pasalaska Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Song of the Week this week is the exotic sounding Extraordinary Girl, track 9 off 2004’s epic rock opera, American Idiot, Green Day’s 7th studio album. In regards to the American Idiot album story-arc, Extraordinary Girl finds the characters of the Jesus of Suburbia and Whatsername reaching the breaking point of their relationship; she’s feisty, self-confident and wants the world to notice her, while he’s lacking in confidence and is withdrawn from the world, leaving her “all alone again”. It’s clear that the JoS is very much infatuated with Whatsername (after all, he calls her ‘extraordinary’), but at the same time the strains of their relationship are showing through loud and clear, to the point where they’re both finding that she’s “so sick of crying” and that “it’s not worth trying”. Musically, Extraordinary Girl is the odd one out on American Idiot, with its bongo-drum intro and its almost exotic sound. Extraordinary Girl is also featured in the American Idiot musical, however the story arc is changed somewhat so that the characters that feature in the song are not Jesus of Suburbia and Whatsername, but Tunny and his military nurse-turned-lover known only as ‘The Extraordinary Girl’. This week we have 2 awesome videos for our audial and visual pleasure. First off is a televised performance of Extraordinary Girl from VH1’s Storytellers recorded in 2005, which also has a neat little snippet from Billie about the Whatsername character before the song starts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozp226ITKy4 Next is an multi-camera video of an acoustic live performance of Extraordinary Girl filmed in Prague in 2010 on the 21st Century Breakdown tour. Lyrics: She's an extraordinary girl, In an ordinary world, And she can't seem to get away He lacks the courage in his mind, Like a child left behind, Like a pet left in the rain She's all alone again, Wiping the tears from her eyes Some days he feels like dying, She gets so sick of crying She sees the mirror of herself, An image she wants to sell, To anyone willing to buy He steals the image in her kiss, From her hearts apocalypse, From the one called Whatsername She's all alone again, Wiping the tears from her eyes Some days he feels like dying, She gets so sick of crying She's all alone again, Wiping the tears from her eyes Some days he feels like dying Some days it's not worth trying Now that they both are finding She gets so sick of crying She's an extraordinary girl An extraordinary girl An extraordinary girl An extraordinary girl ********************************************************************************************************* You can nominate songs for discussion as Song of the Week in the SotW Nominations and Archive thread, which contains links to each previous Song of the Week in its first post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mar Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 It's no longer my favorite, but when AI came out, it was my favorite on the CD (likely because its sound did stand out) ... still love it, though. My love mainly came from the Storytellers as posted above. What an amazing performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdpony Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 This song is just amazing! I love it, the lyrics are beautiful, and every now and then I can identify myself with them. Definitely on top 3 favorite songs from American Idiot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E!!i Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I like the drumming at the beginning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjrules Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 For ages I never really listened to this song very much, and I always found it to be one of Green Day's weakest songs. But then one day I was playing it on GD Rock Band, and for some reason I really started to like it, and now I listen to it all the time I really like the acoustic version from that video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltrbmb17 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 i often skip it in my walkman because of drums in the beginning. As i don't like arabic music, so they are too boring for me. But if it happens i listen to the song, oh god! it stucks in my head for all day! My favorite moment is when the music stops at: "She gets so sick of crying" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigister Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I really like this one, especially that sort of ethnic drum rythm in the beginning Perhaps it's a bit too long, but not much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghesboro Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Bongo-drum intro powah! I love it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoodleBob Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I always think of this song as an updated She. It has the same messages of self worth and lack of confidence. Seeing an image and not liking what you're seeing, not fitting in, being alone and crying. These are all things that everyone experiences atleast once in their life, and Billie Joe did an excellent job with portraying it in Whatsername. Great choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingrid Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I had a very neutral relationship with this song originally, I didn't dislike it, but it was probably my least favourite off American Idiot. But after Billie Joe played part of it live at Ullevaal in 2010, it now makes me think of that wonderful night, and I feel much closer to the song in general. It literally hadn't been played in ages, so it was a great little surprise! <3 I love how hearing songs live can completely change what they mean to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cym Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I remember when the album first came out, I never really paid too much attention to this song, and I knew it wasn't one of my favorites. I remember thinking that it took too long to get started, and it was just too slow for the feel of the rest of the album. As time wore on though, and I listened to the whole album more, I found out that this song just really fits, and the message of it really came through. When the musical album came out and I listened to their version, it gained me a whole new appreciation for the song and how versatile it could be. While still not one of my top songs from them, it is quite heartbreaking and lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undómiel Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Definitely my least favourite song off American Idiot. It's still good but it just doesn't grab me anymore.