Punk Rock Song
Encyclopedia
"Punk Rock Song" is a song written by Greg Graffin
from the punk rock
group Bad Religion
. It was the second single from their 1996 album The Gray Race
. While the single never charted in the U.S.
, it is Bad Religion's highest charting single in Finland
, Germany
and Sweden
.
and it has the lyrics to the two unreleased tracks plus the English and German lyrics to "Punk Rock Song". The "German language version" was also included as a bonus track on the European version of The Gray Race
. There is also a single which has live versions of "Modern Day Catastrophists" and "10 in 2010".
There is also CD single made purposely for the UK (it has the dates of the UK concerts that were eventually canceled printed on it). In this version, the words "shit" and "fucking" had been censored. Every time Greg says "so many other...insects/robots out there" his voice is completely cut out. There is also a promotional CD which has no insert, just the CD, which is red, and has the title and some other info written on it in plain, silver text; and it came with a promotional poster.
Greg Graffin
Gregory Walter Graffin, Ph.D. is an American punk rock musician, college professor, and author. He is most recognized as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the noted Los Angeles band Bad Religion, which he co-founded in 1979 and is the band's only constant member, even though it now features two...
from the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
group Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
. It was the second single from their 1996 album The Gray Race
The Gray Race
The Gray Race is the ninth full-length album of the punk rock band Bad Religion, which was released in 1996. It was the follow-up to the band's highly successful 1994 album Stranger Than Fiction...
. While the single never charted in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it is Bad Religion's highest charting single in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Single information
The single was initially available in a number of different formats. A 7" single is gray marbled vinyl on Unplayable Records, and features two unreleased compositions "The Universal Cynic" and "The Dodo". A CD single also features the two unreleased tracks as well as "Punk Rock Song" sang in GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and it has the lyrics to the two unreleased tracks plus the English and German lyrics to "Punk Rock Song". The "German language version" was also included as a bonus track on the European version of The Gray Race
The Gray Race
The Gray Race is the ninth full-length album of the punk rock band Bad Religion, which was released in 1996. It was the follow-up to the band's highly successful 1994 album Stranger Than Fiction...
. There is also a single which has live versions of "Modern Day Catastrophists" and "10 in 2010".
There is also CD single made purposely for the UK (it has the dates of the UK concerts that were eventually canceled printed on it). In this version, the words "shit" and "fucking" had been censored. Every time Greg says "so many other...insects/robots out there" his voice is completely cut out. There is also a promotional CD which has no insert, just the CD, which is red, and has the title and some other info written on it in plain, silver text; and it came with a promotional poster.
Trivia
- The 2002 compilation Punk Rock SongsPunk Rock SongsPunk Rock Songs is a compilation album by Bad Religion, released in 2002.Spanning the years from 1994 to 2000, this is a collection of the biggest hits and some live tracks from their Atlantic and Epic Records era, therefore it does not contain any songs from Bad Religion's first seven full-length...
, which was not endorsed by the band, is named after the song. The English and German versions appear on the compilation. - In April 1996, "Punk Rock Song" was number 17 on the European MTVMTV EuropeMTV Europe is a pan-European 24-hour entertainment cable and digital television network launched on August 1, 1987. Initially, the channel served all regions within Europe being one of the very few channels that targeted the entire European continent...
, above Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
and Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
. - At the end of the song, you can hear guitarist Brian BakerBrian Baker (musician)Brian Baker is an American punk rock musician. He is best known as one of the founding members of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat, and as a guitarist in Bad Religion since 1994 alongside Greg Hetson...
shouting "yes! Bobby SchayerBobby SchayerBobby Schayer was born on December 23, 1966 in Los Angeles, California. He was the drummer for Bad Religion from 1991 to 2001. He was a resident of Encino, a suburb in the San Fernando Valley...
...that's the one", referring to the band's drummer at the time.
Chart positions
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Singles Chart | 5 |
| German Singles Chart | 29 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 21 |