You took a time bomb
And a case of crackers
And you made a maelstrom of organic debris.
Then you took a work bench
And a rusty anvil
And you polished them for everyone to see.
You have created an unhealthy monster,
Yet you're nowhere but nowhere to be found,
So I guess I'll just cope with my provisions
From now until the day they lay me down.
You took a baboon
And made him perfect,
You took a lion
And stripped him of his pride.
Then you took a million more varieties,
A scalpel and a sartory,
And you stitched up a horrible surprise.
You have created an unsocial monster
Yet you're searched for all over the globe,
And most believe that things would sure be better
If you'd come down here and tell us what you know.
Who is to blame for this?
Someone tell me please.
His handiwork is flawed
And it's there for all to see.
Mutations, aberrations and blatant anomalies,
They multiply and give rise to this... monstrosity.
You took the most abundant smallest bits of matter
And you instilled them with affinity,
And then you stratified accumulations,
Weeded out bad variations
Blended up your unique recipe.
You have created a powerful monster
With direction and purpose all its own,
And if you were here,
Would things be any different?
Or are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone?
Version | Length | Release | Catalog ID | Country | Format | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Album version | ||||||
2:28 | Generator | Europe | 12" | 2022 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Europe | 12" | 2022 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Europe | 12" | 2022 | ||
2:28 | Generator | United States | 12" | 2022 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Australia | 12" | 2022 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Germany | 12" | 2022 | ||
2:28 | Generator | United States | 12" | 2022 | ||
2:28 | Generator | United States | 12" | 2022 | ||
2:28 | Generator | United States | 12" | 2022 | ||
2:28 | Generator | United States | 12" | 2017 | ||
2:28 | Generator | E-86416-1 | 86416-1LIM | United States | 12" | 2014 | |
2:28 | Generator | E-86416-1 | 86416-1GRA | United States | 12" | 2014 | |
2:28 | Generator | United States | 12" | 2011 | ||
2:28 | Generator | E 86416-1 | United States | 12" | 2010 | |
2:28 | Generator | Russia | CD | 2007 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Australia | CD | 2004 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Brazil | CD | 2001 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Brazil | CD | 1999 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Brazil | CD | 1999 | ||
2:28 | Generator | ESCA-6111 | Japan | CD | 1995 | |
2:28 | Generator | E-86416-4 | United States | MC | 1992 | |
2:28 | Generator | United States | 12" | 1992 | ||
2:28 | Generator | United States | 12" | 1992 | ||
2:28 | Generator | E-86416-2 | United States | CD | 1992 | |
2:28 | Generator | E-6416-2 | Europe | CD | 1992 | |
2:28 | Generator | Canada | CD | 1992 | ||
2:28 | Generator | TJK 207 | Thailand | MC | 1992 | |
2:28 | Generator | Malaysia | MC | 1992 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Russia | MC | 1992 | ||
Remastered | ||||||
2:28 | Generator | United States | CD | 2004 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Europe | CD | 2004 | ||
2:28 | Generator | United States | CD | 2004 | ||
2:28 | Generator | Russia | CD | 2004 | ||
Not specified | ||||||
2:27 | Generator | 1738 | Poland | MC | 1992 |
HateRecipe
Incomplete
![]() ![]() Location: U.S. Status: Offline Posts: 1 |
Song Interpretation & Analysis
Chimaera (Greg Graffin, 1992) You (a creator deity) took a time bomb And a case of crackers And you made a maelstrom of organic debris. (a reference to the Big Bang) Then you took a work bench And a rusty anvil And you polished them for everyone to see. (Evolution. Rough starts, crude tools, getting better over time, hence the term “polished”.) You have created an unhealthy monster, (If we assign responsibility of man to a deity, the work is far from impressive. Anyone could’ve done better.) Yet you're nowhere but nowhere to be found, (For someone who’s supposed to care so much where the fuck are you?) So I guess I'll just cope with my provisions (All I got is all I got, you sure as fuck aren’t helping, so I’m just gonna have to make do.) From now until the day they lay me down. (This is permanent, I’m convinced you ain’t ever gonna show up.) You took a baboon And made him perfect, (The evolution of man from primates.) You took a lion And stripped him of his pride. (The lion isn’t a king, he’s a biological accident, and has no basis to consider itself special or privileged. The proud lion is also a veiled metaphor to Homo sapiens.) Then you took a million more varieties, A scalpel and a sartory, And you stitched up a horrible surprise. (If you, creator deity, did this, you’ve done some