Bad Religion - The Surface Of Me Lyrics

A study of history reveals an unflagging appeal to mystery
You talk about abstraction at the top of the list
But you might as well get pissed, cause in me the essence does not exist, no-oh-oh
Yeah yeah!
You’re so shallow
How can your romance hope to be the veil of an ersatz human nature
That can pacify but never slept well when there’s the pretension of living a lie

Take me as I am, judge me for my crimes
I can say I’ll behave freely all the time
You can predict what I’ll say, it’s in my DNA
But soon I’ll be a catalogue number anyway

So say a little prayer
Convince yourself that someone cares
All I am is what you see
There is nothing more than the surface of me [x2],

you know

Oh yeah!

Apologies to Skinner, but I do believe that I feel like I’m a winner
Having just discovered a long solved modal secret, of how I always feel
So goddamn downtrodden and desperate

Take me as I am, judge me for my crimes
I can say I’ll behave freely all the time
You can predict what I’ll say, it’s in my DNA
But soon I’ll be a catalogue number anyway

So say a little prayer
Convince yourself that someone cares
All I am is what you see
There is nothing more than the surface of me [x6]

What you see is the surface of me

I’ve HEARD this song! Where tf did I hear. Love it

God, this is terrible. I expected something better than this, what with the title. The structure is horrible, but the chorus manages to sound pretty good.

I love the reference to BF Skinner. Clearly Greg is interested in Psychology as well.

One of my favorite BR songs. As a Behavioral Psych grad student, I can *completely* relate to this realization and how powerful it is. Realizing that essentialism is a multifaceted crock of shit that enslaves and poisons the human experience, was like seeing through the Matrix.



Bad Religion

"The Surface Of Me"

Oh yeah! 
A study of history reveals an unflagging appeal to mystery 
You talk about abstraction at the top of the list 
But you might as well get pissed, cause in me the essence does not exist, no-oh-oh 
Yeah yeah! 
You’re so shallow 
How can your romance hope to be the veil of an ersatz human nature 
That can pacify but never slept well when there’s the pretension of living a lie 

Take me as I am, judge me for my crimes 
I can say I’ll behave freely all the time 
You can predict what I’ll say, it’s in my DNA 
But soon I’ll be a catalogue number anyway 

So say a little prayer 
Convince yourself that someone cares 
All I am is what you see 
There is nothing more than the surface of me [x2], 

you know 

Oh yeah! 

Apologies to Skinner, but I do believe that I feel like I’m a winner 
Having just discovered a long solved modal secret, of how I always feel 
So goddamn downtrodden and desperate 

Take me as I am, judge me for my crimes 
I can say I’ll behave freely all the time 
You can predict what I’ll say, it’s in my DNA 
But soon I’ll be a catalogue number anyway 

So say a little prayer 
Convince yourself that someone cares 
All I am is what you see 
There is nothing more than the surface of me [x6]

What you see is the surface of me

Should have replaced "Boot Stamping on a Human Face Forever." Then Empire would have been flawless.

Brett Bewley too true, meh song but one of the coolest names of a song by them

lyrically that song is good just the way the song flows doesn't work for me

Most addictive song ever

Blinding track from one of BRs best albums!! SUPERB!!

Haven't heard this song in years because I didn't have the extended version of this album. Glad to have rediscovered it.

This seems like a song that belongs on the new America

It's to please any whim u may... but I do not approve of such interaction

+drumkid330 totally agree

drumkid330 call me whatever but I like the new america but we can all agree into the unknown wasn that good

Guy Hayden that's probably the status quo idea. But in my opinion it's honestly one of their best albums. It's a hidden gem.

drumkid330 guess that's why it was cut.

there is nothing more than the surface of me: there is no soul, just flesh. life has no "hidden meaning". Greg Graffin is a college professor, teaches science and dabbles in anthropology.

Kinda like Hunter S. Thompson (deceased) except Gaffin "prefers" rehab to mad jonts thru bat country....or, if you like, rererererehab given all the in and out and into it again.....fame possibly thE "stay outta jail" card?
All j/k aside though: 
"Buildith upon the rock..." right?  Well, these boys rockit right!

according to Wikipedia, this song is on the Japanese version

I love this song :3

I can't find it either

All you have to do is say a little prayer and hope that somebody cares

Great B- Side!

such a sexy band

While I do like this song, I'm glad it is a B-side. It doesn't fit up to the awesomeness of the rest of the album.

