Song · Bad Religion
“American Jesus” by Bad Religion
From the album Recipe for Hate (1993)
“American Jesus” by Bad Religion appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 2002 and 2023. It was first released in 1993 on the album Recipe for Hate. Its best result is #575 on The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #4,920 alternative song of all time.
Watch
Video from YouTube (Epitaph Records). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"American Jesus" led off the singles from Bad Religion's 1993 album Recipe for Hate, released on Atlantic, and it takes dead aim at the notion that God has picked America as a favorite. Greg Graffin traced it to George Bush claiming divine backing during the Gulf War; he and Brett Gurewitz wrote it, and it drags war, antisemitism and religion-as-alibi into the crosshairs.
Graffin sings lead over the electric guitars of Gurewitz and Greg Hetson, with Jay Bentley on bass and Bobby Schayer on drums, and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam slips in on backing vocals. The sepia-toned video sends the band cruising Los Angeles past blindfolded pedestrians hauling crosses, cut with shots of them playing out in the desert.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 721 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2023 | 575 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s | 893 |
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "American Jesus" by Bad Religion.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.