30 Greg Graffin Quotes for You to Enjoy

Greg Graffin

American Musician

Born: Nov 6, 1964

Music People Punk Religion Science You

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Science is the first expression of punk, because it doesn't advance without challenging authority. It doesn't make progress without tearing down what was there before and building upon the structure. Greg Graffin

Science Progress Punk First Building Before Down Structure Advance Make Because Without Authority Tearing Expression Challenging

One of the things that all religions have is a narrative of doomsday. There has to be some kind of overarching fear of the future. If there wasn't, none of the religions could invoke this important thing - that science has no evidence of, by the way - called free will. Greg Graffin

Ideologically, the pursuit of science is not that different from the ideology that goes into punk rock. The idea of challenging authority is consistent with what I have been taught as a scientist. Greg Graffin

Science Punk Ideology Consistent Punk Rock Pursuit Idea Rock Scientist Been Authority Goes Taught Different Challenging

The vocal arrangements are a big part of the formula for a Bad Religion song - layered harmonies and background vocals. So when I start to describe the elements of Bad Religion's sound, it starts to sound like a Christmas choir. Greg Graffin

You can look at Bad Religion, and, really, almost everything I've ever done was an exercise in creativity. I've always had a desire to challenge and question authority, and that's where the fire inside comes from. I challenged authority out of a desire to make things better, not to be nihilistic about it. Greg Graffin

Religion You Creativity Better Challenge Fire Everything Out Bad Inside About Had Almost Almost Everything Look Make Exercise Always Question Authority Done Where Really Challenged Ever Things Desire

I call myself a naturalist as opposed to an atheist, but there are different styles. Some people just like to be close to nature. And some people actually worship nature, which is too wishy-washy because - like a lot of religious believers - they don't depend on facts. Greg Graffin

Myself Nature Atheist People Some People Depend Too Worship Religious Some Facts Like Call Because Styles Opposed Lot Close Just Different Which Naturalist Different Styles Believers Actually

The trick is: how do you talk about natural selection without implying the rigidity of law? We use it as almost an active participant, almost like a god. In fact, you could substitute the word 'god' for 'natural selection' in a lot of evolutionary writings and you'd think you were listening to a theologian. Greg Graffin

God You Natural Law Listening Word Active Think Evolutionary Trick Rigidity About Fact Could Selection Writings Almost Participant Like Implying Talk Without How Were Lot In Fact Substitute Natural Selection Theologian Use

In the 1970s, we had Carl Sagan, and he was so suave with his turtleneck and his tweed jacket. And he was, you know, he made science look cool. And in punk rock, we haven't had that. We haven't had the Carl Sagan of punk. Greg Graffin

You Science Punk Made Punk Rock Had He Know Look Rock Suave His Jacket Turtleneck Cool

So much of the habitat destruction and pollution is based on the simple principle that we somehow have been given free license over other species to degrade the planet. Greg Graffin

Destruction Simple Free Habitat Other License Degrade Somehow Given Over Principle Been Pollution Much Planet Based Species

I bill myself as a naturalist because if you say you're a naturalist, it gives people a conversation point to talk about what you actually do believe in, instead of when you say you're an atheist, and it's really just a statement of what you don't believe in. Greg Graffin

Myself You Conversation Atheist People Believe Statement Say About Gives Point Instead Talk Because Just Really Bill Naturalist Actually

The naturalist worldview is a good way to feel grounded and feel part of something that isn't based on fairy tales. It's based on observable facts in the human and in the biological history of the planet. I think that can be a source for comfort. Greg Graffin

There are so many ways to characterize evolutionary success. If one criterion is the number of millions of years that the species persists, we're still just infants. We're way too young of a species to tell if we were a creative fluke or if we have any staying power. Greg Graffin

Success Creative Power Young Too Fluke Way Ways Characterize Criterion Evolutionary Tell Staying Staying Power Still Were Years Infants Persists Any Just Many Species Millions Number Millions Of Years

Most songwriters who have been lucky enough to have their song on the radio or be heard widely don't know anything about science. The best songs have a strong dose of metaphor. Most songs about science don't have that. Like 'She Blinded Me With Science.' It's a stupid song, no offense to Thomas Dolby. Greg Graffin

Best Me Science Song Strong Stupid Enough Thomas About Songs Songwriters Like Know Most She Blinded Metaphor Been Heard Offense Anything Dose Who Radio Lucky Widely

I've written almost 200 songs with Bad Religion. No matter where you look in our history, the focus has been trying to instill some of these disturbing realities about the world, some of the implications of evolution into an artistic format that can be interpreted by people who may never study evolution. Greg Graffin

Religion History You People World Matter Focus Our Evolution Has-Been Bad Some Disturbing About Never Songs Written Almost Instill Study Implications Look Been Trying May Artistic Where Format Realities Who Interpreted

I view music as entertainment. When I'm on stage, I don't look at that as a platform for sharing ideology. Otherwise I'd be a zealot myself. That's why, when people ask me, 'Do you think you can change the world through your music?' I say, 'I doubt it.' Greg Graffin

Music Myself Me You Entertainment Change People World Ideology Stage Doubt Think Change The World Otherwise Say Through Sharing Look Ask View Your Platform Why

I was never raised with the traditional story of creation in religion, and because of that I think I had a lot of questions. And evolution, the evolutionary narrative, helped provide some of that for me. Greg Graffin

Religion Me Creation Think Evolution Evolutionary Some Never Had Because Narrative Traditional Provide Lot Questions Story Helped Raised

Bad Religion's tradition has always been to try and provoke people but hopefully lead them to a better sense of who they are and what they stand for. That's supposed to make them feel better. Greg Graffin

Religion People Better Try Sense Bad Hopefully Lead Feel Supposed Make Always Tradition Been Provoke Them Stand Who

Almost everyone shuts down when science becomes too technical; you've got to infuse it with entertainment and storytelling to make it effective. From high school on, science is taught in a very dry manner, which isn't as potent. Greg Graffin

You Entertainment Science School Down Too Everyone High High School Potent Almost Almost Everyone Make Dry Becomes Got Effective Very Taught Which Storytelling Infuse Manner Technical

When I was a teenager, science meshed with my developing ideals - such as the challenge to authority that was central to punk rock. In science, anyone from any walk of life could make a discovery that would overturn prevailing hypotheses. And that was a cause for celebration among scientists. Greg Graffin

Life Science Cause Walk Challenge Punk Teenager Punk Rock Would Prevailing Could Hypotheses Developing Ideals Make Rock Scientists Discovery Overturn Celebration Authority Any Anyone Central Among

I struggled to keep one foot in music and one in academia. I had worked on my Ph.D. for three years full time before I realized Bad Religion could be a legitimate career. Greg Graffin

Music Time Religion Three Before Bad Struggled Could Foot Had Academia Years Legitimate Realized Worked Full Full-Time Keep Career

Academic scientists aren't generally interested in books for the public. So when one comes out, the authors can't expect much praise from scientists. My goal both as a singer and an instructor is to educate through provocation and entertainment. Greg Graffin

Entertainment Books Out Both Through Generally Academic Instructor Singer Praise Educate Scientists Goal Provocation Expect Authors Interested Public Much

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