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bundita Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I remember listening to this song for the first time and thinking that the song would be an instrumental, kind of like Last Ride In, but with drums for 3 minutes. When the guitar part started, I was all hyper. I think that the beginning is a bit repetitive, but indeed a very unique approach to starting a song. I like this song, but it's not in my top 3 for AI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Rhyme Or Reason Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 This is definitely one of my favorite songs on American Idiot, and among my favorite Green Day songs overall. I love how exotic and different it is - the bongo drums at the beginning and the Arabic/Spanish sound, and I always love it when Billie rolls his "r"s. Musically it is unique for Green Day, but it also is so listenable - an early review for the album suggested the Extraordinary Girl would have made a great single, and I agree. It's just mainstream enough in the chorus, but has foreign elements that make it stand out among most songs (by GD or on the radio in general). Lyrically this song is also spectacular. I do love relationship songs, and I like Billie's use of metaphors. The words get right at the emotions of the song, of love that doesn't work out because of the two individuals' personal issues. Everything about this song is perfection, and it stood out as a favorite the first time I listened to AI, and still is my personal favorite from the album. (Actually, since AI was my first GD album, this was my first favorite song by them, so it holds an extra-special place among their songs ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cre Tool. Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 This song used to be my favorite when I first heard it. I found it unique and the lyrics are amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Grohl Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 This is still one of my favorite songs from American Idiot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justcause Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 When I was first hearing American Idiot, with all of its mesmerizing power - that fucking blitz of intellect and emotion - this one would keep coming again and again. It can seem slight, put against the powerhouses of that album, but here is the nerve-touching stuff, the no-man's-land. The music-sound distances it from everything else, creates the sense of faltering and doubt on the threshold of a dream. Here's this dream-couple, Jesus of Suburbia and the ultimate rebel girl, and here they are at this place where he's standing back and seeing what each of them is getting from this - she sees a mirror of herself, he steals the image in her kiss, all of it has become about how other people see them, how they reflect on each other, and nothing central, nothing core, nothing of you-and-me-against-the-world. It's like the ideal was the real relationship, and each saw the other as a pathway to that. Songwise, this is epic in so many ways - it takes you straight to the place, without any preamble or set-up. In simple, powerful words, you're just there, and you know what's happening, even if you never heard of JOS or Whatsername or AI or Green Day. It's beautiful and wistful and haunting - and as the chords dissolve, you ache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anja Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I agree with most when they say it's one of their weaker songs. This song has always been one of those that I just can't seem to get into, it doesn't speak to me in the same way the rest of the album does. Since the musical, this has definitely changed (I adore the musical version, especially when hearing and seeing it live with the female character "flying" around and all), but I still find myself skipping this song from time to time. I have no idea what it is about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie, get your gun Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Oh I love this I love this I LOVE THIS! To me it's one of Green Day's best songs ever 'cause the melody it's so unusual. Like they named first "Radio Bhagdad" was an interesting title but Extraordinary Girl suits better ♥ And the lyrics has something sweet about the love between the characters, I think it's very genuine. Excellent choice for SOTW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary711 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Oh wow, I just love it. And this video from Prague just made me all this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeny96 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 This is my favorite song of all times !!! I love it so damn much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E!!i Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Oh I love this I love this I LOVE THIS! To me it's one of Green Day's best songs ever 'cause the melody it's so unusual. Like they named first "Radio Bhagdad" was an interesting title but Extraordinary Girl suits better ♥ And the lyrics has something sweet about the love between the characters, I think it's very genuine. Excellent choice for SOTW! what they wanted to name it "Radio Bhagdad"? didn't know thatWhat does Billie actually sing in the Prague video at 1:30 where the right lyrics would actually be "An image she wants to sell" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie, get your gun Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 what they wanted to name it "Radio Bhagdad"? didn't know that I think it's because of the intro that has that weird melody with an instrument that Tré played, but the whole song has that music that makes it unique from any other GD song. Right now I can't remember where I heard the thing from the title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frunsi Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 my least favourite song off AI. but i love the percussion part at the beginning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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