Telex
External
Link
Internal
Link
Inventory
Cache
TelexExternal
LinkInternal
LinkInventory
Cache
 |
Bad Religion
This nOde
last updated February 3rd, 2004 and is permanently morphing...
(10 Cib (Owl) / 4 Pax
36/260 - 12.19.10.17.16
from 1988 through 1992, Bad Religion
became my prime punk
obsession. I lost touch with the band after the _Generator_ release.
I first witnessed them in the summer of 1990, my first punk gig attendance ever.
the venue was The Country Club located in Reseda (you can spot the venue in
the film _Boogie Nights_ (vhs/ntsc)).
Neurosis and MDC opened for them.
This band was universally reknowned as "the thesaurus band". i'm sure it made a lot of moshing punks a bit smarter. for what may be a wild guess, they seemed to have successfully incorporated a folky hymn feel to their melodies, probably instilled in childhood synagogue experiences. an early track, _We're Only Gonna Die_ even has an acoustic interlude. this is definitely poetic intellectual punk nihilism, of which i cannot relate to these days, but i do carry over the swirling scientific energy and simple elegance this band presented during their prime years, into my current obsessions in electronic psychedelia and positive mysticism. - @Om* 11/11/99
/LP
on Epitaph
 |
 |
1989
Bad Religion is:
- Dr. Greg Graffin (professor of zoology (vertebrate evolution)
at Cornell University): vocals
with Dr. Graffin re: his ph.d - evolutionary biology vs. theology
- Jay Bentley: bass guitar
- Mr. Brett (Gurewitz, owner of Epitaph records): lead
and rhythm guitar
- Greg Hetson (ex-Circle Jerks, Red Cross): lead and rhythm
guitar
- Pete Finestone: drums
(1:19)
(1:34)
(1:22)
(1:38)
(2:00)(2:04)
(1:53)
(1:57)
(1:45)
(1:37)
(1:38)
(2:44)
(1:05)
(2:04)
(1:07)Hey sit down and listen and they'll tell you when you're wrong. Eradicate but vindicate as "progress" creeps along. Puritan work ethic maintains its subconscious edge As Old Glory maintains your consciousness. There's a loser in the house, and a puppet on the stool, And a crowded way of life, and a black reflecting pool, And as the people bend, the moral fabric dies, The country can't pretend to ignore its people's cries. You are the government. You are jurisprudence. You are the volition. You are juridiction. And I make a difference too.
2: 1,000 More Fools
I heard them say that the
meek shall reign on earth, Phantasmal
myriads of sane bucolic birth. I've seen the rapture in a starving baby's
eyes, Inchoate beatitude, the Lord of the Flies. So what does it mean when
your mind starts to stray? Kaleidoscopic images of love on the way.
Brother you'd better get down on your knees and pay. 1,000 more fools are
being born every fucking day. They try to tell me that the lamb is on the
way, With microwave transmissions they bombard us every day. The masses
are obsequious, contented in their sleep. Thevortex
of
their minds ensconsed within the murky deep. So what does it mean
when your mind starts to stray? Kaleidoscoping images of love on the way.
Brother you'd better get down on your knees and pay. 1,000 more fools are
being born every fucking day.
3: How Much is Enough?
Tell me can the hateful chain be broken? Production and consumption define our hollow lives. Avarice has led us 'cross the ocean, Toward a land that's better, much more bountiful and wide. When will mankind finally come to realize His surfeit has become his demise? How much is enough to kill yourself? That quantity is known today, as we blow ourselves away. Tell me is there anything so sure? Rapacity, tenacity, capacity for more! Like a dog that feeds until he suffers, The infirmity of man is brought on by his selfish cure. When will mankind finally come to realize His surfeit has become his demise? How much is enough to kill yourself? That quantity is known today, as we blow ourselves away.
4: When?
I've seen a lot of things in five years. I struggle just to hold back the tears. But everyfuckingwhere I go, I see the pathos that I know Will spell the termination of us all. Someone's got to tell me, do you see That everything around you has a hidden tragedy? Seeds of happiness have never Found a place to grow, And our generation doesn't know. When, when will you try To change the logarithmic pace of kissing things goodbye? When, when will you know That human life is so short and death is oh so slow? I've tried to make things make sense but I can't. I'm happy just to watch them all and laugh. And if you think you've got it made, Just revel in your selfish ways, 'Cuz when the world stops turning so will you! Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.
5: I Give You Nothing/Tom Clement...
Hey, everybody's looking
but they never can see, All the angst, corruption and the dishonesty. Think
about the times and places you've never known, You're a man-swarm atom
and yet you're alone, So I give you me, I give you nothing! I give you
me, I give you nothing! So you got a place that you can call all your own,
But you make a habit of carrying the stone. Look around and ask someone
if you are alive, You're a sidewalk cipher speaking prionic jive, So I
give you me, I give you nothing! I give you me, I give you nothing! Respectable,
despicable, it seems all the same. Now we realize that we have nothing
to say. If your reserve is weak, audacity complete. Ask yourself again,
"Do I deserve much from them?" No! Hey, everybody's looking but they never
can see, All the angst, corruption and the dishonesty. Look around and
ask someone if you are alive, You're a sidewalk cipher speaking prionic
jive, So I give you me, I give you nothing! I said I give you me, I
give you nothing!
