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The Top Five Green Day Songs that Had an Impact on My Life


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As many of you know, I joined the team a couple of weeks ago not only as a mod but also as a writer for GDA. As my introduction into what I hope will be a series of editorials, I thought I'd write about the substance of why I love Green Day (their songs. a'doh.) Feel free to read this here (or on the main site when it goes up tomorrow) and share some of your most personal Green Day songs and feelings. Here she is:

Of all of the bands that I’ve listened to in all of my years of listening to music, I’ve never found a band whose music resonates with me so deeply. In many cases, the messages that I relate to are not profound, but I believe that’s what makes them all the more special and personal. Of the many songs in Green Day’s catalog, I’ve decided to share the five songs that have had the greatest impact on my life, from when I was 13 and got American Idiot in my Easter basket to the present day as I sing these familiar tunes with the same enthusiasm I had when I first learned the lyrics.

5. “American Idiot” – American Idiot

Let’s travel back in time to 2004. On the first day of Jr. High as I straightened my hair, put on my make-up and tied my brand new sneakers, I heard the song that started it all. To be completely factual, I saw the music video, and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I’d never heard of Green Day, but they certainly made one of the coolest videos I’d ever seen. Without this, the opening song of one of the most epic albums of our generation, I would conceivably not be writing this today. “American Idiot’s” message, its sound and the era of uncertainty and confusion it existed in are all a part of me, and without it that part of me may never have existed. Hearing Billie slam out the chords- whether recorded, live, or on Broadway - is one of the most satisfying musical experiences I’ve ever known because it brings me back to that first day, as well as to a crucial time in American history, both of which have shaped who I am as a person.

4. “21st Century Breakdown” – 21st Century Breakdown

I believe that this epic album-opener truly defines the generation to which I am confined – those members of the “class of ’13, born in the era of humility”; I am “the desperate in the decline,” working toward a degree that may not lead to a job as kids I grew up with go off to a war that has no end in sight to fight for a country that is spiraling downhill due to “the bastards of 1969.” If “Jesus of Suburbia” mirrored my 13-year-old self’s angst and hatred toward the small town I lived in, than “21st Century Breakdown” mirrors the anxieties that I face as a 19-year-old American. Although it doesn’t offer answers, it offers an outlet for our collective frustration, allowing us to “dream, America dream”; to “scream, America, scream”; and to question our belief in the supposed “heroes and cons” that are to determine the fate of our entire generation. Although this is the newest song on my list, I believe that as the years pass, this song will bring me back to how I feel right now. Even if it doesn’t hold that power five years from now, it describes to a tee the confusion and frustration I feel over never being able to make it as a “working class hero”, and maybe not being able to make it at all.

3. “Paper Lanterns” – 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours

And now we come to the joys and pains of first love. Around the same time I got into Dookie, I also got into 39/Smooth. I was also falling irrevocably and pathetically in love with one of my best friends. For obvious reasons, this was the song I lamented to when I realized that things would never work between us. I consider it to be in the top five songs that had an impact on my life because first love is serious business, people. To this day I have memories of that time period whenever I listen to this song, and I think that’s a really special thing, simple as its significance to me may be.

2. “Jesus of Suburbia” – American Idiot

Welcome to teenage angst at its purist. This song has time and again proven itself to be incredibly meaningful to me, as its layered meanings continue to reveal themselves with the things I’ve experienced as I’ve gone through Jr. High and High School and into college and my foray into being an actual adult. At first listen, I related instantly to the Jesus of Suburbia’s insatiable thirst for adventure, and ultimate disappointment when none was to be found in his suburban nightmare of a town. I, as I’m sure was common of many kids my age, envisioned myself as “the [daughter] of rage and love, the Jesus of Suburbia”, fighting to come into my own in a town that I did not want because I felt that it did not want me. I would scream along to the “I Don’t Care” verses, thinking of all the people whom I felt had wronged me in some way. At the end, I vowed with JOS not to “feel any shame, [not to] apologize when there ain’t nowhere you can go.” I took this as another symbol of the unchangeable circumstances of my sexuality, and “Tales of another Broken Home” gave me the strength (albeit very dramatically) to stand strong as an early adolescent. As I grew older, and especially upon seeing the musical as a freshman in college, the verses about leaving home and striking out on my own became the most pertinent messages the song had to offer. It seems that in many ways, “City of the Damned” mirrored many of the feelings I had that eventually lead up to me breaking down the wall that kept me from chasing after what I really wanted within the last few months. “Jesus of Suburbia” was one of the first Green Day songs I truly felt described me, and in the five years that I have listened to, played, and sung this song, it has followed me and continuously adapted to who I am; I question to this day whether it is a testament to the band that produced the song or this fan who has held it in her heart for so long.

