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Bad Religion - American Jesus

Music Video
ArtistBad Religion
SongAmerican Jesus
DirectorGore Verbinski
GenreRock
IntroNo
OutroNo
Sound MixStereo
Technical Specificationscolour - format unknown

Wiki

Synopsis

Shot in sepia, the video follows Bad Religion as they move through Los Angeles and perform amid stark desert scenery. Around the city, blindfolded pedestrians carry oversized crosses, turning familiar religious imagery into a surreal display of obedience and nationalism. Greg Graffin also walks through the streets as the band drives around town. The closing image gathers the participants into a line chanting "one nation, under God," reinforcing the song's attack on patriotic certainty and the idea of a nation claiming divine approval.

Factoids & Trivia

  • The video was made in 1993 on a tiny budget using a guerrilla-style approach, Super 8 film, and no location permits.
  • Friends of the band and Epitaph employees served as the extras. The large hand-painted crosses were made from styrofoam in the Epitaph warehouse.
  • The desert sequences were filmed at Red Rock Canyon State Park, approximately two hours from Los Angeles.
  • The song critiques religious nationalism and the belief that God favors the United States. Greg Graffin connected its theme to George H. W. Bush's Gulf War-era claim that God was on America's side.
  • Eddie Vedder contributed backing vocals to the studio recording.
  • The song later received exposure through ESPN2's Winter X Games and MTV's Extreme Beach Competition, where the opening was used as background music.

Lyrics

i don't need to be a global citizen
because i'm blessed by nationality
i'm member of a growing populace
we enforce our popularity
there are things that
seem to pull us under
and there are things
that drag us down
but there's a power
and a vital presence
thats lurking all around
we've got the american Jesus
see him on the interstate
...
© Bad Religion - American Jesus. This is an excerpt, provided as citation under fair-use.
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