See there's a girl who's afraid of the world so
she stays at home. Next there's a boy who seems so lost in his joy, he's
all alone. The camera's on them, they're in the land of competition. Southern
California air feeds them. And they know they are best 'cuz of the way
they are dressed, But you can bet you are not welcome in their home. See
there's a girl who sits and watches the world from her blue screen. Also
a boy who truly wants to destroy his hometown scene. They both want to
travel to the land of competition. Southern California
will destroy them, And they won't be the best, they'll be the poseurs who
dress Like the plastic idiots who they copy. Tell me what do you need to
make you happy? Indeed, is it out of your reach? Beware of number one,
see all the damage it has done, there are so few of them. You won't find
to many in the land of competition. Southern California doesn't breed them.
If you just want the best turn to yourself for the rest And forget about
the ones who "have it all." Be careful of the ones who "have it all." Be
careful of the ones who "have it all." Forget about the ones who "have
it all."
7: Forbidden Beat
There was a boy who had too
many toys and an ache inside of his bones. He sought extrication through
chemical vocation and now he answers to Jones. It's deadly and alluring,
the sound of pounding heat, Enslaving all who dare succumb to the temptations
of the forbidden beat. Thinking today of what I want to say, thinking of
inhibition and vice. What they call straight I do relegate as I cautiously
saltate along. It's deadly and alluring, the sound of pounding heat, Enslaving
all who dare succumb to the temptations of the forbidden beat. It thunders
away at first light
of
each day and the simpleton lifestyle evolves
But
soon enters dusk as the last surrey rusts and a new day upon us results.
It's deadly and alluring, the sound of pounding heat, Enslaving all who
dare succumb to the temptations of the forbidden beat. Forbidden Beat (x6)
8:
Best For You
Above us lay the burdens, below us lay the truth. We're somewhere in the middle, and we're all discontent too. Is someone watching over you? Inside they know what's best for you. Judgment's not tomorrow, it's today (yes now it's here). But no it isn't Jesus, take a look at all your peers. They're all looking down on you. Inside they know what's best for you... Everybody knows what's best for you (x8)
9: Suffer
Did you ever see the concrete stares of everyday? The lunatic, the hypocrite, are all lost in the fray. Can't you see their lives are just like yours? An unturned stone, an undiscovered Door leading to the gift of hope renewed, eternity for you. The masses of humanity have always had to suffer. The businessman whose master plan controls the world each day Is blind to indications of his species' slow decay. Can't you see his life is just like yours? An unturned stone, an undiscovered Door leading to the gift of hope renewed, eternity for you. The masses of humanity have always had to suffer. People blow their minds (they choose to resign) This deformed society is part of the design. It'll never go away (it's in the cards that way). The masses of humanity have always, always had to suffer! A door leading to the gift of hope renewed, eternity for you. The masses of humanity, still clinging to their dignity, The masses of humanity will always have to suffer. Always have to suffer.
10: Delirium of Disorder
Delirium of Disorder (x2) Life is
the sieve through which my anarchy strains, Resolving itself into works. Chaos
is
the score upon which reality
is written, The timeless,
swirling gyroscopic horde. Delirium Delirium of disorder Yeah! I am just an
atom in an ectoplasmic sea Without direction or a reason to exist. The anechoic
nebula rotating in my brain Is persuading me, contritely, to persist. Delirium
of disorder (x8)
11: Part II (The Numbers
Game)
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
9, 10) It's superficial progress, they call it liberation. With opiates
of silicon,
Big Brother schemes to rule the nation. We're one nation under God, we
stand above the rest; With mighty high technology, we're never second best.
Our specialty is infiltration! Prepare yourself for subjugation, Victory
through domination. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) The trepidatious throngs all fears
the big eye in the sky. The government observes them with their own electric
eye.
We're one nation under God, we stand above the rest; With mighty high technology,
we're never second best. Our specialty is infiltration! Prepare yourself
for subjugation. Automatons, illiterates, and indigents of every shape
and size Don't stop but aid this cruel crusade, participate in their own
demise. We're one nation under God, we stand above the rest; With mighty
high technology, we're never second best. Our specialty is infiltration!
So pack your bags you third-world nation, Victory through domination.
12: What Can You Do?
So you waste another day getting older and gray
in the head, And you're hearing lots of stories 'bout the happy times you
have ahead. There are other folks in power so you kick back and get farther
behind, And although the world rotates itself the only thing you twist
is
your mind. You see, the world's falling apart at the rifts, And surprisingly,
the leaders can't make any sense of it. You mean nothing to the world,
we're all someone else's fool, But oh, what can you do? "Yeah you waste
your time with losers if you get stuck in a rock-n-roll band." Do you find
it more rewarding to compete with morons throughout this land? They seem
to be in power so I'll kick back and get farther behind. And I watch them
as they fuck up every good thing on this earth with their "minds." You
see, the world's falling apart at the rifts, And surprisingly, the leaders
can't make any sense of it. You mean nothing to the world, we're all someone
else's fool, But oh, what can you do? Yeah you waste another day getting
older and gray in the head, And we're hearing lots of stories 'bout the
happy times we have ahead. The morons are in power so we kick back and
get farther behind, And we watch them as they fuck up every good thing
on this earth with their "minds." You see, the world's falling apart at
the rifts, And surprisingly, the leaders can't make any sense of it. We
mean nothing to the world, we're all someone else's fool, But oh, what
can you do? I said, oh, what can you do? (Go!)
