my careless contagion

Recent events reminded me of this song by Bad Religion. Leave Mine to Me was released in 1994 on the album Stranger Than Fiction. A lot of things changed since then. Maybe you've noticed. But Bad Religion's songs have an uncanny ability to predict the future. A line of the song stuck out to me: "You create your own reality, and leave mine to me." What does that have to do with recent events? And what does that have to do with me?  Facebook recently changed its corporate name to Meta to "reflect its growing focus on the metaverse." The metaverse is something that doesn't even exist in everyday reality. So what's the big deal? It's a bunch of virtual worlds. If people didn't already live in their own little bubbles, they will soon. Why? Because reality sucks, as the song points out. If you want to escape reality and make your own virtual reality, that's an option. Many people already do with their online presence. They've tuned out the ...

Twenty-six years ago, Bad Religion (BR) released Stranger Than Fiction , their seventh studio album. They now have 16 or so, not counting any greatest-hits or live albums (and I haven't even bothered to listen to the last one). The video for this song is here if anyone is interested. It's odd, even by BR standards (silly is the word, perhaps). I didn't post it because it might frighten small children. I'm kidding, of course. But, hey, if you think punk rock is scary, think of it this way. Slow it down, and it's essentially folk music. If it's still scary, then just think of it as fast polka music. I'm German, so I like polka (Mollie B., anyone?). I also like sausage of all kinds. Don't all Germans like sausage and polka? At the same time? Oh, and the song has a Hammond organ in it. What? A punk rock song with an organ? Anyway, why am I writing about this album and the song of the same name? Give me a moment.  This is a long post, by the way. You m...

Marked by Bad Religion conforms to the punk rock ethic of mind over matter, of letting nothing affect you. Of being stronger than the world which seeks to crush and conform you. It is a classic theme of punk rock manifested on arguably one of Bad Religion's best albums, Stranger Than Fiction (1994). This is probably Bad Religion's most radio-friendly album and their first major-label release. Without getting into the discussion of punk rock and major labels, let me dissect the meaning of this song.  Lyrically, the song is simple. It was written by Brett Gurewitz, aka Mr. Brett, one of the band's founders, and guitarist (and owner of Epitaph records). Mr. Brett's songs are unique and quite unlike the other principal songwriter Greg Graffin's songs. The Gray Race album, entirely written by Graffin, showcases what's missing when Mr. Brett isn't involved.  Mr. Brett's songs are more like paintings, which are up to the viewer to decide what they mean,...