How is this a B-side?

What a fantastic song. How have I never heard this one before?

BR's BEST album!!

@jckorn86 Just google B sides and rarities.

I fuckin love BR!

i Have to agree with the guy who says when ever he hears a Bad Religion song he has to listen to it again. This song is awesome!

Really didn't like this CD, but this song is great.

@SDTPW

I know right. This should have been on a proper album just like Tested and many others.

fuck, i wish they would release a full b-side album.

@Raeafu I think you mean thank Greg Graffin they exist

please come to indonesia

@allfantasticimages No I .. I can't :|

@JIGD Strange...

@allfantasticimages can't see it either

Bad Religion is the greatest band this sorry excuse for a planet will ever know

@darraghmcb that is really trippy....

@NefariousNectarine Not even coming to my city unfortunately, and school makes it that I wouldn't be able to make it to the nearest concert, 5 hours away.

999* / 999*

@darraghmcb Am I the only person who can't see that?

Show!!!!!!

@GaribaldiInTheMaking and one of epitaph records sampler disc

@JadizADD

Good to hear that its just not me. Lol. Its either repeat it, or quickly find another song by them I want to listen to.

What you see is the surface of me

Great song... too bad it didn't make it on the album. =/

TESF is actually a really really good album in my opinion, the first 7 songs hit me really hard, I loved it. This song sounds really old school, not like the recent BR stuff! Kinda cool!

That's because it was never released. It was recorded for the album, but they decided to leave it out.

Nope, this is no New America left over. It's definitely from Empire Strikes First.

Great song, I never heard this one before actually.

so goood... oh, my.

no hes right they do

any body notice the red dots dissappear and then reapper

orly? still the most kickass song ever.

shattered faith is a b-side on the process of belief also and i think its on the japanese release

sounds like process of belief a lil

ohh yeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh *siiiiiiiiing*

B-side is more of a metaphorical term nowadays. It's used for tracks that weren't good enough, in the band's mind, for release on their albums.

Not really a b-side, since The Empire Strikes First and Punk-o-rama are not vinyl/cassette singles. "Bonus track" is the right word, I think.

It certainly does sound like New America...

hmmm very true. but i like that song too.

ever hear shattered faith? i think it's their best song ever even though it's only a punk-o-rama b-side.

bad religion is the best fucking band ever! even their b-sides are better than other band's record cuts!

yeah i hate fade outs in generally..
but just these 2 endings of these 2 songs are a little long for me..
well..
i still like'em so i dont really care ;)


but i hate for example the fade outs in shattered faith and generator

boot stamping is "good" - but not great
but if it had a really good chorus, that would be as good as the AWESOME verses, then it could be a great song..i think you get my point.

i dont like the long ending and so on of BED, in atomic garden it's the same - a LITTLE too long for me in the end..
still fucking awesome song (atomic garden) and pretty good (BED)

Em I the only one to notice some melodic similarities in the chorus of this BR song and Avril Lavigne's "Hot". Strange.

boot stamping would be great if the chrous didnt suck like HELL

live again ist the lamest song on the album (pretty stupid considering it's the "last track"-song..)
beyond electric dreams is alright, a little too...yeah dont know.:D
but the chorus is great

"You'll take yours and I'll keep mine", as Graffin sang in Leave mine to me.

Beyond Electric Dreams isn't what I'd call a typically strong BR song, but the outro is great.
Boot stamping..shows a terrific example of true emotion and great songwriting. The solo is fantastic.
Live Again has a nice folk-music feeling to it, it has brilliant melodies...and stuff. I like all three.

The chorus is sooo wonderful!("Take me as I am..")

Fantastic song!

This song's the bonus track on the Japan-version of "The Empire Strikes First" - plus: it's track 2 on the "Los Angeles Is Burning"-single CD.

could someone send me this?

need to get all these b sides!

fuck where do you get all this songs from??:D