fuckered up shit.) You have created an unsocial monster (Man) Yet you're searched for all over the globe, (Everyone’s looking, no one’s finding shit) And most believe that things would sure be better If you'd come down here and tell us what you know. (Simple fools of a theistic bent, and people afraid of being alone, think if the “Great Mind” behind all of this took a holiday or working vacation here and explained it all, the reasoning, things would make sense, and might even improve.) Who is to blame for this? Someone tell me please. (Who do I point the finger at?) His handiwork is flawed And it's there for all to see. (This supposedly “perfect” “creation”, it’s screwed up, and that’s more than obvious to anyone willing to take an objective look around.) Mutations, aberrations and blatant anomalies, (The accidents and happenstances that drive biological evolution.) They multiply and give rise to this... monstrosity. (Man, and life in general.) You took the most abundant smallest bits of matter (Atoms. Adam’s Atoms?) And you instilled them with affinity, (Gave them meaning.) And then you stratified accumulations, Weeded out bad variations Blended up your unique recipe. (Evolution discarded the unnecessary and what didn’t work.) You have created a powerful monster (Man, unlike the impotent deity the song refers to.) With direction and purpose all its own, (He has created his own direction and purpose.) And if you were here, Would things be any different? (Could you really change anything?) Or are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone? (Or do you not exist and are nothing more than a composite of people’s thoughts and opinions?) 09/22/2020 at 16:23
Song Interpretation & Analysis
Chimaera (Greg Graffin, 1992) You (a creator deity) took a time bomb And a case of crackers And you made a maelstrom of organic debris. (a reference to the Big Bang) Then you took a work bench And a rusty anvil And you polished them for everyone to see. (Evolution. Rough starts, crude tools, getting better over time, hence the term “polished”.) You have created an unhealthy monster, (If we assign responsibility of man to a deity, the work is far from impressive. Anyone could’ve done better.) Yet you're nowhere but nowhere to be found, (For someone who’s supposed to care so much where the fuck are you?) So I guess I'll just cope with my provisions (All I got is all I got, you sure as fuck aren’t helping, so I’m just gonna have to make do.) From now until the day they lay me down. (This is permanent, I’m convinced you ain’t ever gonna show up.) You took a baboon And made him perfect, (The evolution of man from primates.) You took a lion And stripped him of his pride. (The lion isn’t a king, he’s a biological accident, and has no basis to consider itself special or privileged. The proud lion is also a veiled metaphor to Homo sapiens.) Then you took a million more varieties, A scalpel and a sartory, And you stitched up a horrible surprise. (If you, creator deity, did this, you’ve done some fuckered up shit.) You have created an unsocial monster (Man) Yet you're searched for all over the globe, (Everyone’s looking, no one’s finding shit) And most believe that things would sure be better If you'd come down here and tell us what you know. (Simple fools of a theistic bent, and people afraid of being alone, think if the “Great Mind” behind all of this took a holiday or working vacation here and explained it all, the reasoning, things would make sense, and might even improve.) Who is to blame for this? Someone tell me please. (Who do I point the finger at?) His handiwork is flawed And it's there for all to see. (This supposedly “perfect” “creation”, it’s screwed up, and that’s more than obvious to anyone willing to take an objective look around.) Mutations, aberrations and blatant anomalies, (The accidents and happenstances that drive biological evolution.) They multiply and give rise to this... monstrosity. (Man, and life in general.) You took the most abundant smallest bits of matter (Atoms. Adam’s Atoms?) And you instilled them with affinity, (Gave them meaning.) And then you stratified accumulations, Weeded out bad variations Blended up your unique recipe. (Evolution discarded the unnecessary and what didn’t work.) You have created a powerful monster (Man, unlike the impotent deity the song refers to.) With direction and purpose all its own, (He has created his own direction and purpose.) And if you were here, Would things be any different? (Could you really change anything?) Or are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone? (Or do you not exist and are nothing more than a composite of people’s thoughts and opinions?) |
Travis
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: United States |
I remember a guy saying he thought the song was about Watchmen, I don't think so, but it kinda made sense.