13: Do What You Want
Hey do what you want, but
don't do it around me. Idleness and dissipation breed apathy. I sit on
my ass all goddamn day, A misanthropic anthropoid with nothing to Say what
you must, do all you can, Break all the fucking rules and Go to Hell with
Superman and Die like a champion, yeah hey! Hey I don't know if the billions
will survive, But I'll believe in God when 1 and 1 are 5. My moniker is
man and I'm rotten to the core. I'll tear down the building just to pass
through the door. So do what
you must, do all you can,
Break all the fucking rules and Go to Hell with Superman and Die like a
champion, yeah hey!
14: Part IV (The Index Fossil)
We're widespread and well
fed, The earth's rotating fate is in our head, oh yeah. We're dominant
and prominent, And our deity's omnipotent, oh yeah. And immortality's
in our mastermind, And we destroy everything we can find. And tomorrow
when the human clock stops and the world stops turning, We'll be an index
fossil buried in our own debris. We're listless, promiscuous, And life
to us is either hit or miss, oh yeah. We're savoir faire and debonaire
And things we do are done with pride and care, oh yeah. And immortality's
in our mastermind, And we destroy everything that we find. And tomorrow
when the human clock stops and the world stops turning, We'll be an index
fossil buried in our own debris. See, immortality's in our mastermind,
And we destroy everything that we find. And tomorrow when the human clock
stops and the world stops turning, We'll be an index fossil buried in our
own debris. In our own debris.
15: Pessimistic Lines
So here we are again to experience the bitter,
scalding end And we're the only ones who can perceive
it. But others sing of beauty and the story that's unfolded As one that
deserves praise and ritual. My pessimistic lines, Your superstitious lives,
And the modern age's lies won't absolve you. And the professorial truth,
And the dear clairvoyant youth,
And of course the nightly news will deceive you. (Watch out!) My pessimistic
lines, Your superstitious lives, And the modern age's lies won't absolve
you. And the professorial truth, And the dear clairvoyant youth, And of
course the nightly news will deceive you. (Let's go!)
 |
1989
Bad Religion is:
- Greg Graffin: vocals and harmonies
- Jay Bentley: bass guitar
- Mr. Brett: lead and rhythm guitar
- Greg Hetson: lead and rhythm guitar
- Pete Finestone: drums
(0:54)
(1:40)_No
Control_ MP3
(1:44)
(1:38)
(2:16)
(2:44)
(1:03)
(1:21)
(2:06)
(2:12)
(0:46)
(2:08)
(1:56)
(1:51)
1: Change of Ideas
Well the sheaves have all been brought, but the fields have washed away, And the palaces now stand where the coffins all were laid, And the times we see ahead, we must glaze with rozy hues, For we don't wish to admit what it is we have to lose. Millenia in coming, the modern age is here. It sanctifies the future, yet renders us with fear. So many theories, so many prophecies, What we do need is a change of ideas. When we are scared we can hide in our reveries but What we need is a change of ideas. Change of ideas, change of ideas, What we need now is a change of ideas.
2: Big Bang
This isn't another new fashion, or a new wave plastic trend. Everybody's searching for something but in the meantime let's all just pretend. I've got this feeling and I don't know what it is. This room is overcrowded, man, and I need air to breathe, yeah. Big bang, big crunch, you know there's no free lunch. Kneel down and pray, here comes your judgment day. Big crunch, you know, it's gonna be quite a show. What comes around always goes around, yeah. A million hopeless faces dwell within protected walls, All waiting for a moment in life when they can heed the clarion call. And it's all so oppressive my mind feels like a sieve. This city's overcrowded, man, and I need room to live. Big bang, big crunch, you know there's no free lunch. Kneel down and pray, here comes your judgment day. Big crunch, you know, it's gonna be quite a show. What comes around always goes around, yeah. I think of the countless shadows that have all come and gone, All suffering in the notion of better things to come. If you share these beliefs you know I wish you well, 'cause there's no room left in heaven and there's sure no room in hell, yeah. Big bang, big crunch, you know there's no free lunch. Kneel down and pray, here comes your judgment day. Big crunch, you know, it's gonna be quite a show. What goes around always comes around.
3: No Control
Culture was the seed of proliferation but it's
gotten melded Into an inharmonic whole, to an inharmonic whole. Consciousness
has plagued us and we cannot shake it Though we think we're in control,
though we think we're in control. Questions that besiege us in life are
testament of our helplessness. There's no vestige of a beginning, no prospect
of an end. When we all disintegrate it will all happen again, yeah. Time
is
so rock solid in the minds of the hordes but they can't Explain why it
should slip away, explain why it should slip away. History and future are
the comforts of our curiosity but here we are Rooted in the present day,
rooted in the present day Questions that besiege us in life are testament
of our helplessness. There's no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of
an end. When we all disintegrate it will all happen again, yeah. If you
came to conquer, you'll be king for a day, But you too will deteriorate
and quickly fade away. And believe these words you hear when you think
your path is clear... We have no control. We have no control. We have no
control, we do not understand. You have no control, you are not in command.
You have no control. We have no control. No control. No control. You have
no control.
Note: The "There's no vestige..." line is from
Hutton, 1795. So there.
