Los Angeles Is Burning

"Los Angeles Is Burning"
Single by Bad Religion
from the album The Empire Strikes First
Released 2004
Format CD
Recorded November 2003 - February 2004 at Sound City in Los Angeles, California
Genre Punk rock, pop punk
Length 3:23
Label Epitaph Records
Writer(s) Brett Gurewitz
Producer Brett Gurewitz
Greg Graffin
Bad Religion singles chronology
"The Defense" "Los Angeles Is Burning" "The Empire Strikes First"

"Los Angeles Is Burning" is the first single by punk band Bad Religion from their 2004 album The Empire Strikes First. The song reached number 40 on the Modern Rock Tracks in July 2004.[1]

Contents

Meaning and composition

According to bassist Jay Bentley, the lyrics argue that the media is sensationalistic. The music video features men with cameras replacing their heads firing flame into the animated landscape of Los Angeles. It was written at a time when there was a major fire nearby, but Bentley makes clear that the song was using the fire as a metaphor.

Music video

The music video is shot in cut-out animation and depicts a guy in a track singlet and shorts with a Crossbuster (Bad Religion's logo which features a black cross with a red prohibition sign over it) on it running through an apocalyptic Los Angeles. People with cameras replacing their heads shoot fire out their mouths. Frontman Greg Graffin plays a psychotic newsreporter which reads messages like "We're not trying to brainwash you". In the end the entire city goes up in flames.

Trivia

Charts

Chart (2004) Peak
position
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 40
UK Singles Chart 67

References

  1. ^ Billboard
  2. ^ (2004) Album notes for The Empire Strikes First by Bad Religion [liner notes]. US: Epitaph Records (86694).