1. “Coming Clean” – Dookie

I bought Dookie the summer before I entered eighth grade, which was a crucial time in my life in terms of discovering my sexuality. Everything was starting to come together for me – I began to notice that I had strong feelings for girls and not for boys, and as those feelings developed into my first true crush, I came to the realization that I was an enormous gaywad. Having this record in my life at that time was, I believe, one of the most pertinent reasons that I embraced who I was and came out at such an early age. I understood from the song and from interviews that I found that Billie Joe had questioned his sexuality as a teenager. It seemed to me that if he could be such a successful adult even after exposing “skeletons… in [his] closet” that I could do the same. His story helped me to begin my own story, and without it I don’t believe I would be in the same place that I’m in today.

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Great work! :) I think I wouldn't be able to pick only 5 songs... there are so many that are important to me for so many different reasons.

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As many of you know, I joined the team a couple of weeks ago not only as a mod but also as a writer for GDA. As my introduction into what I hope will be a series of editorials, I thought I'd write about the substance of why I love Green Day (their songs. a'doh.) Feel free to read this here (or on the main site when it goes up tomorrow) and share some of your most personal Green Day songs and feelings. Here she is:

Stunning, just stunning. Thank you.

I'll post a list of my own top picks when I get some time.

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Stunning, just stunning. Thank you.

I'll post a list of my own top picks when I get some time.

Thanks for the compliments, but I especially appreciate that last bit - the thread is for you guys to discuss your own special Green Day songs, not just to give me praise I don't need. :P

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That was a really, genuinely fantastic read. I love hearing how songs make people tick. Thanks for sharing. :)

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This song has time and again proven itself to be incredibly meaningful to me, as its layered meanings continue to reveal themselves with the things I’ve experienced as I’ve gone through Jr. High and High School and into college and my foray into being an actual adult.

This. This summarises why JOS is one of the all-time greatest songs ever written. It grows with you, it's fluid and multi-faceted and more layered than the biggest muthafuckin' onion in the world.

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this is amazing. really great analysis of both some key lyrics of the songs you named, but also how the lyrics named and the whole song itself relate to you or the world you (and also i) live in. just really awesome, and there were even some points in your analysis that i was even agreeing with you. :happy:

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Great list! although my list is complete different ;) except JOS^^

1. Minority

2. JOS

3. Restless Heart Syndrome

4. F.O.D.

5. Panic Song

but you cant really say that there are "the only 5 green day songs"

there are tonnes of songs and each one describes a bit of my life

and this is why i love green day because its a part of me.

You cant say that your left arm is better than your right arm so :happy:

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That was a great read :happy:. I like writing about Green Day songs but I'm bad at writing about how they've affected me personally haha (although I love it when other people do), maybe one day I'll give it a go.

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I like reading posts like this. It reminds you that Green Day influences, period. Even if you don't have the same top 5, or if the same songs influenced you differently, you were still affected in some way. Like Billie Joe said, "And for our fans, they're just crazy people anyway. I always look at people in a Green Day shirt, and I think, 'What's wrong with that person? What kind of hang-ups does that person have?' Obviously, it's not just the catchy songs, it goes deeper than that."Even if your "hang-ups" aren't the same, the fact that Green Day causes something inside you to stir, is.

-Alex :)

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oh gosh i can do a top 5 of green day lol, i find difficult to resume my green day obssesion into a top 5 haha, cus every single song had an impact on me, every single song, i feel identified with every single one.

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That was a great read, well done! :)

*takes a deep breath* here goes:

1. Boulevard of Broken Dreams-

Sure it was massively overexposed, but this song had a monumental impact on me. Before American Idiot came out I knew all of the band's singles from Dookie and Nimrod, many of which were highly present during both the wonderful and not so wonderful memories of my youth. The first time I heard BOBD on the radio, it stopped my world. I immediately fell in love with a track that I felt spoke directly to me. It had been a very long time since I had something to relate to so deeply. It made me feel like I wasn't the only one out there who felt lost and that it was ok. After hearing this song, I knew I had to acquire the album from which it came immediately. Everything that I felt about BOBD was magnified exponentially when I heard the album, and thus I became a Green Day fan. I became obsessed with hearing any material the band had to offer.

2. Jesus of Suburbia-

This is overall my favorite Green Day song. JOS perfectly encapsulates a wide range of emotions that no youth is immune to in my opinion. Without delving into my personal past, I'll just say that every level of this song (particularly Dearly Beloved) holds a special meaning for me.

