Have you been to the desert?
Have you walked with the dead?
There's a hundred thousand children being killed for their bread

And the figures don't lie they speak of human disease
But we do what we want and we think what we please

Have you lived the experience?
Have you witnessed the plague?
People making babies sometimes just to escape
In this land of competition the compassion is gone
Yet we ignore the needy and we keep pushing on
Keep pushing on

This is just a punk rock song
Written for the people who can see something's wrong
Like ants in a colony we do our share
But there's so many other fuckin' insects out there
And this is just a punk rock song

Have you visited the quagmire?
Have you swam in the shit?
The party convention and the real politic
The faces always different, the rhetoric the same
But we swallow it all, and we see nothing change
Nothing has changed

This is just a punk rock song
Written for the people who can see something's wrong
Like workers in a factory we do our share
But there's so many other fuckin' robots out there
And this is just a punk rock song

Ten million dollars on a losing campaign
Twenty million starving and writhing in pain
Big strong people unwilling to give
Small in vision and perspective
One in five kids below the poverty line
One population runnin' out of time
Runnin' out of time

This is just a punk rock song
Written for the people who can see something's wrong
Like ants in a colony we do our share
But there's so many other fuckin' insects out there
And this is just a punk rock song

These figures don't lie they speak of human disease
But we do what we want and we think what we please
One in five kids below the poverty line
One population runnin' out of time
This is just a punk rock song
This is just a punk rock song
This is just a punk rock song


Lyrics submitted by NtoTheDrk

Punk Rock Song Lyrics as written by Greg Graffin

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Punk Rock Song song meanings
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38 Comments

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  • +2
    My Interpretation

    People go on with their lives doing what they can. Unfortunatley, many fall victim to the oratory of the political elite, putting their faith in them. But are the politicians goals and objectives really aligned with what the people need? Look at how they spend (read: waste) enormous amounts of money on events/programs/things used to garner enough support to be re-elected ($10 million on a losing campaign), or worse...programs/entities used to maintain control of the people and ensure they stay in power (war on drugs, department of homeland security, FBI, CIA, NSA, etc, etc).

    But what does Bad Religion know...it's just a punk rock song.

    Demagogueon October 12, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Funny how this song suddenly became so relevant.

    ryan115057on May 18, 2016   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i think that the "this is just a punk rock song" means that this is their attempt to make people realize the injustice and greed in the world, and at the same time an attempt to change the world, but they know that's it's kind of futile, hence the "This is just a punk rock song Written for the people who can see something's wrong Like workers in a company we do our share "

    means like we know it's not enough but at least we're trying.

    rideonlythelabelon February 06, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This excellent Bad Religion song is a tool, which is used to make people in developed countries realize all the problems in the world, which they are not facing and hopefully make them more aware in global issues and contribute to solving these problems.

    "This is just a punk rock song, written for the people that can see something's wrong." This song is written for people and the only people that will get in are ones who aren't too ignorant to realize the world has big issues, which need to be solved.

    River Wolfon August 28, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Too me, this song seems to mean something different to what most of you see it as. Looking at the lyrics in depth, I don't see the chorus as anything to do with it being "Just a punk rock song", but they're attempt to share their views with those who actually give a shit.

    I see the chorus at them saying that it is just a song, not a solution, but they have wrote it to encourage people to find a solution.

    The problem, I think is the Greed and suffering in the world ("One in five kids below the poverty line") and how people can so easily turn a blind eye to it (And the figures don't lie they speak of human disease, But we do what we want and we think what we please).

    An amazing song, and is incredibly moving, which would be unusual to find in todays over publicized punk bands (I'm looking at bands like Sum41).

    Cyanicon November 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song says a lot about the way we live. I like the song, but it is kinda depressing

    NtoTheDrkon April 26, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is about the truth in the american society.

    kapinnnon May 10, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It cant be more true than this

    HyoCHANon May 31, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song is very true to how we live. it is sad and depressing but its how f***ked up the world is

    casualtie14on June 07, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Ten million dollars on a losing campaign Twenty million starving and writhing in pain

    i really like those two lines

    dead_kennedyson June 19, 2002   Link

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