 Genius Meanings
|
|
Green Day – American Idiot
|
|
Starting off the album with a bang, “American Idiot” is a scathing takedown of American culture in the years following 9/11. Released as the first single from the album, it has
|
|
Green Day – Wake Me Up When September Ends
|
|
“Wake Me Up When September Ends” is the only song on American Idiot that has no direct connection to the album’s story arc.
Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong wrote this
|
|
Green Day – Holiday
|
|
“Holiday” is an anti-war anthem that criticizes America’s war on Iraq, while at the same time reflecting and building up American Idiot’s main character. The track continues the
|
|
Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams
|
|
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” sees the album’s main character, the Jesus of Suburbia, aimlessly roaming the city’s streets with nothing to do and nowhere to go. After leaving his
|
|
|
Green Day – She's a Rebel
|
|
“She’s a Rebel” introduces a new character in the American Idiot story arc: Whatsername. Here, Jesus of Suburbia meets this free-spirited, rebellious woman who he falls in love
|
|
Green Day – Basket Case
|
|
“Basket Case” spent five weeks at the top of the Modern Rock Tracks chart, becoming arguably Green Day’s signature song of the pre-American Idiot days.
It’s about Billie Joe
|
|
|
Green Day – Homecoming
|
|
The climax of the rock opera. Jesus decides to return home. This song has whole pieces written by each of the current members of the band: Billie Joe Armstrong (“The Death Of St
|
|
Green Day – Jesus of Suburbia
|
|
“American Idiot” introduced the concept of an post 9/11 America in Green Day’s eyes, and this song present’s the album’s main character Jesus of Suburbia. Jesus of Suburbia is a
|
|
Green Day (Ft. Christina Sajous, The Company, John Gallagher Jr., Mary Faber, Michael Esper, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Stark Sands & Tony Vincent) – American Idiot (Broadway)
|
|
The youths in this musical are frustrated with their less-than-satisfactory suburban lives in Jingletown, U.S.A. They’re angry with the media that’s been shoved down their throats
|
|
Green Day – American Idiot (Radio Edit)
|
|
[Verse 1] / Don't wanna be an American idiot / Don't want a nation under the new media / And can you hear the sound of hysteria? / The subliminal mind [____] America / [Chorus
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. John Gallagher Jr.) – When It's Time (Broadway)
|
|
This song is about realizing that you are falling in love someone, and when is the right time to tell them you love them. It is a heartfelt song that Johnny sings to a sleeping
|
|
Green Day – American Idiot(Live At Montreal,QC)
|
|
[Verse 1: Crowd] / Don't wanna be an American idiot / Don't want a nation under the new media / And can you hear the sound of hysteria? / The subliminal mind-fuck America / [Chorus
|
|
|
Green Day – Letterbomb
|
|
“Letterbomb” is presented by Whatsername, which is apparent in the Broadway adaptation of the album. In the track, Jesus of Suburbia and Whatsername’s romance has ended; she left
|
|
|
Green Day – St. Jimmy
|
|
“St. Jimmy” abruptly cuts the previous song “Are We the Waiting”; it shows how Jesus of Suburbia has officially gone off the deep end. In his loneliness, Jesus of Suburbia now
|
|
Green Day – American Idiot - Live at Milton Keynes National Bowl, Milton Keynes, England, 6/18/05
|
|
[Verse 1] / Don't wanna be an American idiot / Don't want a nation under the new mania / And can you hear the sound of hysteria? / The subliminal mind-fuck America (Alright!) / [
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. Alysha Umphress, Christina Sajous, Joshua Henry, Leslie McDonel, Libby Winters & Mary Faber) – Favorite Son (Broadway)
|
|
Tunny is unsure of what to do or where to go in the city, so he turns on the T.V. and sees this ad for the army.
|
|
Green Day – Favorite Son
|
|
This song is about George W. Bush. Blessed with his father’s name, he won his first election partially because people thought “his father was okay, maybe he’ll cope too”.
|
|
|
Green Day – Give Me Novacaine
|
|
“Give Me Novacaine” is about Jesus of Suburbia wanting to take drugs to relieve stress from his life and asking for reassurance from his alter ego St. Jimmy.
The instrumentality
|
|
Green Day – Governator
|
|
This B-side from the “American Idiot” single (also included as a bonus track on digital editions of the American Idiot album) is clearly about Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous
|
|
Green Day – Shoplifter
|
|
“Shoplifter” was a bonus track on the album American Idiot, and a B-side to the title track’s single. Given it’s an outtake, the lyrics about a crook who likes to take supplies
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. Joshua Henry & Stark Sands) – Are We the Waiting (Broadway)
|
|
Tunny believes that his generation has become numb and apathetic to everything due to the overload of T.V. and media and he believes nothing, not even the bright city lights, will
|
|
Green Day – Homecoming (Radio Edit)
|
|
[Part I: The Death of St. Jimmy] / [Intro: Billie Joe Armstrong] / My heart is beatin' from me / I am standin' all alone / Please call me only / If you are comin' home / Waste
|
|
|
Green Day – Extraordinary Girl
|
|
“Extraordinary Girl” shows how Jesus of Suburbia has fallen in love with the rebelliousness and punk attitude of Whatsername, previously introduced in “She’s a Rebel”.
