Death and the shadow that it casts on life scares me little or none.
People tell me of a divine right and the happy chosen one.
I'm a freak 'cause my morals clash with others in the world.
I go home while they work hard, then they say I'm wrong.
There's only one place to be, while living with tragedy.
If their sins affected me, I gotta be damned to be free.
Freedom is responsibility, pay more than it's worth.
Instincts tells us not to die, hazy myth since birth.
Learn their rules, play their game, deceive yourself in haste.
Turn your own brain into dust; it's not theirs to waste.
There's only one place to be, while living with tragedy.
Extract the nectar, burn the tree, I gotta be damned to be free.
Thinking... This world it ain't so bad.
Dying... It's just another fad.
Working... 8 hours, that's not for me.
Dying... It's just your destiny.
Version | Length | Release | Catalog ID | Country | Format | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Album version | ||||||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Canada | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United Kingdom | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Australia | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Europe | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Europe | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Germany | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Europe | 12" | 2022 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | 12" | 2017 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | E-86407-1 / 86407-1GRY | United States | 12" | 2014 | ||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | E-86407-1 // JBGPN0JZ | United States | 12" | 2010 | ||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | E-86407-1 | United States | 12" | 2009 | ||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | E-86407-1 | United States | 12" | 2009 | ||
2:03 | 80-85 | 1309083-1 | Brazil | CD | 1997 | |
2:03 | 80-85 | E-6407-2 | Europe | CD | 1997 | |
2:03 | 80-85 | E-6407-2 | Israel | CD | 1997 | |
2:03 | 80-85 | 6391-2 (E-86407-2 listed in booklet) | Brazil | CD | 1997 | |
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | 86407-4 | Poland | MC | 1996 | ||
2:03 | 80-85 | Japan | CD | 1995 | ||
2:03 | 80-85 | ESCA 6142 | Japan | CD | 1995 | |
2:03 | 80-85 | 2-3024 | Argentina | CD | 1995 | |
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | EPI-BRLP 1 | United States | 12" | 1994 | ||
2:03 | 80-85 | Poland | MC | 1992 | ||
2:03 | 80-85 | Poland | MC | 1992 | ||
2:03 | 80-85 | N/A | Russia | MC | 1991 | |
2:03 | 80-85 | TJK 204 | Thailand | MC | 1991 | |
2:03 | 80-85 | 1133 | Russia | MC | 1991 | |
2:03 | 80-85 | E-86407-2 | Australia | CD | 1991 | |
2:03 | 80-85 | E-6407-2 | Europe | CD | 1991 | |
2:03 | 80-85 | United States | CD | 1990 | ||
2:03 | 80-85 | Indonesia | MC | 1990 | ||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | E-86407-4 | United States | MC | 1988 | ||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | E-86407-1 | United States | 12" | 1988 | ||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | E-86407-1 | United States | 12" | 1988 | ||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | 12" | 1986 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | EPI-BRLP 1 | United States | 12" | 1985 | ||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | 12" | 1982 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Russia | MC | 1982 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | EPC-BR 1 | United States | MC | 1982 | ||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | 12" | 1982 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | 12" | 1982 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | 12" | 1982 | |||
Live | ||||||
The Best of Flipside Video Vol 1: Bad Religion, Circle Jerks, Dickies, Weirdos | FSDVD-0001 | United States | DVD | 2001 | ||
The Best of Flipside Video #1 | United States | VHS | 1995 | |||
Live video | ||||||
The Riot | Brazil | DVD | 2019 | |||
The Riot | Unknown | Argentina | DVD | 2014 | ||
The Riot | K0012 | AA0015000 | Brazil | DVD | 2014 | ||
Sex Pistols and Bad Religion Split | Argentina | DVD | 2010 | |||
The Riot | DR-4530 | United States | DVD | 2009 | ||
The Riot | DR-4530 | United States | DVD | 2006 | ||
The Riot | DAVID0267 | Australia | DVD | 2000 | ||
The Riot | DR-4315 | United States | DVD | 2000 | ||
The Riot | DR-4135 | United States | DVD | 1996 | ||
The Riot | n/a | United States | VHS | 1996 | ||
Live video, August 1989 | ||||||
Along The Way | 6414-9 | Europe | DVD | 2004 | ||
Along The Way | 86414-9 | United States | DVD | 2004 | ||
Along The Way | E86414-3 | United States | VHS | 1991 | ||
Along The Way | n/a | Germany | VHS | 1990 | ||
Remastered | ||||||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Europe | CD | 2004 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | CD | 2004 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Japan | CD | 2004 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Australia | CD | 2004 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Japan | CD | 2004 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | United States | CD | 2004 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Indonesia | CD | 2004 | |||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | 99998-2 | United States | CD | 2004 | ||
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Russia | CD | 2004 | |||
Not specified | ||||||
Brainkiller (U.S. Punk '77-'83) | Spain | MC | 1996 |
Smertios
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
Jean-Paul Sarte once wrote that "Man is condemned to be free". I beleive that this is the what the song is talking about. While it specifically names the ways in which the singer is different, the basic thesis of the song does not differ greatly from that of Sarte.
