Curiosity is always a good thing to have. Today I started to delve into more Bad Religion, this goes beyond music in it's relevance. Greg Graffin, the lead singer of the band, has a master degree in geology and anthropology. He has a PhD in something else, I don't want to get it wrong with what it is, but it is related. Of course Tim McIlrath from Rise Against was a majoring in English and sociology in college before he joined Rise Against, and they were signed. Then Mike McColgan for the Street Dogs was a Boston firefighter before he left after forming the Street Dogs.
I did a classic rock thing before, and followed blindly in the footsteps of those before me, and what do they stand for? Nothing. There is no meaning, and no purpose. Not only that they have no real standing in life. They were an entertainer, that is barely a part of society that can be looked and you can smile about later in life. What did the guys in these classic rock bands dream of becoming, I know some situations were a do or die kind of thing. They made that decision, they weren't ambitious to take it into their own hands to try and better things. They just took what was given, and did nothing. Become a functioning member of society. These guys that I like in these punk bands mean so much more than just music.
The dream that I am chasing down in all reality is to become a firefighter, and Mike told me to shoot for that because it "is the best job in the world to have." I'm kind of stuck for now because of the state I live in, but I swear by the time I'm 25 I will be a firefighter somewhere. I have four cities I want to go to. Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York. The FDNY is the full goal for me. You look at Greg, he has a masters in geology so you know he is a smart dude. I've talked about Tim before. It is just great to see that these guys have something besides just music that they wanted to do, or stand for. That's what punk rock is to me. It's not about the music, it's about the message and what you stand for.
These classic rock bands, and my former band mean nothing. They have no dreams to follow but people that already did what they are trying to do. The guys from the 80's they stood for everything that the republicans stood for in the 80's. The excess isn't always best. I know I used to say the opposite, but you grow up and realize what is really important. The motto sex, drugs, and rock n' roll is one of the worst to live by. Live fast die young, on the other hand was something that counter-cultures of the 70's and late 60's came up with. Strangely enough a lot of those groups modern punk bands would connect with.
In a world that has been turned upside down, do you really think people want to hear about stuff that they can never have. It is a different time. Just imagine if modern rock was around in the 30's, and no one had anymore. Do you really think they would want to hear about how much money you have made off of them, or how about you pissed away your cash on petty thing. I really think we have lost touch with ourselves and our true meaning of life.
That's what I have for now. Just my ten cents after looking into these guys that I look up to.-SS
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