4: Sometimes It Feels Like... *?!%+!*
There's a specter in the
corner of an illustrated page And a lonesome muted stripling with a rapt
remedial gaze. The poverty of hislanguage
and the wealth of his emotion Bring him endless murky musings and unexpected
frustration Angst and madness weave the fabric of his life. Tomorrow might
be better but right now it feels like #&%#"@$#!"&*""%%75838769%("%56("5965&65"$"%423!(060_*"7534#
There's a panther wild and proud behind the doors of a redolent cage, And
an underdeveloped intellect filled with impotent and static rage. And don't
think you're exempt if you earn good weekly wages, 'Cause you're neighbor's
going crazy and insanity's contagious. I know there's so much you want
to say But your tongue
gets in the way and sometimes it feels like )"^*()"&$%#68%3*(48"&%
I know there's so much you want to say And the tumbrel of your mind gets
in the way. It's the same for everybody to degrees. We all get that foggy
freeze and sometimes it feels like %&$#*%(&")""$%@*%)*&"%(65("$8%$#&3("5(&%)9%9"$868
5: Automatic Man
He's the latest superhero with powers so profound. He can leap a dotted line in just a single bound. I know you must have seen him in books and magazines. He's the quintessential mindless modern epicine. His life is meaningful because he gets things done. Bang bang he's dead, chalk up another triumph for our hero, The Automatic Man. It's true you must have met him, he's your best friend and your foe. His opinions are determined by the status quo. A true creature of habit, he smokes three packs a day. When he has an original thought, he forgets it right away. He's a paradigm of carefree living. He's our mentor, disturb him if you can. He's the answer if your peace of mind is lacking. He's our savior, he is the common man. So if you are troubled by the daily bump and grind, Then take a careful look around and brother you will find... The Automatic Man.
6: I Want To Conquer The World
Hey Brother Christian with your high and might errand,
Your actions speak so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying. Hey Sister Bleeding
Heart with all of your compassion, Your labors soothe the hurt but can't assuage
temptation. Hey man of science with your perfect rules of measure, Can you improve
this place with the data that you gather? Hey Mother Mercy can your loins bear
fruit forever? Is your fecundity a trammel or a treasure? And I want to conquer
the world, Give all the idiots a brand new religion, Put an end to poverty,
uncleanliness and toil, Promote equality in all my decisions With a quick wink
of the eye And a "god you must be joking!"
Hey Mr. Diplomat with your worldly aspirations, Did you see the children cry
when you left them at the station? Hey moral soldier you've got righteous proclamation,
And precious tomes to fuel your pulpy conflagrations. And I want to conquer
the world, Give all the idiots a brand new religion, Put an end to poverty,
uncleanliness and toil, Promote equality in all of my decisions I want to conquer
the world, Expose the culprits and feed them to the children, I'll do away with
air pollution and then all save the whales,
We'll have peace on earth and global communion. I want to conquer the world!
(x4)
7: Sanity
There's a watch in my pocket and its hands are broken. The face is blank but the gears are turning. Confusion is a fundamental state of mind. It doesn't really matter what I'm figuring out. I'm guaranteed to wind up in a state of doubt And sanity is a full-time job In a world that is always changing, And sanity is a state of mind That you believe in, sanity. There's a shadow on the wall where the paint is peeling. My body's moving forward but my mind is reeling. Depression is a fundamental state of mind. It doesn't really matter how my day has turned out. I always end up living in this world of doubt And sanity is a full-time job In a world that is always changing, And sanity will make you strong If you believe in sanity. And sanity is a full-time job In a world that is always changing, And sanity is a state of mind That you believe in, sanity.
8: Henchman
Stranded In a life in which your struggle for acceptance Is a never-ending chore, Upbraided For your actions past and present and rewarded for the ideas Of the future's bright open door. The henchman Is the human analogue of the suffering multitudes Who like good dogs sit and lick for their reward. So what good advice have I got for you To insure against your likely metamorphosis into this reprobate? Don't be a henchman, Stand on your laurels, Do what no one else does and praise the good of other men For good man's sake. And when everyone else in the world follows your lead (Although a cold day in hell it will surely be) That's when the entire world shall live in harmony.
9: It Must Look Pretty Appealing
The wheat waving next to you is healthy and so
fine, As is dinner with your loved ones every day. But your routine is
changeless through the decades of your life, Green
pastures, open spaces, holy ways. And it must looks pretty appealing, The
acres of lights, crowded festive nights And the millions of others
just like you. Yeah it must look pretty appealing, This other world of
sin. We keep dreaming
of
what other people do. The person sitting next to you is dismal and deranged
On the bus ride home from work to end your day. And the food on your table
is more plastic than protein, And your intellect depends on your TV. And
it must look pretty appealing The pastoral retreat, the folks on old Main
Street, And the few pleasant people just like you. Yeah it must look pretty
appealing, The simple way of life. We keep dreaming of what other people
do. But we never do what other people do. You're too scared of other
people not like you.
10: You
There's a place where everyone
can be happy. It's the most beautiful place in the whole fucking world.
It's made of candy canes and planes and bright red choo-choo trains, And
the meanest little boys and the most innocent little girls, And you know
I wish that I could go there. It's a road that I have not found. And I
wish you the best of luck, dear. Drop a card or letter to my side of town.
Because there's no time
for
fussing and fighting my friend, But baby I'm amazed at the hate that you
can send and You... painted my entire world. But I... don't have the turpentine
to clean what you have soiled. And I won't forget it. There's a place where
everyone can be right, Even though you remain determined to be opposed.
Admittance requires no qualifications: It's where everyone has been and
where everybody goes. So please try not to be impatient, For we all hate
standing in line. And when the farm is good and bought, you'll be there
without a thought, And eternity, my friend, is a long fucking time. Because
there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend, But baby I'm amazed
at the hate that you can send and You... painted my entire world. But I...
don't have the turpentine to clean what you have soiled. And I won't forget
it.
