Tunesday - Angsty Punk Edition
Posted by Jeremy on June 24th, 2008
This week’s Tune Tuesday focuses on one of my favorite genres, punk. To be more exact, Southern California punk. I don’t know what it is - the socially responsible lyrics, the poppiness of the sound, or the sophisticated style & imagery contained within, I love it. And one of the biggest sounds of the California punk scene happens to come from Greg Graffin’s Bad Religion12. Started in 1980, they’re known for their expansive vocabulary, vocalizing harmonies and extensive imagery.
And one of the best examples of that vocabulary will be in today’s song. It’s off their newest album, “The New Maps of Hell”. The song is called “Prodigial Son”. Listen in, read the lyrics, and let me know what you think!
Buy “New Maps of Hell” from Amazon.Com
Bad Religion -Prodigal Son
Oh can’t you feel the nostalgia son I wonder about ya
Modernistocrat Horatio Alger
Clever never hesitating in the baiting ever waiting
For the canticle of manacles abating
Do you ever forget - you had a regret - and what you only guessed at
Might still be waiting?
When the prodigal son with a caroming shadow of hate comes to land at home
Well he’s a mourning star with a champagne heart at his curtain call
And father never understood just how the work gets done
Don’t look at me, no I ain’t one, no prodigal son
Don’t look at me, no I ain’t one, no prodigal son
When everybody about - is read to bout you - about controversial values
Don’t you think you better readdress the level of the cowardice rising to drown you
Did you ever connect - or come to reject - or even inspect
That dream that hounds you
When the prodigal son with a caroming shadow of hate comes to land at home
Well he’s a mourning star with a champagne heart at his curtain call
And father never understood the way the work gets done
Don’t look at me, no I ain’t one, no prodigal son
Don’t look at me, no I ain’t one, no prodigal son
When you least expect it he’s going to run
Like the blood red path of the western sun oh yeah
The prodigal son is waiting, waiting for his moment to come
Well hell no, don’t look at me
Can’t you see, I ain’t one, no prodigal son
Don’t look at me, no I ain’t one, no prodigal son
- Wikipedia article about Bad Religion [↩]
- Bad Religion on MySpace.Com [↩]