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I Want to Be Alone


J'net

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In honor of Greta Garbo (how many of you got that without resorting to Google?), this week's Song of the Week is I Want to Be Alone. Please use this thread to discuss your thoughts and feelings about the song.

I Want to Be Alone was included on 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, which was released by Lookout! Records. Recorded at Art of Ears Studio, San Francisco, it was produced by Andy Ernst and Green Day. 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours is a combination of the vinyl EPs Slappy and 1,000 Hours. It was released in 1990 and later re-released in January 2004 by Warner Brothers. This album is the only entire album that features John Kiffmeyer (aka Al Sobrante) on drums. He later left the band and was replaced with the inimitable Tre Cool. 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours has been certified Gold.

This song has only a few unique lyrics. The one verse and chorus are repeated twice. However, the song obviously speaks loudly to a lot of people (judging by the number of votes it's received in the Song of the Week Suggestions thread). I personally love the way Billie delivers some of the lines, in particular the "Please don't think I'm crazy. I don't want you to understand" and "This conflict is my own." I also love the guitar in this song.

Here's a youtube video of I Want to Be Alone live at Davis Community Center, Davis CA, June 2, 1989 … over 20 years ago. That must be "Al Sobrante" on the drums – though the video is so dark, it's impossible to tell by looking. And the sound quality isn't that great either – but I like this one anyway. As well as we know Mike and Billie, it's easy to spot the traits that we still recognize today – even in the dark.

I Want to Be Alone Lyrics

(as sung – not as printed on the liner notes)

I lock myself inside my room.

I wanna be alone.

With you around, you'll only add on.

I wanna be alone.

It's been disturbed by my thoughts.

I wanna be alone.

With you around, you'll only add on.

Please don't think I'm crazy.

I don't want you to understand.

My mind is growing hazy.

To hell with your helping hand.

Why don't you just leave me alone?

This conflict is my own.

Keep your sources away from me - that's all.

Repeat twice

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You can nominate songs for discussion as Song of the Week in the Song Discussions thread, which contains links to each previous Song of the Week from 9/14/2009 forward in its original post.

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I love the theme in this song. I totally know the feeling when I'm locked up in my room, angry or depressed, and I just want to be left alone, but people come nagging asking what's wrong or telling me to not be so upset about whatever it is.

I'm very introverted when it comes to my emotions & don't like letting people in or telling them what's wrong with me, so this song just explains perfectly my frustrations when people start to pry.

However, I hate the way they say "I want to be alone." I don't know why, the sound has just always bothered me. I love how Billie sings the rest, but just those key lines seem diluted. If that makes any sense.

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Awesome song. :happy: Definitely describes my outlook on dealing with hardships. I'd rather be left alone most of the time to sort stuff out, rather than have everyone offering help.

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I love the theme in this song. I totally know the feeling when I'm locked up in my room, angry or depressed, and I just want to be left alone, but people come nagging asking what's wrong or telling me to not be so upset about whatever it is.

I'm very introverted when it comes to my emotions & don't like letting people in or telling them what's wrong with me, so this song just explains perfectly my frustrations when people start to pry.

However, I hate the way they say "I want to be alone." I don't know why, the sound has just always bothered me. I love how Billie sings the rest, but just those key lines seem diluted. If that makes any sense.

I'm the same way - if I'm sick or upset, I truly want to be alone. Like a dog that crawls away to lick its wounds, I don't want anyone coming near me or I may snap at them.

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I like this song... not one of my favorites of all time or anything. but it's catchy, and it definitely describes my feelings when I'm in an awful mood and just want to be in my room, alone, listening to music and sulking.

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This song defines teenage angst. but really, it's so relateable, I always listen to it when I'm down.

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Nice Garbo reference there. :D

And, I love this song. My parents are moving furniture and hammering stuff and it's annoying me, so I also want to be alone.

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THANK YOU J'NET

This is in my Top 3 list of Green Day songs. I don't know what it is about it, but I love it so so very much. I've always been drawn to it, and I would kill someone to hear it live.

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In honor of Greta Garbo (how many of you got that without resorting to Google?)

sadly, I had to google her :lol:

this song is just great to represent those moments when you feel like "leave me alone, i don't feel like being with anyone, 'cause i'm a teenager and i don't understand what the hell happens to me right now, but i don't feel like talking" The lines "Why don’t you just leave me alone?/ This conflict is my own./ Keep your sources away from me - that’s all." captures that feeling entirely... and it's a great way to close the album :D

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I love this song. I usually think "Eh, I don't want to listen to it," but I'll let it play anyway, and then I end up having it on repeat for hours. I really love the angst to it. Great song.

I've always loved the line, "To hell with your helping hand."

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Such a great song from such a great album. The lyrics are so relatable. I have felt like that more times than I care to remember. lol.

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This song is perfect for how I am feeling right now.

Good choice. :)

This.

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this afternoon i was watching who wants to be a millionaire and the question came up that was who's famously quoted i want to be alone or some thing like that and as soon as her name came up i knew it was her

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Speaking from a non native English speaker view, this is one of the most funny sounding Green Day songs. Always makes me smile, though the lyrics are obviously not funny. I can hardly catch what Billie sing so it's just one big gibberish for most of the time, especially line 'With you around, you'll only add on' (which I have already mentioned in a different thread). I still don't get the way he sings it :lol:

I used to skip this song but recently it's been one of the most played GD songs.

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I love this song! Such complex guitar riffs :wacko:

Just proves how talented BJ was from such a young age :happy:

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I like this song.

It's not one of my favourites, but it's still good.

I like Billie's voice in this. and of course the meaning of it.

I need to be alone most of the time.

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Speaking from a non native English speaker view, this is one of the most funny sounding Green Day songs. Always makes me smile, though the lyrics are obviously not funny. I can hardly catch what Billie sing so it's just one big gibberish for most of the time, especially line 'With you around, you'll only add on' (which I have already mentioned in a different thread). I still don't get the way he sings it :lol:

Hahaha I agree - personally I ALWAYS hear 'Adeline' somehow in that sentence..! :lol:

I can definitely relate to parts of this song. I like it quite a lot :)

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This is one of those songs that I tend to skip, but when I leave it to play I'm like "whyyy do I always skip it?!"

It's a real nice song. Not one of my favourites, but I do really like it. I can relate to it very well.

Speaking from a non native English speaker view, this is one of the most funny sounding Green Day songs. Always makes me smile, though the lyrics are obviously not funny. I can hardly catch what Billie sing so it's just one big gibberish for most of the time, especially line 'With you around, you'll only add on' (which I have already mentioned in a different thread). I still don't get the way he sings it :lol:

Haha yeah exactly.

I think a while ago I did a "what I hear" version of this. see if I can find it.

I lock myself inside my room

I wanna be alone

With you around you'll only add oddelon

I wanna be alone

It's been disturbed by my thoughts

I wanna be alone

With you around you'll only add oddelon

I wanna be alone

Please don't think I'm crazy

I don't want you to understand

My mind is going hazy

to hell wingyoullhappyingend (yeah, I can make a proper sentence out of that, but this is what I hear)

why don't you just leave me alone

this concrete is voyahnd

but you decide sehway for me that's all.

(it took me three tries to get 'that's all' out of it instead of thisand (first try) and this all (2nd try))

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