The
Gray Race
Streets of America:
"it's a very intelligent song. It discusses the lie that is
the American Dream. Greg clearly states this in many parts. 'False hope
corridors to greener pastures.' He wants to express how foreigners emigrating
to America believe the 'streets' are paved with gold, when it is far from
that." (Fubbs@aol.com)
Pity the Dead:
This song states that why should we pity the people that die when
they are better off than we are. In your life you have problems after
problems, pain, and sadness. when you die it is all over. like when
they sing the part that says "just eternal silence and dormancy and a
final everlasting peace"
(Matt)
Empty Causes:
Well, Empty Causes, is about how people are so driven to find a purpose, for social
gain, or even to give their lives meaning. All the radical groups, trend Buddhists, and Hypocrites all searching for a
purpose. Only to die out years later.
At least that's what I think... (L8r)
Punk Rock Song:
I think that this song is talking about how meaningless they think that their
song writing is and how were all just moving the motions of life. as they say
" But there's so many other fucking insects out there" I think that when they
wrote the song they were heavily depressed.(HornToad12@aol.com)
I totally disagree with this. The song means clearly what it says. It
talks about how fucked up the world is and how no one does anything to help
and how we are "running out of time." (like ants in a colony we do our
share, but there's so many other fuckin' insects out there) That means we
are selfish and do nothing for anyone, but ourselves and "ignore the needy
and we keep pushing on." I could totally explain every line of every song
they wrote, but... I think most of their songs are self explanatory if you
have the slightest bit of insight... (JR Bachman)
Come Join Us:
I think that come with us is a way that they look in standing out doing
something different in life, seeking the answers to life. Despite the evil
cult like appearance of the song I think thats it's not that at all, I think
that this song really completes the gray race cd which I think iperhaps the
best along with stranger than fiction. (HornToad12@aol.com) I was always of the opinion that this song was intended to be satirical. I thought that it was not
meant to be taken literally in any sense, as they seemed to be pointing out the absurdity of such words. (weirdharold@hotmail.com)
Cease:
This is, I believe, the single greatest song Greg graffin has ever written.
It's about death. The first part is the actual dying -- everything fading
to black as the senses dim out in a violent death. The second is about a
cemetary, a monument or something like that. While I have no idea what the
"west facade" is, the image of a monument to the departed atop a hill is
there. The final verse links the death of the individual to the death of
the race, of the entire species, even: "and the generations pass without
recompense", meaning that each new group of individuals loses something
from the one before it, until "everything must cease." (Grendel Drago)
I sincerely agree with the interpretion of Mr Drago, but I want to clear up
what the second part is about. Its not about a cemetary- the "institution on
a hill" that he is refering to is the religious shrines on the Temple Mount of
Jerusalem. The "west facade" refers to the Western Wall of the Jewish people,
only remanent of their Temple destroyed by the Romans. (DaveCA16@aol.com) I agree for the most part with Mr Drago. I am also interested with what DaveCa had to say although I
had a different perspective on it. I perceived "west facad"e to mean the spiritual lack in the western hemisphere. I
also thought that the "descendants" who found it "oh so odd" were all of us (westerners that is) who are baffled by
the lack of spiritual growth we've been allowed by a culture that seems preoccupied with other things. (weirdharold@hotmail.com)
Drunk Sincerity:
"This is clearly a song about dishonesty a misunderstood trust, thus the
title, drunk (messed up or dissheveled) sincerity. The first verse recalls
how a recovering addict is addresssed by a group of counselors who lie
to him about how they know his problems. The second verse is certainly
the greatest. It recounts dishonesty during the war in Vietnam. The
'maternal families' are the sisters and mothers sitting at home while the
males were off at war. As they watch the blue tube (television), they see
the draft lottery by MacNamara and the other 'hawks.' The numbers
creeping higher symbolize the draft count and the fact that the generals
say that 'your sons and your brothers will be coming back heroes soon'
shows their false sense of sincerity. The short chorus discusses 'hope
is the words and emotion in the eyes" and how easy it is to be misled by
a "sad and gentle guise," or how it is easy to be fooled by false sincerity.
Finally the third verse evidently portrays a teenage couple in the back
of a car. The man obviously makes a certain promise to the woman in the
middle of their 'session'. Although his exact claim to her is unknown it
is obvious that whatever he told her was false, yet stated in such a disguised
way as to get her to believe it." (upquakers@aol.com)
