American Idiot- -Jesus of Suburbia- -Holiday- -Boulevard of Broken Dreams -Are We The Waiting- -St. Jimmy- -Give Me Novavaine- -She's a Rebel- -Extraordinary Girl- -Letterbomb- -Wake Me Up When September Ends -Homecoming- -Whatsername
American Idiot
Track 1. American Idiot: This song introduces us to an angry young man living in a messed up society. He feels as if he is the only one that sees that things are not the way they should be. H walks around yelling a chant of “Don’t wanna be an American idiot!” hoping that things will change, because he isn’t going to.
Jesus of Suburbia
Track 2. Jesus of Suburbia: This song introduces that young mand as the Jesus of Suburbia. Part I ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ gives us JOS’s general information. Part II ‘City of the Damned’ is JOS further describing his hatred of his surroundings. He is wanting someone to help him get out of there. Part III ‘I Don’t Care’ means what it says. JOS is starting to leave his home behind in his mentality and becomes apathetic. Part IV ‘Dearly Beloved’ is J wondering if his feelings are normal, and if anyone can help him. Part V ‘Tales From Another Broken Home’ ends his track and JOS leaves his city suddenly, and turns his back on the place he came from.
Holiday
"This song is not anti-American. It's anti-........war!!!" - Billie Joe
Track 3. Holiday: Am extremely political song, Holiday is about J going on “Holiday” (so to speak) from his life, to find someplace better. He thinks about everything wrong with his town and decides not to look back.
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Track 4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams: After leaving town, JOS begins to walk to his destination anywhere. No one can see him, no one cares about him, he is totally alone, and he just walks…
Are we the waiting
Track 5. Are We The Waiting: Making little to no progress since we last left J, he is getting absolutely nowhere. His mind starts playing tricks on him, and vise versa. He is starting to question his sanity, and is wondering if he is waithing for something to come along. He is no longer the Jesus of Suburbia, he just…is…
St. Jimmy
Track 6. St. Jimmy: Jimmy’s introduction song, Jimmy comes as a breath of fresh air to JOS, because he symbolizes what JOS wishes he could be all the time. Jimmy is somewhat of the dangerous version of JOS, with, of course, an “angel face”
Give Me Novacaine
Track 7. Give Me Novacaine: Jimmy becomes J’s best friend and introduces him to drugs, as a kind of ‘Novacaine’ to numb them from the pain of their lives. This song shows that J is having a harsh reality check about his new life on the streets.
She's a Rebel
Track 8. She’s A Rebel: Suddenly, the Whatsername character comes into play, and JOS cant stop thinking about her. He can’t help but wonder if she is anything like him, or if anything could work between them. He admits that she’s “holding on my heart like a hand grenade” (hence the American Idiot CD cover!)
Extraordinary Girl
Track 9. Extraordinary Girl: Pretty much the same as track 8, JOS’s feelings for Whatsername.
Letterbomb
Track 10. Letterbomb: Sometime between this song and the previous track, JOS and Whatsername do get together. In track 10 however, the two split up. The voice you hear sing “Nobody likes you, everyone left you, they’re all out without you having fun!” is Whatername taunting JOS. She tells him that he has changed into what he used to hate.
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Track 11. Wake Me Up When September Ends: "If there's a song on there that veers away from the story for the album, it's that one. It's a personal thing. I've never tackled an issue about that — about singing about my father. It's hard to sing, but definitely therapeutic, because it deals with the passing of someone that you love." –Billie Joe. About the unfortunate and unfair passing of a loved one (Billie’s father in particular who passed away in September of 1982) Wake Me Up… is a song of loss and sadness, wanting to wake up in another time, another place, and another circumstance.
Homecoming
Track 12. Homecoming: Feeling that he has no purpose wjere he is without Whatsername, J decides to go back home. Part I ‘Death of St. Jimmy’ is J leaving the streets and everything associated with them behind…which includes Jimmy. St Jimmy “kills himself” or at least in the mind of JOS. Part II ‘East 12th Street’ describes how JOS goes home and accepts the fact that he must conform to his town. He gets a job, but never really becomes a part of that world. Part III ‘Nobody Likes You’ is JOS still being depressed about Whatsername, while her words replay themselves over and over again in his head. Part IV ‘Rock ‘N Roll Girlfriend’ is a postcard from a member of The Underbelly explaining his life… which is about the complete opposite of J’s. Part V ‘We’re Coming Home Again’ is JOS accepting that this is where he is, and to make the best of it. He is confused, neither happy nor sad, just there
Whatsername
Track 13. Whatsername: JOS never really got over Whatsername. He wonders what happened to The Underbelly and anyone else he met, but mostly Whatsername. He wants to destroy anything that brings back the painful memories. He wants to rid himself of the memories, but deep down, he knows that will never happen…
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Suffocate- -Destinized- -You Lied- -Outsider- -Don't Wanna Fall In Love- -Espionage- -I Want To Be on T.V.- -Scumbag- -Tired of Waiting For You- -Sick of Me- -Rotting- -Do Da Da- -On the Wagon- -Ha Ha You're Dead
Suffocate
Track 1. Suffocate: this song is about using drugs and alcohol as a crutch to help a guy get through hard times. It describes how even though he wants to stop, he is too weak to rise above it when he has regrets. It also says that the guy knows he can’t stop and has given up and just can’t wait for the end to come.
