and goals.
oooohhhhh bring 'em back to earth
The overarching theme of the song is to remind individuals to maintain a sense of groundedness while still pursuing their passions, in order to avoid losing sight of practicality, reality, and their own limits.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GREG GRAFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gabor Marton
Lyrics:
He wakes with the glow of adventure and hope
The morning smells sweet and replete with opportunity
He dressed into another, day feeling lucky to be alive
Though nobody follows him, he's sure the future's bright
Bring him back
Someone's going to have to bring him back to earth
He's getting out of hand
His alacrity for life is more than people stand
Bring him back to earth
Discipline and toil, well it made her blood boil
The finer things were impatient, waiting discovery
Like a bird in spring, the sun made her sing
With seeming inattention, she was on to other things
Bring her back
Someone's going to have to bring her back to earth
She's way too high
Her alacrity for life ain't going to help her get by
Bring her back to earth
Who's it going to be?
I can assure you
It ain't gonna be me
Bring them back
Someone's gonna try and bring them back to land
And I'll be there
To catch them when they fall and send them up again
Bring them back to earth
Bring them back to earth
LaBruja entertainment
I like listen this song when I'm back to home, after a long day working