05/26/2017 at 21:58
I remember a guy saying he thought the song was about Watchmen, I don't think so, but it kinda made sense.
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SayYourPrayers
Billy Gnosis
![]() ![]() Location: Portland Status: Offline Posts: 1200 |
I have two similar takes on this. The first is the idea that there are so many explanations for species, and yet people still assert that a god is reponsible for species. The second is a comment on the idea of Intelligent Design, that god somehow created all these explanations for species, but we don't seem to not only find the god anywhere, but we also see that the human race is so flawed that any god claiming responsibility for it would surely be worthy of ridicule.
12/19/2011 at 13:31
I have two similar takes on this. The first is the idea that there are so many explanations for species, and yet people still assert that a god is reponsible for species. The second is a comment on the idea of Intelligent Design, that god somehow created all these explanations for species, but we don't seem to not only find the god anywhere, but we also see that the human race is so flawed that any god claiming responsibility for it would surely be worthy of ridicule.
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Ghost of Humanity
Lost Pilgrim
![]() ![]() Location: Washington D.C. Status: Offline Posts: 26 |
I think the songs title is a metaphor for God in Greg's eye. The term chimaera has also come to mean, more generally, an impossible or foolish fantasy, hard to believe.
IMO the inference that the song makes is that Creationist thinking is fundamentally flawed. It's a story that basically thumbs its nose at the notion of the existence of God. It's like really God made the Earth, the heavens and stars? The "maelstrom of organic debris" refers to how the universe started (see Big Bang theory). Now if God were able to do that and create man surely he would have done a better job. "you have created an unhealthy monster yet you're nowhere but nowhere to be found" As if to say look at how fucked up the planet & human race can be. We are a paltry example of what a all powerful being would create given our shortcomings as a species. And if God does exist surely he would have been much more careful in our creation or active in a world full of such pain & suffering. "who is to blame for this someone tell me please his handy work is flawed and it's there for all to see" Then he has a challenge for God at the end of the song, saying that mankind has now evolved in a manner that possibly wasn't intended. And if God is real maybe he could come do something about it. However, since God is a collection of stories and people's fear of the unknown there's nothing he can do! "you have created a powerful monster with a direction and purpose all its own and if you were here would things be any different or are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone? 11/10/2010 at 13:14
I think the songs title is a metaphor for God in Greg's eye. The term chimaera has also come to mean, more generally, an impossible or foolish fantasy, hard to believe.
IMO the inference that the song makes is that Creationist thinking is fundamentally flawed. It's a story that basically thumbs its nose at the notion of the existence of God. It's like really God made the Earth, the heavens and stars? The "maelstrom of organic debris" refers to how the universe started (see Big Bang theory). Now if God were able to do that and create man surely he would have done a better job. "you have created an unhealthy monster yet you're nowhere but nowhere to be found" As if to say look at how fucked up the planet & human race can be. We are a paltry example of what a all powerful being would create given our shortcomings as a species. And if God does exist surely he would have been much more careful in our creation or active in a world full of such pain & suffering. "who is to blame for this someone tell me please his handy work is flawed and it's there for all to see" Then he has a challenge for God at the end of the song, saying that mankind has now evolved in a manner that possibly wasn't intended. And if God is real maybe he could come do something about it. However, since God is a collection of stories and people's fear of the unknown there's nothing he can do! "you have created a powerful monster with a direction and purpose all its own and if you were here would things be any different or are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone? |
gordo7
Lost Pilgrim
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen Status: Offline Posts: 13 |
To me there are a number of very direct lines to show this song is about God, or more accurately, people's vision of their giant invisible cloud father, and making a mockery of it in a very stylish way.