3. 21st Century Breakdown-

I love how this song ties together older generations with today's youth. It shines a light on how messed up our society is today and how far we've strayed from the "path". Every action and decision made by the people we are supposed to trust in has got us here. Here is where our values have gone to hell and we'd rather coddle our technologically soaked youth than adequately prepare them for the future. Not only is it a great introduction to the album's story, but it also rings truth, whether people want to acknowledge it or not.

4. Hold On-

I love listening to this song when I'm feeling down because it's uplifting and instills hope for me. As someone who's been let down time and time again, I'm a highly independent person who may have trust issues here or there. Unfortunate, but it is something that I try to work on continuously. When you get violated by people and feel like the world is against you or nothing is going your way, naturally you want to build walls up to protect yourself. This is an example of a song that may not be "anything special" but it makes all the difference when I hear it at the right time. It always makes me feel stronger and not want to give up.

5. Last Night On Earth-

The musical interpretation of this song enlightened me to how wonderful it actually is. As a part of 21st Century Breakdown, it felt more like a sappy ballad (which being slightly jaded, I'm not the biggest fan of) that kind of worked within the story. However, after seeing the musical I was able to appreciate the fact that you don't have to just give your whole heart to your lover. I was reminded that love comes in many forms and that it is a crucial part of life. Hearing this song now warms my heart and gives me hope that one day I'll be able to totally love and trust someone that much.

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As many people have said before in this thread, it's so difficult to choose just five songs that you love so much. I think you (Amanda?) did an amazing job!

If I had to choose my top five would probably be;

5. 2000 Light Years Away - This one is really simple as to why it resonates with me. Thus far in my life, everyone I have liked, has moved hundreds of miles away; either to return home or due to work commitments. And it sucks.

4. East Jesus Nowhere - Being an atheist, I often come under attack for what I reason the world around me to be like and how I percieve it. I've been called everything from 'heartless' to full on 'evil' (something which I'm sure most religious people would agree was a little strong!). It was nice to see my favourite making a statement, not necessarily about who's views were true or not, but about the corruption which is undeniably at the centre of various church sects and organisations.

3. Macy's Day Parade - This one again is quite simple. Seeing as it's about mindless consumerism and questioning whether there is anything more out there. I'd like to hope that there was and I try to see the things in life that don't cost any money, as much more beautiful than the things that can be bought.

2. 21st Century Breakdown - This is attachted to the memory of the Wembley Stadium show last year. Just hearing the opening chords of this song brings back a flood of memories and I can't help feeling elated as I holler out the lyrics and remember what it was like to do the same at the show. It is just an incredible feeling.

1. Are We The Waiting - This song is more an emotional thing. I'm not even really sure why I like it so much, it's just that every time I hear the opening verse about "Starry Nights, City Lights, coming down over me" it sends shivers down my spine. I think it's an awesome song and that verse is the only lyrics that I have ever really seriously considered getting tattooed just because they resonate so deeply.

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My turn, quickly, in no particular order.

1. (Tie) 21st Century Breakdown, The Static Age, and American Eulogy. Billie Joe Armstrong is a fucking prophet. He doesn't try to predict the future or tell you what you want to hear -- note that he doesn't even try to suggest that "everything is somehow going to be OK". He tells you what you *need* to hear. He dares you to take a good, hard look at the life you have, the world you live in, the institutions that are supposed to be serving you -- and then forces you to see how fucked up it all is. 'Nuff said.

2. American Idiot. At a time that the media was giving Dub-ya a blank check to destroy the Middle East in the name of the (gag!) "war on terror", and at a time that anyone who challenged his administration's worldview was ostracized (see: Dixie Chicks), leave it to Green Day to tell it like it is. This song -- indeed, this album -- defines more than just the Gen-Y generation that was coming of age at the time of the second Iraq invasion. It defines all of us.

3. Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Like Nmd, this was the song that first drew my attention to just how good Green Day had become. Just the right song, at just the right time, and it made me a fan. Years later I got to hear it live at Verizon Center, with Jason White on acoustic and Billie Joe leading the whole arena in singing it along with him. In the middle of one of the verses he stopped, looked around, and said something like "Look at this, a whole roomful of you fuckers singing this along with us. This is how it's supposed to be" before continuing. [melt][/melt] Overplayed on the radio, yes, but it will always, always have a special place in my heart!

4. Welcome To Paradise. To me this song means taking risks and transforming yourself in the process, and eventually becoming comfortable and content in whatever shithole you happen to find yourself in. I've been wearing it like an anthem lately.