11: Progress
And progress is not intelligently planned; It's the facade of our heritage, the odor of our land. They speak of Progress, in red, white and blue. It's the structure of the future as demise comes seething through. It's Progress, 'til there's nothing left to gain, As the dearth of new ideas makes us wallow in our shame. So before you go contribute more To the destruction of this world you adore, Remember life on Earth is but a flash of dawn We're all part of it as the day rolls on. And progress is a message that we send. One step closer to the future, one inch closer to the end. I say That progress is a synonym of time. We are all aware of it but it's nothing we refine, And progress is a debt we all must pay. Its convenience we all cherish, its pollution we disdain And the cutting edge is dulling, Too many folks to plow through. Just keep your fucking distance And it can't include you. It's Progress, 'til there's nothing left to gain, it's Progress, it's a message that we send. And progress is a debt we all must pay.
12: I Want Something More
Going through a world of sad debris, Regard quixoitic
reveries of ownership: The blossoming disease of man called tenure and
accretion, The ancient western treadmill of deception and derision. But
I want something more. Racing through a life of tragic wastage, I experience
the loss of trust and innocence. The billowing cyclone of time
has
blown away our reasons As we trudge like blind men forward trying to avoid
collision. But I want something... More.
13: Anxiety
It's a love song to the self,
a story recapped every day, It's a world of bogus feelings and a world
of slow decay, It's a world of laughter hidden by this world of fear and
torment, It's a game of strange compulsion, our visceral convulsion: Anxiety
for love of life, anxiety for pain, Anxiety, a feeling that you know you
can't contain. Anxiety destroys us but it drives the common man. Foundation
of
society, anxiety. Suppress it if you can. The caste of coffee achievers
didn't perform like they planned. The morning rush hour traffic is our
play of false elan. So run around your frantic track and lay you down to
sleep; Tomorrow's the redemption, we strive for that exception. Anxiety
for love of life, anxiety for pain, Anxiety, a fear that you have nothing
more to gain. Anxiety destroys us but it drives the common man. Foundation
of society, anxiety. Suppress it if you can. What are we angry for? We
all need a common cure. That common goal for which you strive: To have
more than the other (have more than the other) guy. The quest for truth,
the quest for gold, yeah, we end up all the same The common lie, the righteous
cry, we end up all the same. The angry crowd, those lost and found, everybody's
all the same. The poet's pen, these words I lend, we all bend to Anxiety
for love of life, anxiety for pain, Anxiety, a feeling that you know you
can't contain. Anxiety destroys us but it drives the common man. Foundation
of society, anxiety.
14: Billy
I can recall the warm youth
of
a summer day, yeah: The sweetest lemonade, the darkest game arcade, And
Billy had a yearning in the corner of his mind. It moved him secretly.
It moved him powerfully. But prescience was lacking and the present was
not all And his aptitudes were carelessly wasted. And challenging life
with the abandon of a fool, He squandered the hours of his day. Then darkness
and disorder slapped him sharply in the face, yeah. It hit him like a friend,
struck something deep within. He couldn't break the chain of slow decay
that seemed to drag him Just like a fatal tide toward the other side. And
Billy was a lunatic, just barking at the moon,
And his brain was totally wasted. He then exchanged his friends for a needle
and a spoon And he threw his future away. Bolt the door and throw away
the key. Your dim reflection is all that you can see. So where is the justice
when no one is at fault And a human life is tragically wasted? How fragile
is the flame that burns within us all To light
each passing day?
15: The World Won't Stop Without You
You've got to quit your little charade and join the freak
parade Now that your road has been paved from conception to your grave. Enormous
things to do, others' practices to eschew, To be better than you is impossible
to do, But the world won't stop without you. No, the world won't stop without
you. Your achievements are unsurpassed, you are highly-ordered mass, But you
can bet your ass your free energy will dissipate. Two billion years thus far,
now mister here you are, An element in a sea of enthalpic organic compounds.
The world won't stop without you. The world won't stop without you. You're only
as elegant as your actions let you be A piece of chaosrelated
phylogenetically To every living organ system, we're siblings, don't you see?
The earth rotates and will revolve without you constantly. Two billion years
thus far, now mister here you are, An element in a sea of enthalpic organic
compounds. The world won't stop without you. No, the world won't stop without
you. I said the world won't stop without you.