Destinized
Track 2. Destinized: this song is about looking at the bad points of the internet.
You Lied
Track 3. You Lied: This song is about a guy who knows someone who is not truthful. His stories are so out there that it is obvious that they are untrue.
Outsider
Track 4. Outsider: a song done originally by The Ramones that Green Day covered for this album.
Don't Wanna Fall in Love
Track 5. Don’t Wanna Fall in Love: A song about someone not wanting to fall in love because he doesn’t need someone else’s approval. He sees it as a waste a time and he “ain’t no dog without a bone” meaning that he doesn’t feel that he is missing anything the way he is.
Espionage
Track 6. Espionage: instrumental piece used in Austin Powers 2.
I Want to be On TV
Track 7. I Want to be On TV: this song was originally done by Fang, though Green Day tweaked the wording a bit.
Scumbag
Track 8. Scumbag: about a sucky person that doesn’t seem to go away. They are self-centered, annoying, and repetitive. This was written by both Mike and Billie Joe.
Tired of Waiting for You
Track 9. Tire of Waiting for You: this song is a cover of a model Kinks song.
Sick of Me
Track 10. Sick of Me: A song about being in a relationship with someone who can no longer stand you. Both want to break up, but it just hasn’t happened yet.
Rotting
Track 11. Rotting: about someone preparing to die, and wanting thinking about how he wants it to be when he takes his final breath.
Do Da Da
Track 12. Do Da Da: origionally called ‘Stuck With Me,’ there was a studio mix up when releasing Insomniac, so the 3rd track in Insomniac was labeled ‘Stuck With Me’ when it was meant to be called ‘Do Da Da.’ When the guys saw the mistake, they decided to keep the names as they are.
On the Wagon
Track 13. On the Wagon: Yet another classic Billie Joe song, Billie is “on the wagon” (a.k.a. in love) with a girl. He will say sweet things to her, the do something stupid that he ends up regretting. He then would make an excuse for his dumb actions “its been so long since I’ve been in love!”
Ha Ha You're Dead
Track 14. Ha Ha You’re Dead: written by Mike, it is about someone who hurt a lot of people, and showing no remorse when you can be rid of them…in this case, when they die.
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Maria
Track 1. Maria: To me, Maria seems like a rebel who doesn't take any crap, and isn't intimidated by authority.
Poprocks and Coke
Track 2. Poprocks and Coke: a song of undying loyalty to someone, period.
Warning- -Blood, Sex, and Booze- -Church on Sunday- -Fashion Victim- -Castaway- -Misery- -Deadbeat Holiday- -Hold On- -Jackass- -Waiting- -Minority- -Macy's Day Parade
Warning
Track 1. Warning: Warning is about hanging the rules and not becoming a "victim of authority."
Blood, Sex, and Booze
Track 2. Blood, Sex, and Booze: another song about a bunch of kinky stuff...kinda like a part II of 'Dominated Love Slave'
Church on Sunday
Track 3. Church on Sunday: a song about getting through hard times in a relationship with compromise and understanding. Billie wrote this song about how he and Adrienne got their marraige back on track.
Fashion Victim
Track 4. Fashion Victim: a song about materialism in today's society and how people waste money on stupid and pointless things that they dont really need.
Castaway
Track 5. Castaway: this song is about what it was like to create this album. Billie is a "castaway" because his old Gilman friends wouldn't approve of their success.
Misery
Track 6. Misery: This song is a strange, twisted story of people in the "city by the bay" a.k.a. San Francisco.
Deadbeat Holiday
Track 7. Deadbeat Holiday: this song is about not caring about how screwed up you life is, and to just keep moving on.
Hold On
Track 8. Hold on: Billie wrote this song about living even when it seems there is nothing to live for...for a friend.