This song is intended to show us that if god exists, he's made some poor errors in creating us. Why wouldn't he create something better?
"And most believe that things would sure be better, if you'd come down here and tell us what you know" - that would save us a whole bunch of angst.
"Weeded out bad variations" - good explanation for this crackpot theory of evolution.
"With direction and purpose all of its own" - Greg's reminding us that man has a direction of its own. Of our own. We are masters of our own destiny and we're not following anybody else's will. Greg says this despite the whole song playing out under the assumption god is real. He quickly follows this line with the question 'are you real?' ("just a mosaic of thoughts alone" - stylish)
08/01/2009 at 23:21
To me there are a number of very direct lines to show this song is about God, or more accurately, people's vision of their giant invisible cloud father, and making a mockery of it in a very stylish way.
This song is intended to show us that if god exists, he's made some poor errors in creating us. Why wouldn't he create something better? "And most believe that things would sure be better, if you'd come down here and tell us what you know" - that would save us a whole bunch of angst. "Weeded out bad variations" - good explanation for this crackpot theory of evolution. "With direction and purpose all of its own" - Greg's reminding us that man has a direction of its own. Of our own. We are masters of our own destiny and we're not following anybody else's will. Greg says this despite the whole song playing out under the assumption god is real. He quickly follows this line with the question 'are you real?' ("just a mosaic of thoughts alone" - stylish) |
nyarjo
Incomplete
![]() ![]() Location: Alaska Status: Offline Posts: 9 |
If any of you have read a good amount of Kurt Vonnegut, you will recognize this as an address to the anonymous Creator of the Universe. The message is "Well, whenever you are, you created a monster and gave it life. Awesome."
01/17/2009 at 21:48
If any of you have read a good amount of Kurt Vonnegut, you will recognize this as an address to the anonymous Creator of the Universe. The message is "Well, whenever you are, you created a monster and gave it life. Awesome."
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son of Stalin
Hippy Killer
![]() ![]() Location: look behind you Status: Offline Posts: 198 |
My take is that this is against all of those scientists playing god, making clones and splicing DNA, not stopping until they have gone too far.
"You have created a powerful monster / With direction and purpose all its own / And if you were here / Would things be any different? /Or are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone?" is obviously directed to god.
01/14/2009 at 16:43
My take is that this is against all of those scientists playing god, making clones and splicing DNA, not stopping until they have gone too far.
"You have created a powerful monster / With direction and purpose all its own / And if you were here / Would things be any different? /Or are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone?" is obviously directed to god. |
nropevolI
Infected
![]() ![]() Status: Offline Posts: 1635 |
I think this song is similar to the Frankenstein movie. It's like you take parts from different organisms and sew it together. And then you realize you've created a monster.
But then the monster is on the loose but the creator is nowhere to be found.
01/10/2009 at 07:43
I think this song is similar to the Frankenstein movie. It's like you take parts from different organisms and sew it together. And then you realize you've created a monster.
But then the monster is on the loose but the creator is nowhere to be found. |
Pepijn Flameng
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
This song is about God, wanted to make a perfect world, but he just creates a horrible monster (the human). Man doesn't listen to God; he has a will of his own. God's recipe for perfection has a negative effect on mankind; they start to wonder if God even exists.