on Epitaph
 |
1990
Bad Religion is:
- Greg Graffin: vocals and harmonies
- Jay Bentley: bass guitar
- Mr. Brett: lead and rhythm guitar
- Greg Hetson: lead and rhythm guitar
- Pete Finestone: drums
(1:51)Light_(1:23)
(1:40)
(1:10)
(3:00)
(2:21)
(3:34)
(2:21)(2:04)
(2:05)
(1:35)Digital
Boy_ MP3 (160k)
(2:38)
(2:31)
(1:42)
(1:20)
(1:50)1: Modern Man
I've got nothing to say,
I've got nothing to do, All of my neurons are functioning smoothly, Yet
still I'm a cyborg just like you, I am one big myoma that thinks, my planet
supports only me, I've got this one big problem: Will I live forever? I've
got just a short time to see, Modern man, evolutionary
betrayer,
Modern man, ecosystem destroyer, Modern man, destroy yourself in shame,
Modern man, pathetic example of earth's organic heritage, When I look back
and think, when I ponder and ask myself "Why?", I see my ancestor spend
with careless abandon, Assuming eternal supply, Modern man, evolutionary
betrayer, Modern man, ecosystem destroyer, Modern man, destroy yourself
in shame, Modern man, pathetic example of earth's organic heritage, Just
a sample of carbon-based wastage, Just a fucking tragic epic of you and
I
2: Turn On the Light
I had a friend who kept a
candle in his pocket, He used to touch it when the wind was blowing high,
I guess it made him feel like he could buck the system And when it flickered
out we laid him down to die, Turn on the light, Turn on a million blinding
brilliant white incendiary lights, (yeah) A beacon in the night, I'll burn
relentlessly until my juice runs dry, (yeah) I'll construct a rack of tempered
beams and trusses And equip it with a million tiny suns,
I'll install upon the room of my compartment And place tinfoil on my floor
and on my walls then I'll Turn on the light, Turn on a million blinding
brilliant white incendiary lights, (yeah) A beacon in the night, I'll burn
relentlessly until my juice runs dry, And I'll burn like a roman fucking
candle burn like a chasm in the night burn for a miniscule duration, ecstatic
immolation,
incorrigible delight
3: Get Off
Lacivious, It's all that I can think of as I drag
my feet, searching like diogenes, Dangerous, The adjectives of the decade
and of your alluring intricacies, Yes I see your green-screen
mentality, And I can feel the sting of its consequence, And I know I shouldn't,
but it's too much to ignore And emotion I deplore, Every time I look at
you, I just want to do it, I can clench my fist right through it, but I
just want to get off, Rectilinear, This direction we've been heading never
realizing we are on a runaway machine, Angular, The momentum that does
turn us one step further on our ladder, One more turn toward the east,
I realize your green-screen mentality, And I know it's shared by many more,
I know it's impossible but I'm damned to find a way To revolve the other
way, Every time I scrutinize I just say "screw it," We're on a ride down
a blind conduit, and I just want to get off Ah-ah-ah-ah (x3) off
4: Blenderhead
Flying through a dark prismatictunnel
on a carousel, The earth is turning and you know it very well, Your mind
is reeling like ten helicopters wheeling And you're gonna hit the ceiling
like a mallet on a bell, Hey, Blenderhead, they're starting to ask questions,
Your transgressions are a danger flashing sign, Challenge conventions and
radiate your splendor And feel those flywheels turn your blender... head
(yeah) Tally up the gleaming ventured on a wishing well, Each shining
trinket has a story it can tell, Your moments pining like those tales all
intertwining Can become the rusted lining of a deep neglected shell, Hey,
Blenderhead, you ask so many questions, Your confusion's a life-affirming
sign, Break from tradition and carry on with valor And feel those flywheels
churn your blender... head (yeah)
5: Postive Aspects of Negative Thinking
Let's gather 'round the carcass
of the old deflated beast, We have seen it through the accolades and rested
in its lea, Syntactic is our elegance, incisive our disease, The swath
endogenous of ourselves will be our quandary, We've nestled in its hollow
and we've suckled at its breast, Grandiloquent in attitude, impassioned
yet inept, Frivolous gavel our design, ludicrous our threat, Excursive
expeditons leave us holding less and less, So what does it mean? When we
tell ourselves it's only for a while we've been deceived And it's only
for a moment that the treasures of our day Make life easier to complicate,
the treasure thrown away, I'm so tired of all the fucked up minds Of all
the terrorist religions and their bullshit lines, Of all the hand-me-downs
from all industrial crimes All the weeping mothers and those who are led
so blind, From the plastic protests and the hands of time
And
the pursuit of mirth and all hating kind
6: Anesthesia
Everybody's talking about the girl who went and killed the delivery man, But she looks so kind and gentle, it just doesn't stand to reason, I saw her right there just the other night as stately as a slot machine, But when she looked my way something mad as hell came over me, Anesthesia, Mona Lisa, I've got a little gun, here comes oblivion, I never loved you, how did you find me? The cops will never prove complicity now, Anna.........., All good children go to heaven! I remember your face that august night when we lied about the beautiful time to come And that crazy old man who came much too late and caused a chain reaction, I've been hanging out here for eleven long years like a church mouse wondering where the cat has gone And looking at you now is driving me to distraction, Anesthesia, Mona Lisa, I've got a little gun, here comes oblivion, I never loved you, how did you find me? The cops will never prove complicity now, Anna.........., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, All good children go to heaven!
7: Flat Earth Society
Lie lie lie... Lie lie lie...
Lie lie lie... Lie lie lie... Lie lie lie... Lie lie lie... The full
moon is rising over dark water
And
the fools below are picking up sticks And the man in the gallows lies permanently
waiting For the doctors to come back and tend to him, The Flat Earth Society
is meeting here today, singing happy little lies, And the bright ship Humana
is sent far away with grave determination... And no destination, Lie lie
lie... Lie lie lie... Lie lie lie... Lie lie lie... Lie lie lie... Lie
lie lie... Yeah, nothing feels better than a spray of clean water And the
whistling of wind on a calm summer night But you better believe that down
in their quarters The men are holding on for their dear lives, The Flat
Earth Society is somewhere far away, with their candlesticks and compasses
And the bright ship Humana is on its way with grave determination... And
no destination, The Flat Earth Society is meeting here today, singing happy
little lies, And the bright ship Humana is well on its way with grave determination...
