Part IV (The Index Fossil)

Join discussions about this song in our Group on Facebook

Details

Written by:	Greg Graffin
Released in:	1988
BPM:	142

Lyrics

Got your own interpretation of these lyrics? Scroll down and share it!

We're widespread and well fed,
The earth's rotating fate is in our head, oh yeah.
We're dominant and prominent,
And all our deities omnipotent, oh yeah.

And immortality is in our mastermind,
And we destroy everything we can find.
And tomorrow when the human clock stops and the world stops ticking,
We'll be an index fossil buried in our own debris.

We're listless, promiscuous,
And life to us is either hit or miss, oh yeah.
We're savoir faire and debonaire
And things we do are done with pride and care, oh yeah.

And immortality is in our mastermind,
And we destroy everything that we find.
And tomorrow when the human clock stops and the world stops ticking,
We'll be an index fossil buried in our own debris.

See, immortality is in our mastermind,
And we destroy everything that we find.
And tomorrow when the human clock stops and the world stops ticking,
We'll be an index fossil buried in our own debris.
In our own debris.

Versions

Version	Length	Release	Catalog ID	Country	Format	Year
Album version
	2:02	Suffer		United States	12"	2022
	2:02	Stranger Than Fiction		United States	12"	2021
	2:02	Stranger Than Fiction		United States	12"	2021
	2:02	Suffer		United States	12"	2019
	2:02	Suffer		Europe	12"	2018
	2:02	Suffer		Europe	12"	2018
	2:02	Suffer	86404-1TGN	United States	12"	2015
	2:02	Suffer	E-86404	United States	12"	2010
	2:02	Suffer	E-86404	United States	12"	2009
	2:02	Suffer		Russia	CD	2007
	2:02	Suffer	JBR 26167-071	Malaysia	MC	2002
	2:02	Suffer	ESCA-6153	Japan	CD	1995
	2:02	Suffer	86404 \| S-29118/19	United States	12"	1994
	2:02	Suffer		United States	12"	1994
	2:02	Suffer		United States	12"	1994
	2:02	Suffer		United States	12"	1989
	2:02	Suffer	E-86404-4	United States	MC	1988
	2:02	Suffer	E-86404	United States	MC	1988
	2:02	Suffer		United States	12"	1988
	2:02	Suffer	E-86404-2	United States	CD	1988
	2:02	Suffer		United States	CD	1988
	2:02	Suffer	337	Poland	MC	1988
	2:02	Suffer	1136	Russia	MC	1988
	2:02	Suffer		Indonesia	MC	1988
	2:02	Suffer	N/A	Russia	MC	1988
	2:02	Suffer		Australia	CD	1988
Remastered
	2:02	Suffer	601	Yugoslavia	MC	2019
	2:02	Suffer		Europe	CD	2004
	2:02	Suffer		United States	CD	2004
	2:02	Suffer		Australia	CD	2004
	2:02	Suffer		Brazil	12"	2004
	2:02	Suffer	6390-2	Brazil	CD	2000
*Not specified*
	2:02	Suffer	E-6404-2	Europe	CD	1988

Info from 'The Answer'

No information found

Add a song interpretation

Interpretations can be personal and do not have to be consistent with the song writer's original intention. Please use (good) arguments so others can understand your view on this song. Simply saying you agree with someone else is not considered an interpretation and those posts will therefore be deleted. Any other discussions can be continued in our forum.

You don't have to be logged in to add song interpretations. However, to prevent impersonation it is recommended.
Click here to log in or register.

*Name:**
*Country:**
*Anti-spam question:**	What's the name of the band to which this site is dedicated?

Comment:

Song interpretations (6)

