Content warning: this post discusses punk music that contains themes of humanity repeatedly failing itself. I recently came across some of my music writing from years ago where I reflected on my favorite albums of all time. Since I've been listening to one of these in particular a lot during the last couple of years, I thought it fitting to dig in to a few of the tracks and discuss why I find them relevant in today's world. The album in question is All Ages, by Bad Religion, which was released in 1995. This is a compilation album that mostly focuses on their best work from the late 80's and early 90's, where the vast majority of the writing credits are represented by Greg Graffin (aka professor punk) and Brett Gurewitz (aka Mr. Brett, founder of Epitaph records). In their early years, both men were titans of influence on the American punk and hardcore scene. Interestingly, this compilation is the first Bad Religion album album that I purchased, and the circumstances around it are funny to think back on. Back when this was a new release, information about a band's discography was harder to come by. At the record store, I usually made my selection based on 1) knowing the band by name or by reputation and 2) how cool the album artwork looked. In this case, judging an album by its cover worked out well, and I stumbled upon something that I plan enjoy for the rest of my life. Let's talk about some important tracks and why they still resonate after all this time. I Want to Conquer The World Hey, brother Christian with your high and mighty errand Your actions speak so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying Hey, sister Bleeding Heart with all of your compassion Your labors soothe the hurt, but can't assuage temptation The opening track "I Want to Conquer The World" is a strong contender for my favorite song of all time. Written by Gurewitz and first appearing on the 1989 album No Control, there's a slyness that emerges over the course of the song that turns the initial interpretation on its head. Ostensibly about the failure of anyone to do anything to improve society, the narrator suggests that things would be better if only *they* could conquer the world and right the wrongs that they perceive. This, despite the fact that over millennia, this very ethos has resulted in the current state of the world. Later lines like "with a quick wink of the eye, and a 'god, you must be joking'" suggest the tongue-in-cheek nature of this commentary, which is later confirmed with a smirking line about saving the whales. Oldheads like me will remember how "save the whales" was everywhere at this time, to the point where it effectively became a self-parody. Listen on YouTube Modern Man When I look back and think When I ponder and ask why I see my ancestors spend with careless abandon Assuming eternal supply Graffin's opening contribution to the 1990 release Against the Grain hits hard in 2026, as the climate catastrophe looms while our leaders close their eyes and sit on their hands. 36 years ago, Graffin painted pegged modern man as a betrayer of evolution, a heedlessly suicidal ecosystem destroyer, a "pathetic example of earth's organic heritage". Sadly, nothing in the intervening years has proved him wrong. Is it too late to change our ways? Listen on YouTube We're Only Gonna Die Early man walked away as modern man took control Their minds weren't all the same, to conquer was his goal So he built his great empire and he slaughtered his own kind Then he died a confused man, killed himself with his own mind Graffin's classic track from the 1982 release How Could Hell Be Any Worse? paints a picture of a human race seemingly intent on self destruction. The phrases "early man" and "modern man" bring to mind the extinction of Neanderthals at the hands of Homo sapiens, but the commentary rings equally true in the context of recent human history. For example, I think of the colonial and extractivist tendencies of much of the western world. Where has it brought us? Listen on YouTube Suffer Did you ever see the concrete stares of everyday The lunatic, the hypocrite, are all lost in the fray Can't you see their lives are just like yours? This Graffin/Gurewitz co-written track from the 1988 album of the same name presents a simple thesis: the masses of humanity have always had to suffer, and they probably always will. Although we each suffer in different ways at a micro level, the design of most modern societies is built on (and reinforces) a pattern of extractive harm that, if unabated, is likely to doom us as a species. Listen on YouTube No Direction Everyone is looking for something And they all assume somebody else knows what it is This Gurewitz tune from the 1992 album Generator explores our tendencies to seek meaning and guidance through external means such as religion, media, academia, and even music. Throughout their career, Bad Religion have remained skeptical of anyone who claims to have "the answer" to any of the major problems that plague us as a species. Lines like "I don't believe in self-important folks who preach / no Bad Religion song can make your life complete" warn the listener against uncritical adherence to the band's own message. Prepare for rejection, you'll get no direction from me. Listen on YouTube ~nullish