Part IV (The Index Fossil)

"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."

   -Andrew

"I couldn't agree with you more in fact I heard a quote from Greg Graffin saying this, but I'd like to add a little more. 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."

   -Skeptic

"Its gives an incredible perspective into the future; even if the human species doesn't eradicate itself off the face of the planet our generation now will inevitably become fossils that will possibly be uprooted by generations very, very far into the future, or by aliens who colonize the planet, and they'll find our fossils and think: 'shit what in the universe went wrong with these life-forms???'

   -Pej

"'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."

   -Martina B.

"Aan index fossil is a species that survived only a few million years and became extinct, Greg G: '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 3 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"

   -Xemetery