12/11/2004 at 20:38
This song is about God, wanted to make a perfect world, but he just creates a horrible monster (the human). Man doesn't listen to God; he has a will of his own. God's recipe for perfection has a negative effect on mankind; they start to wonder if God even exists.
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McDeus
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
A "Chimaera" is an organism produced through an artificial combination of genes. While surely the song is meant to address God, (come down here, etc.) there are multiple allusions to parallels between the act of God creating the world and the act of a human creating or altering an organism through manipulation of its genes.
07/11/2004 at 17:01
A "Chimaera" is an organism produced through an artificial combination of genes. While surely the song is meant to address God, (come down here, etc.) there are multiple allusions to parallels between the act of God creating the world and the act of a human creating or altering an organism through manipulation of its genes.
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Tinusch
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
This is a direct criticism to God. He points out all the flaws in God's creations, wonders why he doesn't come down and make everything right, and even challenges whether or not God exists or if he's just 'composed of empty thoughts.'
07/11/2004 at 17:01
This is a direct criticism to God. He points out all the flaws in God's creations, wonders why he doesn't come down and make everything right, and even challenges whether or not God exists or if he's just 'composed of empty thoughts.'
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Hell Gopher
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
A couple of different interpretations of my own:
- the "case of crackers" could be firecrackers (US word for fireworks) which combine with the time bomb to form the big bang.
-In my opinion, "you took a baboon, and made him perfect, you took a lion and stripped him of his pride" might refer to humans having the intelligence of a baboon and the ferocity/brutality of a lion (without the latter's honor - the 'pride', which means the social structure of the lion as well as the obvious meaning).
- "you took the most abundant smallest bits of matter, and you instilled them with affinity" I believe this line refers to chemical bonding.
07/11/2004 at 17:00
A couple of different interpretations of my own:
- the "case of crackers" could be firecrackers (US word for fireworks) which combine with the time bomb to form the big bang. -In my opinion, "you took a baboon, and made him perfect, you took a lion and stripped him of his pride" might refer to humans having the intelligence of a baboon and the ferocity/brutality of a lion (without the latter's honor - the 'pride', which means the social structure of the lion as well as the obvious meaning). - "you took the most abundant smallest bits of matter, and you instilled them with affinity" I believe this line refers to chemical bonding. |
Andrew
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
I think that Chimeara is about God (or a God) who has created the human race. It's saying that he's created us (and we're a horrible mistake and an amalgam of things that shouldn't be) and now we don't even know if he exists, "you have created an unhealthy monster, but you're nowhere to be found." Then it's about how people (religious people at least) believe if God was on Earth and he showed us how to live then everything would be better ("if you'd come down here and show us what you know"). Then at the end it questions Gods existence with 'are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone'.
07/11/2004 at 17:00
I think that Chimeara is about God (or a God) who has created the human race. It's saying that he's created us (and we're a horrible mistake and an amalgam of things that shouldn't be) and now we don't even know if he exists, "you have created an unhealthy monster, but you're nowhere to be found." Then it's about how people (religious people at least) believe if God was on Earth and he showed us how to live then everything would be better ("if you'd come down here and show us what you know"). Then at the end it questions Gods existence with 'are you just a mosaic of thoughts alone'.
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Excedera
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
It's about people playing god: "you took a baboon and made him perfect, you took a lion and stripped him of his pride." Everything we eat has been modified in some way. Livestock are injected, pets are perfected, whether it's genetic or through a selective process 'man' -humans have had an impact on many other (apparent) species. Also having to do with a god-type figure who is just a 'mosaic of thoughts alone' somehow approving all our moves.
07/11/2004 at 17:00
It's about people playing god: "you took a baboon and made him perfect, you took a lion and stripped him of his pride." Everything we eat has been modified in some way. Livestock are injected, pets are perfected, whether it's genetic or through a selective process 'man' -humans have had an impact on many other (apparent) species. Also having to do with a god-type figure who is just a 'mosaic of thoughts alone' somehow approving all our moves.
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