Jackass
Track 9. Jackass: somewhere along the lines of 'Scumbag,' this song has been rumored to be about Blink 182.
Waiting
Track 10. Waiting: this song is about finally gettinig "so close, enough to taste" something that you have been waiting for for a long time.
Minority
Track 11. Minority: this song is about not following the crowd and being the person you want to be...not being swayed because more people disagree with you.
Macy's Day Parade
Track 12. Macy's Day Parade: Billie wrote this song about commercialism, and how useless it is for people to always want materialistic things. He describes how he wants something non-meterial....hope.
Nice Guys Finish Last- -Hitchin' A Ride- -The Grouch- -Redundant- -Scattered- -All the Time- -Worry Rock- -Platypus- -Uptight- -Last Ride In- -Jinx- -Haushinka- -Walking Alone- -Reject- -Take Back- -King For A Day- -Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)- -Prosthetic Head-
Nice Guys Finish Last
Track 1. Nice Guys Finish Last: Just as the title says, nice guys can never win.
Hitchin' A Ride
Track 2. Hitchin' A Ride: the story of a drunken hitch hiker who's world is crashing down around him.
The Grouch
Track 3. The Grouch: Billie wrote this song about turning 25, considering yourself old, and seeing somewhat of a resemblance...hence the line "Oh my God, I'm turning out like my dad!" This song was supposidly written after Billie and Adrienne got into a fight...hence the line "The wife's a nag and the kid's fuckin' up."
Redundant
Track 4. Redundant: Billie says that their relationship is going around in circles and the repetitiveness making him sick ("over and over and over roller coaster"). As constantly happens in long-term relationships, everything becomes completely, well, redundant. Saying "I love you" is no longer enough because it beacane routine, so he no longer knows what he should say.
Scattered
Track 5. Scattered: Billie giving everything he can to Adrienne for her affection.
All The Time
Track 6. All the Time: About trying to get rid of an addictive habbit (like drinking or doing drugs) but you think about it, and want to do it all the time.
Worry Rock
Track 7. Worry Rock: I couldnt figure this one out, but according to other sources, its kinda like 'Scattered'
Platypus (I Hate You)
Track 8. Platypus (I Hate You): a screw you filled with more hatred than even 'Ha Ha You're Dead'
Uptight
Track 9. Uptight: another tale of another suicidal person who hates his life and wants to die already.
Last Ride In
Track 10. Last Ride In: written in sound check...no words...kinda like Espionage. Jinx
Track 11. Jinx: this song is about Billie trying to get a girl to stop liking him.
Haushinka
Track 12. Haushinka: Billie remembering a girl he met named Haushinka in Japan.
Walking Alone
Track 13. Walking Alone: about just wanting to be by yourself for a bit of time
Reject
Track 14. Reject: about the mother who's son got Insomniac for a present on his 8th birthday. They wrote a letter that can be viewed here and Billie Joe's response here. Both letters from Green Day Authority.
Take Back
Track 15. Take Back: a song about being unable to forgive someone who has hurt you.
King For a Day
Track 16. King For a Day: a song about crossdressing (which the guys have done on several occasions)...this one wasnt too hard to figure out...
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
Track 17. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life): Billie Joe wrote this song when around the time that Dookie came out, when he and his girlfriend were forced to break up because she was moving to Ecuador. It's pretty much a big "screw you" to her for leaving him. He was trying not to sound bitter, but it came out that way anyway (hence the title 'Good Riddance'). Billie said that he didnt name the song simply 'Time of Your Life' because that would be "too level-headed" for him. The song didn't appear on an album until Nimrod because Billie Joe refused to do an acoustic ballad at the time. He didn't show the song to the producers or even Mike and Tré until 3 years after he wrote it. This song marked a step up in Billie's writing...a step not to be taken again until American Idiot's 'Wake Me Up When September Ends'
Prosthetic Head
Track 18. Prosthetic Head: about someone pretending to be someone they're not.
"[In Hollywood]there were these big inflatable head's, that's when I thought of the name for that tune" – Billie Joe
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Armatage Shanks- -Brat- -Stuck With Me- -Geek Stink Breath- -No Pride- -Bab's Uluva Who?- -86- -Panic Song- -Stuart and the Ave.- -Brain Stew- -Jaded- -Westbound Sign- -Tightwad Hil-l -Walking Contradiction
Armatage Shanks
Track 1. Armatage Shanks: a song about Billie Joe's anxiety disorder/panic attacks.