Sarte, too, took a bleak outlook on the meaning of human life, and would not have been out of place declaring that we were only going to die. Sarte said that because there was no God, each person was left to decide on their own moral code, but that this was a cost, not a benefit, as it meant making a great effort. Similarly, the line: "Freedom is responsibility, pay more than it's worth." seems to be about the cost of having self-determination. 09/30/2006 at 07:12
Jean-Paul Sarte once wrote that "Man is condemned to be free". I beleive that this is the what the song is talking about. While it specifically names the ways in which the singer is different, the basic thesis of the song does not differ greatly from that of Sarte.
Sarte, too, took a bleak outlook on the meaning of human life, and would not have been out of place declaring that we were only going to die. Sarte said that because there was no God, each person was left to decide on their own moral code, but that this was a cost, not a benefit, as it meant making a great effort. Similarly, the line: "Freedom is responsibility, pay more than it's worth." seems to be about the cost of having self-determination. |
justin
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
this one is more simple then most ive tried, :damned to be free " referrs to the freedom of worship or of action in society as being a socially damning action od lifestyle, you are looked at and jugded by what people know and what you do, you have to damn yourself in the eyes of others to truly aquire personal freedom. and as far as the "extract the nectar burn the tree" i have to theories, 1 being that people drain the goodness or life out of anything for the pleasure that "" brings freedom, for freedom is often mistaken for as pleasure, the other being the act of freedom is taking the nectar out of society which would be the tree, the song also speaks of how death casts a gloomy shadow over life and if you truly want uninhibited action in this world you are forsaken by religion
09/05/2005 at 07:25
this one is more simple then most ive tried, :damned to be free " referrs to the freedom of worship or of action in society as being a socially damning action od lifestyle, you are looked at and jugded by what people know and what you do, you have to damn yourself in the eyes of others to truly aquire personal freedom. and as far as the "extract the nectar burn the tree" i have to theories, 1 being that people drain the goodness or life out of anything for the pleasure that "" brings freedom, for freedom is often mistaken for as pleasure, the other being the act of freedom is taking the nectar out of society which would be the tree, the song also speaks of how death casts a gloomy shadow over life and if you truly want uninhibited action in this world you are forsaken by religion
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Billy Pilgrim
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
The song title and the scheme is from philosophist Sartre's phrase "Man is damned to be free". According to Sartre, God doesn't exist, so existent (=us) must create existence "freely" (no help from God, because there isn't one, and so on..)
05/10/2005 at 19:27
The song title and the scheme is from philosophist Sartre's phrase "Man is damned to be free". According to Sartre, God doesn't exist, so existent (=us) must create existence "freely" (no help from God, because there isn't one, and so on..)
|
Tx Aggie BR Fan
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
In my humble opinion, I think it is a kind of defense for a bohemian lifestyle in the face of the irrationality of society. It justifies not being productive "I go home and they work hard" and getting fucked up "extract the nectar, burn the tree" given the unfriendly atmosphere the subject is in.
They don't want to be there necessarily, they are just "damned to be free," free from the bounds of the unjust society, even if that includes things we would normally think of as responsibilities. It is obvious the subject doesn't agree with the morality of the present society, so it is better for him/her to withdraw as to not be corrupted by it. It is like Plato's analogy of the cave, in that the person who has received knowledge of what is above, is mocked and thought wicked among those who have been in the darkness. I think in this song they are saying in situations of like this it is better to withdraw than to contend with shadows. 07/15/2004 at 07:47
In my humble opinion, I think it is a kind of defense for a bohemian lifestyle in the face of the irrationality of society. It justifies not being productive "I go home and they work hard" and getting fucked up "extract the nectar, burn the tree" given the unfriendly atmosphere the subject is in.
They don't want to be there necessarily, they are just "damned to be free," free from the bounds of the unjust society, even if that includes things we would normally think of as responsibilities. It is obvious the subject doesn't agree with the morality of the present society, so it is better for him/her to withdraw as to not be corrupted by it. It is like Plato's analogy of the cave, in that the person who has received knowledge of what is above, is mocked and thought wicked among those who have been in the darkness. I think in this song they are saying in situations of like this it is better to withdraw than to contend with shadows. |
Son Of A Bitch
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
From the title, it seems like another blatant political BR song, but I believe it is more about personal politics, and how people represent themselves. To me, this song is about believing in something, seeing it through and not changing your mind to please the majority. Instead of trying to convert everyone to a one-way point of view, we should accept difference, because no matter who's right and who's wrong, 'Dyin'...it's just your destiny.'
07/11/2004 at 11:22
From the title, it seems like another blatant political BR song, but I believe it is more about personal politics, and how people represent themselves. To me, this song is about believing in something, seeing it through and not changing your mind to please the majority. Instead of trying to convert everyone to a one-way point of view, we should accept difference, because no matter who's right and who's wrong, 'Dyin'...it's just your destiny.'
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