The track
|
|
Green Day (Ft. Green Day, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Esper, The Original Broadway Cast of American Idiot, Stark Sands & Tony Vincent) – American Idiot (Broadway) - Monologue Transcripts
|
|
American Idiot / February 2nd / [JOHNNY] / February 2nd / I jerked off into oblivion last night and today I forgot to shower… again / Oh well. It doesn’t matter, because I’m just
|
|
"Weird Al" Yankovic – Canadian Idiot
|
|
A take off on Green Day’s “American Idiot,” both songs make fun of Americans. Weird Al sings about the stereotypical Canadian, and makes fun of how Americans view them—too nice, a
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. John Gallagher Jr., Michael Esper, Stark Sands, Theo Stockman & Tony Vincent) – Homecoming (Broadway)
|
|
The penultimate musical number of American Idiot sees Johnny take action against his addiction and cast away his alter ego St. Jimmy.
Will struggles with his loneliness and
|
|
|
Green Day – Too Much Too Soon
|
|
This song was included as an iTunes bonus track for American Idiot, and as a B-side for the title track. Hence, the two characters described in the lyrics might be the two
|
|
|
Green Day – Are We the Waiting
|
|
Coming from the gloomy “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, “Are We The Waiting” is a soliloquy where Jesus of Suburbia meditates his current state. It is a slow paced song with pounding
|
|
Green Day (Ft. John Gallagher Jr. & Rebecca Naomi Jones) – 21 Guns (Broadway)
|
|
“21 guns” sees Whatshername urge Johnny not to give up on his dreams and fall further into addiction. The Extraordinary Girl helps Tunny come to terms with his war injuries and
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. Mary Faber, Rebecca Naomi Jones & Tony Vincent) – Last Night on Earth (Broadway)
|
|
[ST. JIMMY] / I text a postcard sent to you, did it go through? / Sending all my love to you / You are the moonlight of my life every night / Giving all my love to you / [
|
|
Green Day – Green Day 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival Performance
|
|
(American Idiot) / [Verse 1] / Don't wanna be an American idiot / Don't wanna nation under the new mania / And can you hear the sound of hysteria? / The subliminal mind-fuck
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. John Gallagher Jr., Stark Sands & Theo Stockman) – Holiday (Broadway)
|
|
Johnny and Tunny are finally leaving Jingletown and are headed to the city.
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. Alysha Umphress, Mary Faber, Michael Esper & Theo Stockman) – Too Much Too Soon (Broadway)
|
|
[VERSE 1: THEO] / She's always living like she's running out of time / Too much just ain't enough to keep her satisfied / And her plastic card is filled with nothing comes to mind
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. Christina Sajous, Mary Faber & Rebecca Naomi Jones) – Letterbomb (Broadway)
|
|
After growing tired of Johnny’s behaviour and unwillingness to seek help over his addiction, Whatshername delivers some harsh truths to the ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ before leaving him
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. John Gallagher Jr.) – Whatsername (Broadway)
|
|
[JOHNNY] / Thought I ran into you down on the street / Then it turned out to only be a dream / I made a point to burn all of the photographs / She went away and then I took a
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. Michael Esper & Stark Sands) – Give Me Novacaine (Broadway)
|
|
[WILL] / Take away the sensation inside / Bittersweet migraine in my head / It's like a throbbing toothache of the mind / And I can't take this feeling anymore / Drain the pressure
|
|
|
Green Day – Whatsername
|
|
Jesus, after being home and living in normality, still regrets losing Whatsername. It’s been so long, he can’t even remember her name. He wonders what happened to her. All he has
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. John Gallagher Jr., Michael Esper & Tony Vincent) – Know Your Enemy (Broadway)
|
|
[ST. JIMMY] / Do you know the enemy? / Do you know your enemy? / Well, gotta know the enemy, wa-hey! / Do you know the enemy? / Do you know your enemy? / Well, gotta know the enemy
|
|
MDMA – American Idiot
|
|
[Intro] / Indigo / Up, up, up, let's fly away / Up, up, up, let's fly away (Yeah) / Let's fly away / [Chorus] / Up, up, up, let's fly away (Fly) / I feel like Lenny Kravitz, the
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. John Gallagher Jr., Rebecca Naomi Jones & Stark Sands) – Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Broadway)
|
|
Johnny is wandering the city and longing for a woman, Whatsername, who he sees in an apartment window.
|
|
Green Day – Give Me Novacaine / She's a Rebel
|
|
For this track on the deluxe edition of American Idiot, Green Day placed two songs (“Give Me Novacaine” and “She’s a Rebel”) one after the other so fans could appreciate the song’s
|
|
|
Green Day (Ft. Ben Thompson, Chase Peacock, Joshua Henry & Stark Sands) – Before the Lobotomy (Reprise)
|
|
[TUNNY, CHASE, BEN, & JOSHUA] / Dreaming / I was only dreaming / Of another place and time / Where my family's from / [TUNNY, CHASE & JOSHUA] / Singing / I can hear them singing
|
|
|
Green Day – Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Live at Milton Keynes National Bowl, Milton Keynes, England, 6/18/05
|
|
[Verse 1] / Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road / Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go / So make the best of this test, and don't ask why / It's not a
|