And no destination, Lie lie lie... Lie lie lie... Lie lie lie... Lie lie
lie... Lie lie lie... Lie lie lie... (x infinity)
8: Faith Alone
Heard a sermon from a creaky
pulpit with no one in the nave, I paid a visit to the synagogue and I left
there feeling blame, No one could tell me what to do, They had not the
capacity to answer me, What the world needs now is some answers to our
problems, We can't buy more time because our tender isn't valid, If your
soul needs love you can get consoled by pity, But it looks as though faith
alone won't sustain us anymore, Watched the scientists throw up their hands
conceding, "Progress will resolve it all," Saw the manufacturers of earth's
debris ignore another green
peace
call, No one could tell me what to do, They had not the ability to answer
me, What the world needs now is some accountability, We can't buy more
time because time won't accept our money, If your soul needs love you can
always have my pity, But it looks as though faith alone won't sustain us
no more... What the world needs now is some answers to our problems, We
can't buy more time because our tender isn't valid, What the world needs
now is some accountability, If your soul needs love you can get consoled
by pity, But faith alone won't sustain us anymore, Faith alone won't sustain
us anymore (round, x infinity)
9: Entropy
Random blobs of power expressed as that which we all disregard, Ordered states of nature on a scale which no one thinks about, Don't speak to me of anarchy or peace or calm revolt, man, We're in a play of slow decay orchestrated by Boltzmann, It's entropy, it's not a human issue, Entropy, it's matter of course, Entropy, energy at all levels, Entropy, from it you cannot divorce And your pathetic moans of suffrage tend to lose all significance, Extinction, degradation: the natural outcome of our ordered lives, Power, motivation: temporary fixtures for which we strive, Something in our synapses assures us we're ok But in our disequilibrium we simply cannot stay, It's entropy, it's not a human issue, Entropy, it's matter of course, Entropy, energy at all levels, Entropy, from it you cannot divorce, A stolid proposition from a man unkempt as I, My affectatious nature I cannot rectify, But we are out of equilibrium unnaturally, A pang of consciousness at death and then you will agree It's entropy... Entropy, it's matter of course, Entropy, energy at all levels, Entropy, from it you cannot divorce, Entropy... (x4)
10: Against The Grain
Three thousand miles of wilderness
overcome by the flow,
A lonely restitution of pavement, pomp and show, I seek a thousand answers,
I find but one or two, I maintain no discomfiture, my path again renewed,
Against the grain, that's where I'll stay, Swimming upstream, I maintain
against the grain, Here labelled as a lunatic, sequestered and content,
There ignored and defeated by the government, There's an oriented public
whose magnetic force
will
pull, But away from the potential of the individual, Against the grain,
that's where I'll stay, Swimming upstream, I maintain against the grain,
The flow is getting stronger with small increments of time
And
eddies of new ideas are increasingly hard to find, You need all that the
other has, it's your right to seize the day But in all your acquisitions
you will soon be swept away, Against the grain, that's where I'll stay,
Swimming upstream, I maintain against the grain, There's a common consensus
and an uncomfortable cheer, A reverberating chorus that anyone can hear,
It sings "leave your cares behind you, just grab tenaciously," This lulling
sense of purpose will destroy us rapidly, Against the grain, that's where
I'll stay, Swimming upstream, I maintain against the grain, Against the
grain, against the grain, Against the grain
11: Operation Rescue
It is an S.O.S. sent out telepathically, Signs of our distress don't allow complacency, We need restoration now of our integrity And a drastic bold reminder of our morality, The rectifying troop is here, the ones we've needed all these years To stop the heinous wrongdoings and verify our moral benevolence as a people Operation, Operation Rescue, They're here to right our fall, they've heard a troubled call, Operation, Operation Rescue, You wonder where they come from, but I just wonder why they're here at all, Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya (x3) Ya-ya-ya-ya Life ever-after is what they're in business for, See them brandish the key to their kingdom's door, It's persuasive, it's a part of you and me But it's not overwhelming as they wish it to be, If no one believed in fairy tales, there's nothing they could do but fail Yet everywhere we look someone is trying to reassure our moral benevolence as a people, Operation, Operation Rescue, They're here to right our fall, they've heard someone's troubled call, Operation, Operation Rescue, You wonder where they come from, but I just wonder what compels them all, Operation, Operation Rescue, Operation, Operation Rescue, You may wonder where they come from, But I just wonder what compels them all, Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya (x3)
12: God Song
And did those feet in ancient times Trod on America's
pastures of green?