Brat
Track 2. Brat: a song about a rich kid who wants his parents to die so that he can inherit their money
Stuck With Me
Track 3. Stuck With Me: An anthem of the classic saying "Overworked and and underappretiated"
Geek Stink Breath
Track 4. Geek Stink Breath: a song about Billie seeing friends getting addicted to drugs
No Pride
Track 5. No Pride: about someone with low self-esteem
Bab's Uluva Who?
Track 6. Bab's Uluva Who?: about being an angry, short-tempered person who seems to always screw up.
86
Track 7. 86: Either about...
Panic Song
Track 8. Panic Song: sort of Mike's version of 'Basket Case' or 'Armatage Shanks'...about his panic attacks.
Stuart and the Ave.
Track 9. Stuart and the Ave.: about when Billie thought that he liked someone, but he found that he never really liked her. Stuar and the Ave. is in Berkely, California...the corner of Stuart Street and Telegraph Avenue.
Brain Stew
Track 10. Brain Stew: Billie wrote this song about not being able to sleep at night because Joey (his son) was up all night crying.
Jaded
Track 11. Jaded: about being high.
Westbound Sign
Track 12. Westbound Sign: Adrienne leaves her family and friends to be with Billie.
It's about a girl leaving home to live in the city, which is based on my wife" Billie Joe
Tightwad Hill
Track 13. Tightwad Hill: about a place to sell pot and get high
Walking Contradiction Track 14. Walking Contradiction: a song about selling out when you become big (another Gilman reference)
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Burnout-
-Having a Blast-
-Chump-
-Longview-
-Welcome to Paradise-
-Pulling Teeth-
-Basket Case-
-She-
-Sassafrass Roots-
-When I Come Around-
-Coming Clean-
-Emenius Sleepus-
-In the End-
-F.O.D.
All By MyselfBurnout
Track 1. Burnout: a song about someone who's been through some crappy times...and they're finally taking their toll on them.
Having a Blast
Track 2. Having a Blast: a song about becoming apathetic to the point that you see nothing in what used to make you happy after everything seems to go wrong
Chump
Track 3. Chump: Billie Joe wrote this song about a qut that he had never met...but he was going out with the girl that Billie Joe liked...yikes
Longview
Track 4. Longview: Ah, the infamous anthem of boredom and masturbation.
It's about boredom and masturbation and smoking dope." -Billie Joe
Welcome to Paradise
Track 5. Welcome to Paradise: See Kerplunk
Pulling Teeth
Track 6. Pulling Teeth: The song title from 'Anasthesia Pulling Teeth' by Metallica. Billie wrote this song about that time Mike and his ex-wife were having a pillow fight, and Mike ended up falling and breaking both of his elbows.
Basket Case
Track 7. Basket Case: Billie Joe has always had an anxiety disorder, so he has panic attacks. At the time that he wrote this song however, he didnt know what it was...so he thought he was going crazy.
She
Track 8. She: Adrienne gave Billie Joe a poem about a strong female character, and this song is Billie's response.
Sassafrass Roots
Track 9. Sassafrass Roots: About being in a relationship that is getting nowhere and is pretty much a waste of time.
When I Come Around
Track 10. Wheck I Come Around: About taking a break in a relationship after an argument, but having every intention of going back, and not planning on ending the relationship.
Coming Clean
Track 11. Coming Clean: Billie wrote this song about possibly being bi-sexual
Emenius Sleepus
Track 12. Emenius Sleepus: Written by Mike about seeing an old friend for the first time in a while who has changed...for the worse.
In the End
Track 13. In the End:"That song is about my mother's husband, it's not really about a girl, or like anyone directly related to me in a relationship. In the End's about my mother. -Billie Joe
F.O.D. (Fuck off and Die)
Track 14. F.O.D.: a song about hating someone who betrayed you.
All By Myself
Bonus Track. All by Myself: a song of lonliness that was recorded at a party.
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2000 Light Years Away
Track 1. 2000 Light Years Away: another one of Billie Joe's mushy punk-rock love songs...how sweet. Written after he kissed Adrienne for the first time, he wrote it about how much he misses her when they are apart.
One For The Razorbacks
Track 2. One For The Razorbacks: This song follows a girl named Juliette that the band once met.
Welcome to Paradise
Track 3. Welcome To Paradise: Also on Dookie. It's about living in a warhouse in Berkley with Mike and other people from around there.
