The members of the band were raised in Bayonne, a city on the south west coast of France (French Basque Country). The surrounding scenic countryside and rugged coastline inspired Gojira's interest in nature and the earth. Gojira uses its lyrics to spread its spiritual beliefs and concerns for the environment.

The title for Gojira's album The Way of All Flesh was taken from a novel with the same title written by Samuel Butler

"Gojira" is the Japanese and original version of Godzilla, a gigantic fictional Japanese dinosaur and a portmanteau of the Japanese words gorira (ゴリラ, "gorilla") and kujira (鯨クジラ, "whale").