And did that anthropocentric god Wane with their thoughts and beliefs all
unseen? I don't think so, he's up there with the others laying low, Vying
with those, who you've traded your life to to bless your soul, Have they
told you how to think, Cleansed your mied of sepsis and autonomy? Or have
you escaped from scrutiny, And regaled yourself with depravity? Now we
all see, "Religion is just synthetic frippery, Unnecessary in our expanding
global cultural efficiency" Now we all fear this impasse we have built
to our future (ever so near), Ever so near, and oh so austere
13: _21st Century Digital
Boy_
I can't believe it, the way you look sometimes, Like a trampled flag on a city street, oh yeah, And I don't want it, the things you're offering me, Symbolized bar code, quick ID, oh yeah, 'Cause I'm a 21st Century digital boy, I don't know how to live but I've got a lot of toys, My daddy's a lazy middle class intellectual, My mommy's on Valium, so ineffectual, Ain't life a mystery? I can't explain it, the things they're saying to me, It's going yayayayayayaya, oh yeah, 'Cause I'm a 21st Century digital boy, I don't know how to read but I've got a lot of toys, My daddy's a lazy middle class intellectual, My mommy's on Valium, so ineffectual, Ain't life a mystery? I tried tell you about no control, But now I really don't know, And then you told me how bad you had to suffer, Is that really all you have to offer? See I'm a 21st Century digital boy, I don't know how to read but I've got a lot of toys, My daddy's a lazy middle class intellectual, My mommy's on Valium, so ineffectual, That's what I yearn for (21st Century digital boy), Neurosurgeons scream for more (21st Century digital boy), Innocence raped with napalm fire (21st Century digital boy), Anything I want I really need (21st Century digital boy), 21st Century schitzoid boy (21st Century digital boy), 21st Century video boy (21st Century digital boy), 21st Century digital boy (21st Century digital boy), 21st Century sofa boy (21st Century digital boy)... Note: The first four lines in the last stanza are "stolen from King Crimson"
14: Misery and Famine (2:31)
So proud a history, replete
with sanctity, Orbs
in
their harmony, they sing their code to me, Have you ever heard yourself,
the orbit you are in? The terse, oppressive blanket that's instilled here
by our spin, It's misery and famine, it's a force
we
cannot see, Misery and famine, it compels us naturally, Misery and famine,
great ellipse, we bend to thee, Misery and famine, just accept your vagrancy,
Others who bear no name, who feel that life's a game, My verse they will
defame, we suffer all the same, They pay no regard to their position or
their speed, But the firmament still covers them with its malevolent seed,
It's misery and famine, it's a force we cannot see, Misery and famine,
it compels us naturally, Misery and famine, great ellipse, we bend to thee,
Misery and famine, just accept your vagrancy, "You look for meaning in
things no one comprehends, You feel no affinity to the rabble we're
in," Sources of inquiry have nothing to portend, They will perplex us all
until the coming end, A feeling of despair, hungry and full of care, We
resent everywhere the fortune that we share, "This world could be a better
place" is a concept I condone, Given our pathetic course our destiny is
known, It's misery and famine, it's a force we cannot see, Misery and famine,
it compels us naturally, Misery and famine, great ellipse, we bend to thee,
Misery and famine, just accept your vagrancy, Misery and famine (x4)
15: Unacceptable
Irreducible is the word for today, plastic compounds
and nuclear waste, What the hell's the matter with the people on this planet?
Have we all gone insane? The stigma of industrial progress killing us over
and over again, It's one part per trillion... unacceptable, One part per
billion... unacceptable, One part per million... unacceptable, This mammoth
pogrom set upon us courtesy of the USA, Inexcusable are the men before
our time, I'd like to kick their ass for what they left behind, Cancer-causing
chemicals, ozone-depleting arsenals, we're all gonna fry, So put your head
between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye, One part per trillion... unacceptable,
One part per billion... unacceptable, One part per million... unacceptable,
One part per billion... unac(fucking)ceptable (x infinity)
16: Quality or Quantity
Offer me eternity, and I'll
trade a cup of coffee and a dime, Looking for a handout on behalf of those
who have so littletime,
But who wants to live on just 70 cents a day? Padding your pockets doesn't
make this a better place, "Cereal and water"
is a feast for some you say, Your price-tag on existence can't cover your
double face, Quality or quantity (x3) a choice you have to make, Dipping
in the icing, bringing home the largest turkey from the field, Breaking
all the piggy banks, scooping up the booty, licking all the right holes,
bolstering the payroll, Why reduce life to a dollar amount per day? And
why let the world think this is the American way? Your uneaten greens are
a feast for some you say, Survival and living are concepts you can't equate,
Quality or quantity (x3) don't tell me they're the same, Quality or quantity
(x3) a choice you have to make
17: Walk Away
Shut off the TV and peel
off those sunday gloves, And I'll stain the clean that you've been counting,
Old Mr. Fletcher passed by here today, After 40 years of toil he just up
and walked away, Fantastic the panic that showed in his eyes, He shrugged
when I asked him about it, He said, "Young man pay heed, you listen well
to what I say, Now there comes a time for a man to walk away," Walk away
(walk away) I'll be a parade, And I'll be determined that no one shall
dissuade On my way (dissuade) I'll sure take some time, To burn all the
bridges that I'm leaving behind, He passed by again and he was shivering
from the cold, I'm not sure but I think he was trying, He told me about
the weather and something old to pay, "But tomorrow," he said, "I'm gonna
surely walk away," Walk away (walk away) I'll be a parade, And I'll be
determined that no one shall dissuade On my way (dissuade) I'll take my
sweet time, And burn all the bridges that I leave behind, Walk away (walk
away) I'll be a parade, And I'll be determined that no one shall dissuade
_Along The Way_
on Epitaph (1990)_Only
Entertainment_ MP3 (160k)
(1994)
- appearance by a grey haired Erik Estrada as a CHP officer
(with Rancid)
off of Bad Religion/Noam Chomsky split 7"
on Maximumrockandroll(24.8megs)
- fact inserts from Italian TV Truth_
The
_New America_ CD (2000) |
Memories_
MP3 (112k)Time_
MP3Process
Of Belief_ CD on Epitaph (2002) |
Defense_
MP3 (192k)
(bonus track - Japanes release only)
off of first 7" (1981)
covered by Motorhead
on Epitaph (1982)
 |
cover depics Los
Angeles
tracklisting:
(a)
covered by Sublime
Usenet:
alt.music.bad-religion
TelexExternal
LinkInternal
LinkInventory
Cache