Andy Guest Location: Global Citizen	Quote About the definition of "index fossil": an index fossil is a fossil that is characteristic for a special period of time. It's used to tell the age of the surrounding layers of rock/soil/sediment. But -and that might be important for the song: an index fossil is found in great numbers. Only because it is found in great numbers it is possible to use it as a standard age-classification method. A classic index fossil is the trilobite. Homo Sapiens as the dominant species on earth, will be a very good index fossil. 09/19/2005 at 23:14 About the definition of "index fossil": an index fossil is a fossil that is characteristic for a special period of time. It's used to tell the age of the surrounding layers of rock/soil/sediment. But -and that might be important for the song: an index fossil is found in great numbers. Only because it is found in great numbers it is possible to use it as a standard age-classification method. A classic index fossil is the trilobite. Homo Sapiens as the dominant species on earth, will be a very good index fossil.
xemetery Incomplete Location: Northern Ireland Status: Offline Posts: 0	Quote An index fossil is a species that survived only a few million years and became extinct, Greg Graffin: [i]"Mankind will make a perfect index fossil because we have only been around for about 2 million years. We could still persist for another few hundred thousand years and still be considered a great index fossil."[/i] An index fossil is useful to geologists, because if you find one, then you'll know the age of the soil this song is what comes after "Part III", world war 3 which equals extinction and death to everybody, in "Part III" it says "the final war it can't be won and kills the human race, a show of brutal ignorance, man's quest for dominance" so that's what I think this song is about, the fact that mankind is extinct. 07/11/2004 at 11:46 An index fossil is a species that survived only a few million years and became extinct, Greg Graffin: "Mankind will make a perfect index fossil because we have only been around for about 2 million years. We could still persist for another few hundred thousand years and still be considered a great index fossil." An index fossil is useful to geologists, because if you find one, then you'll know the age of the soil this song is what comes after "Part III", world war 3 which equals extinction and death to everybody, in "Part III" it says "the final war it can't be won and kills the human race, a show of brutal ignorance, man's quest for dominance" so that's what I think this song is about, the fact that mankind is extinct.
Martina B. Guest Location: Global Citizen	Quote "Index Fossil" portrays the carelessness of human beings. This song tells it all: "We're listless, promiscuous, and life to us is hit-or-miss." This is because we are too concerned with materialistic things rather than our natural environs and resources. In other words: "Production and consumption define our...lives." The second 'part' of 'Index Fossil' is that if this does not cease, our demise as Homo Sapiens will be quicker than expected. "And tomorrow when the human clock stops and the world stops ticking, we'll be an index fossil buried in our own debris." 07/11/2004 at 11:46 "Index Fossil" portrays the carelessness of human beings. This song tells it all: "We're listless, promiscuous, and life to us is hit-or-miss." This is because we are too concerned with materialistic things rather than our natural environs and resources. In other words: "Production and consumption define our...lives." The second 'part' of 'Index Fossil' is that if this does not cease, our demise as Homo Sapiens will be quicker than expected. "And tomorrow when the human clock stops and the world stops ticking, we'll be an index fossil buried in our own debris."
Pej Guest Location: Global Citizen	Quote It gives an incredible perspective into the future; even if the human species doesn't eradicate itself off the face of the planet, our generation will inevitably become fossils that will possibly be uprooted by generations very far into the future who'll find our fossils and think: 'shit what in the universe went wrong with these life-forms? 07/11/2004 at 11:46 It gives an incredible perspective into the future; even if the human species doesn't eradicate itself off the face of the planet, our generation will inevitably become fossils that will possibly be uprooted by generations very far into the future who'll find our fossils and think: 'shit what in the universe went wrong with these life-forms?
Skeptic Guest Location: Global Citizen	Quote An index fossil is a known species from a certain period of time they only go back so far the human race even if it persisted for another 100,000 years would still only be considered a great index fossil. So what he is saying is he seriously doubts that we will live past the time where we couldn't really be index fossils. 07/11/2004 at 11:46 An index fossil is a known species from a certain period of time they only go back so far the human race even if it persisted for another 100,000 years would still only be considered a great index fossil. So what he is saying is he seriously doubts that we will live past the time where we couldn't really be index fossils.
Andrew Guest Location: Global Citizen	Quote This is the follow on from "Part III". That song was about the destruction of the human race and this one is about what's left behind. An index fossil a fossil that is characteristic of a specific geological period and are used for dating rocks. So I think that the song is saying that after the final war, all the human race will be is a fossil that could be used to show how old rocks are and we will mean nothing more than that to anyone else on the planet. Also, it says this will be our own fault since we'll be buried in 'our own debris' meaning we brought all of this upon ourselves. 07/11/2004 at 11:45 This is the follow on from "Part III". That song was about the destruction of the human race and this one is about what's left behind. An index fossil a fossil that is characteristic of a specific geological period and are used for dating rocks. So I think that the song is saying that after the final war, all the human race will be is a fossil that could be used to show how old rocks are and we will mean nothing more than that to anyone else on the planet. Also, it says this will be our own fault since we'll be buried in 'our own debris' meaning we brought all of this upon ourselves.