"Its about West Oakland, living in a warehouse with a lot of people, a bunch of artists and musicians, punks and whatever just lived all up and down, bums and junkies and thugs and gang members and stuff that just lived in that area. It's no place you want to walk around at night, but it's a neat warehouse where you can play basketball and stuff." -Billie Joe
Christie Road
Track 4. Christie Road: Billie Joe and his friends used to go to Christie Road to get high
"This song is about wanting to be alone for awhile." - Billie Joe
Private Ale
Track 5. Private Ale: Billie Joe wrote this song because he wanted Adrienne to like him.
Dominated Love Slave
Track 6. Dominated Love Slave: A song about chains, chains and a bunch of other kinky stuff...no wonder it was written by Tré
One Of My Lies
Track 7. One of My Lies: This song is about living a dishonest life
80
Track 8. 80: Another song about Adrienne...her nickname is Adie...and 80 sounds like Adie...pretty clever huh?
Android
Track 9. Andrioid: This song is about wondering what the yound will be like when they get old, and what the old were like when they were young
No One Knows
Track 10. No One Knows: this song is about being forced to mature before you want to grow up
Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?
Track 11. Who Wrote Holden Caulfield: In school, Billie was supposed to read The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. He didn't read it in school, but read it later on and found that he could relate to the main character because he too was an outcast.
Words I Might Have Ate
Track 12. Words I Might Have Ate: This song is about being accountable for what you do and what you say because you can't take back words.
Sweet Children
Track 13. Sweet Children: This song is the first one that Billie and Mike wrote together...its kinda about how some kids get blamed for things that they didnt do because of their 'reputation.' Billie and Mike named the band after this song
Best Thing In Town
Track 14. Best Thing In Town: This song is about a girl that Billie likes/liked
Strangeland
Track 15. Strangeland: about how strangely screwed up life can be.
My Generation
Track 16. My Generation: A cover of a song by The Who
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At the Library- -Dont Leave Me- -I Was There- -Disapearing Boy- -Green Day- -Going To Pasalaqua- -16- -Road To Acceptace- -The Judges Daughter- -Paper Lanterns- -Why Do You Want Him?- -409 In Your Coffee Maker- -Knowledge- -1000 Hours- -Dry Ice- -Only Of You- -The One I Want- -I Want To Be Alone
Track 1. At The Library: Billie wrote this song about a girl that he liked. He asked her out, but she rejected him because she already had a boyfriend.
Don't Leave Me
Track 2. Don't Leave Me: Billie wrote this song about someone important to him that left him.
I Was There
Track 3. I Was There: John Kiffmeyer wrote this song about his expiriances with the band, and how he regrets having to leave them
Disappearing Boy
Track 4. Disappearing Boy: This song is about feeling invisible to everyone
Green Day
Track 5. Green Day: This song is about valuing everyithing in life. A "green day" is a day that you spend doing nothing but smoking dope
Going to Pasalaqua
Track 6. Going to Pasalaqua: This song is about a girl that Billie was falling for.
16
Track 7. 16: This song is about turning 16, and the realization that you aren't going to be able to be a kid forever.
Road to Acceptance
Track 8. Road to Acceprance: This song is about Billie wanting to be accepted, and wanting others to be accepted no matter what they looked like
The Judges Daughter
Track 9. The Judges Daughter: This song is about trying to find the "perfect girl"
Paper Lanterns
Track 10. Paper Lanterns: This song is about the realization that you will never be more than a friend to someone that you really like, but nonetheless never being able to get them out of your head
Why Do You Want Him?
Track 11. Why Do You Want Him?: The first song that Billie wrote (at the age of 12), he wonders why his mother wants her boyfriend after the unfortunate passing of his father 2 years prior.
409 In Your Coffeemaker
Track 12. 409 In Your Coffeemaker: When Billie Joe was in school, he actually did put 409 in his teacher's coffee.
Knowledge
Track 13. Knowledge: Green Day covered this song. It was originally done by Operation Ivy.
1000 Hours
Track 14. 1000 Hours: Billie Joe is thinking about a girl that he liked....this is by far the number one song that Billie wish he had never wrote.
Mike: "Billie, what Green Day song embarrasses you the most, or do you loathe the most?"
Billie Joe: "I would say the song '1000 Hours' because not only was it not for a band to play or to play as a band, it's just the sappiest song about a girl, to the point where it's like a bad John Hughes movie!"
Dry Ice
Track 15. Dry Ice: About how Billie can't seem to stop thinking about girls.
Only Of You
Track 16. Only of You: Pretty much like Dry Ice.
The One I Want
Track 17. The One I Want: This song doesnt need much explination. Its about how there is one girl that Billie wants...and no one else matters to him
I Want To Be Alone
Track 18. I Want To Be Alone: About wanting people to leave you alone for a bit
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