5. Church on Sunday. This song about the hard times in Billie and Adie's marriage teaches volumes about faith and commitment to your significant other, and the difficult give-and-take exchanges that have to occur along the way if a threatened relationship is going to survive. Whenever my wife and I are working out a disagreement, this song is like a rock for us. Oh yes, before I forget -- Mike's killer bassline is all SQUEE!

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As many of you know, I joined the team a couple of weeks ago not only as a mod but also as a writer for GDA. As my introduction into what I hope will be a series of editorials, I thought I'd write about the substance of why I love Green Day (their songs. a'doh.) Feel free to read this here (or on the main site when it goes up tomorrow) and share some of your most personal Green Day songs and feelings. Here she is:

Congratulations on becoming a MOD and a Writer GDA :) i will post my five on hear in the next couple of days when i get enough time to think about it fully and write it :)

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3. Macy's Day Parade - This one again is quite simple. Seeing as it's about mindless consumerism and questioning whether there is anything more out there. I'd like to hope that there was and I try to see the things in life that don't cost any money, as much more beautiful than the things that can be bought.

Beautifully said. I need to listen again, and think harder. I hate money, I hate what (the lack of it) has done to my family, and I hate that I think about it so much (not in a 'GREEDGREEGREED' but in a "Holy shit, how am I gonna pay bills?"). All I want to do is feel free of it, even if I never have it.

5. Church on Sunday. This song about the hard times in Billie and Adie's marriage teaches volumes about faith and commitment to your significant other, and the difficult give-and-take exchanges that have to occur along the way if a threatened relationship is going to survive. Whenever my wife and I are working out a disagreement, this song is like a rock for us. Oh yes, before I forget -- Mike's killer bassline is all SQUEE!

Aww that's sweet!

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Oh wow! Great article, and so candid.

Like you were questioning your sexuality, I spent most of my life questioning my faith. Having lived in the South all my life surrounded by religion in every possible way, questioning faith, any faith, was both "abnormal" and heartbreaking. I wanted to believe, absolutely wanted to believe, but just couldn't blindly do so in the face of abject hypocrisy and a complete lack of logic. I guess that's why Green Day's music captured me so completely, because the number one song that affected my life is...

1. East Jesus Nowhere - I didn't start listening to Green Day until January/February 2011, when I wanted high energy music to listen to while I played tennis. American Idiot was the first thing that came to mind, so I went to the store to buy the album and ended up getting AI and 21st Century Breakdown. After alternating between both albums, listening to them non-stop, for about a week while I was writing a screenplay, I just stopped typing in the middle of East Jesus Nowhere "I threw my crutches in the river of a shadow of doubt" and started really listening to the lyrics. I didn't write anything else for the rest of the day and laid on my bed reading through the lyrics of 21st Century Breakdown while listening to the music. Then I went through American Idiot and listened carefully to the lyrics on that one. A couple of days later I went back to the store and got Dookie and Nimrod because I wanted to go backwards through their music and look at the lyrics on all of them. It wasn't just high energy music I could sing to anymore. The words being said were important in their own right and deeply resonated with me. This song was the beginning of a lot of weird shit that inspired the script I wrote based on Green Day's music. Never did get around to playing tennis though. :D

2. I Don't Care - This song just reinforced everything I felt about living in a backwards community in a backwards part of the world where I don't belong and don't fit in, and no longer care about trying to belong or fit in.

3. Castaway - Because I've spent the last year or so working towards completely reinventing myself and starting a new life I want on my terms doing what I love. "I'm on a mission into destination unknown." and "Lost and found"

4. American Idiot - It just so succinctly sums up the political garbage being foisted on us at the time of its release. That title alone on the album, without ever hearing the music on the album beyond what was on the radio, put Green Day in my top five all-time favorite bands. I'd been calling Americans idiots in that context for a while and they had the balls to do it publicly when other bands were scared of getting blackballed from the airwaves. Green Day earned my respect in that moment, even though I wasn't listening to their music at the time.

5. Macy's Day Parade - Because in the end, there's always at least a sliver of hope, no matter how bad things get.

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Best first post ever, melissawebster!

Sorry for just complimenting everyone else... I'm trying to get a sense of my own POVs by seeing what everyone else is saying and what makes me think.

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Wow, this thread is awesome! The op is amazing and I'm really enjoying all of your posts :happy:

I'll make sure I post my top 5 as well :)

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Best first post ever, melissawebster!

Sorry for just complimenting everyone else... I'm trying to get a sense of my own POVs by seeing what everyone else is saying and what makes me think.

Thanks!

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