No Control

Bad Religion

Culture was the seed of proliferation
But it has gotten melded into an enharmonic whole
Consciousness has plagued us and we can not shake it
Though we think we're in control
Questions that besiege us in life
Are testament of our helplessness
"there's no vestige of a beginning,
No prospect of an end" (Hutton, 1795)
When we all disintegrate it will all happen again

Time is so rock solid in the minds of the hoards but they can't
Explain why it should slip away
History and future are the comforts of
Our curiosity but here we are
Rooted in the present day

If you came to conquer you'll be king for a day
But you too will deteriorate and quickly fade away
And believe these words you hear
When you think your path is clear

We have no control
We do not understand
You have no control
You are not in command!


Lyrics submitted by oofus

No Control Lyrics as written by Greg Graffin

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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17 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment
    We're the only animal plagued with our type of consciousness. We have the illusion of free will, yet we're not in control. These questions will remain when we're gone, yet we think we are special and that we live in a special time. Even those who think they're in control and powerful (kings) will deteriorate and are insignificant in the big picture. This will continue generation after generation in a slow gradual pace as James Hutton thought: "There's no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end."
    Cauchyon October 05, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    excellent. Truly excellent. Because everyone is so insignificant, we have absolutely no control over the world. Even if we conquer it, we will quickly fade away, and things change, so get used to it. I love it.
    Jebuson June 16, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    bad religion is really incredile.
    crick23on June 16, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I'd half to say that this is the best Bad Religion song. It's in a three way tie with Automatic Man and I want to Conquor the world. Man this guy is smart. He's so articulate that he's almost convinced me to be an atheist... except for the fact that he's dead wrong. But I still love him, and so does God!=
    iamnothing2uon July 21, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This song is about time. Time controls everything, and in the end there is nothing we can do to stop it, we have no control.
    sonofabitchbiteon March 10, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    We have no control over certain things. We need to stop pretending that we do, and just admit it. -------------- freewebs.com/…
    Jakeberton June 13, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    WELL TO BE PRECISE it means we have no control because we're insignificant compared to the leaders and even they are only temporary.
    wexenhexon July 05, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Graffin's taking a GEOLOGICAL (see Graffin's academic acheivements) perspective here. That record indicates the claim, "We have not control." We could end up trapped in a limestone or granite matrix just like the specimens in the the geological record that leads to the claim, "We have no control." This is supported by a paraphrase of the "father of modern geology" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…), "There's no vestige and no prospect of an end." Read: Life can turn on a dime.
    DeeEl1on September 09, 2009   Link
  • -1
    General Comment
    Bad Religiong just makes me even more content and satisfied to not be religious. I think that Christian punks are an Oxymoron.
    Madcappunkon August 27, 2002   Link
  • -1
    General Comment
    and so does god.. lol. I expected that to come from someone on these bad religion posts.
    neuroticon March 17, 2003   Link

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