Jump to content

Nuclear Family


pasalaska

Recommended Posts

Hello GDCers! Sorry for the brief hiatus with SotW these last few weeks. My bad. Please accept this pretty rose :rose:

Without further ado, this week’s Song of the Week, in celebration of OMFG NEW ALBUM is Nuclear Family, the opening track of Green Day’s 9th studio album Uno, released this week!

The term ‘Nuclear Family’ refers to the social unit of a couple (stereotypically a married mother and father) and their kids – the conservative, traditional idea of a family household. This song, then, describes the death of this social construct (something which is currently lamented by many a politician), death bought on, in this instance, by the self-destructive behaviour of a parent going through some sort of identity or mid-life crisis. The first verse is a yearning for action and excitement; drinking and taking risks, but also going in the same old circles at the same time, just like merry-go-rounds and ferris wheels do. The second verse then describes the build-up of emotions and anxieties (“the sound coming over the hill”), an internal mixture of unstable feelings that are ready to “detonate” into some sort of explosive mid-life crisis. The chorus gets slightly political with its first line, which is possibly a reference to the hyped-up perceived thread of communism (from China’s growing global status) on the traditional western family. The imminent death of this nuclear family however, is simply brushed off as just “another bad comedy” about a dysfunctional family, and as long as this parent still gets the material, “hi-fidelity”, comfortable life that they currently have then no moves are going to be made to change for the better. Finally, the song ends in a count-down, cutting off just before the detonation.

This song has a shiny new(ish) HD music video, directed by Farm League, for your viewing pleasure! It’s great to see not only Jason White featured in it, but also Jeff in the background.

Lyrics:

Gonna ride the world like a merry-go-round

Like a ferris wheel like that's breaking down

Drinking angel’s piss, gonna crash and burn

I just want some action so gimme my turn

Like a Chinese drama and conspiracy

It’s the death of a nuclear family staring up at you

It’s looking like another bad comedy

Just as long as it comes in hi-fidelity for me too

Can you hear the sound coming over the hill?

Gotta move my feet, it’s coming in for the kill

Baby baby, baby it’s a blow out

Like a nuclear bomb and it won’t be long ’til I detonate

Like a Chinese drama and conspiracy

It’s the death of a nuclear family staring up at you

It’s looking like another bad comedy

Just as long as it comes in hi-fidelity for me too

Gonna ride the world like a merry-go-round

Like a ferris wheel like that’s breaking down

Scream, scream, screaming bloody murder

Like a nuclear bomb it won’t be long ’til I detonate

Like a Chinese drama and conspiracy

It’s the death of a nuclear family staring up at you

It’s looking like another bad comedy

Just as long as it comes in hi-fidelity for me too

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three

5-4-3-2-1

*********************************************************************************************************

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

  • Replies 62
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I've really been wondering which song you'd pick as Song Of The Week - and now that it's Nuclear Family, it seems obvious to me. Good choice. And once again, I'm super impressed by the way you're looking at the songs, Aska. You often bring in little things and interpretations of lines, which I would have never thought of this way. That's what I really love about reading your introductions.

Nuclear Family is probably one of the best opening tracks they've ever had. I love the first line "Gonna ride the world like a merry-go-round" and the fact that the song's super powerful. It sounds like the Green Day we're used to, yet slightly different and this makes it the perfect "opener" for me. It lets the listener know in which direction Green Day's going with the triology. So all in all, Nuclear Family is an awesome start in an awesome album! :happy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great choice. I'm just so pumped up by this song. The bass solo is the thing that attracts me to this number.

Its a perfect kick-start to the album with all the countdown and stuff. The guitars, drums, everything is so awesome and energetic.

I'm looking forward to read some great explanations of this song here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love the song and the video is cool too but you wrote that the video for Nuclear Family is directed by Sam Bayer what is wrong. He directed Oh love and Kill the DJ both the nuclear family and the stay the night videos were directed by "Farm League". (it is said in the description under the video on greendays official youtube chanell

)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really freaking LOVE this song, and I can't for the life of me understand why it wasn't the first single release. Great interpretation! That's my interpretation as well. Though I'd go even further with the "Nuclear" metaphor. It looks like a reference to the nuclear accident in Fukushima in 2011 and the Chinese government's subsequent cover-up and denial, and all the deaths that resulted from it, which falls in line with around the time Billie has said in interviews that he wrote it. It also falls in line with the metaphor of a man in the midst of a mid-life crisis going through the back and forth confusion and "living in denial," trying to cover it up, just pretending.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nuclear Family is one of my favourite songs on Uno, and actually one of my favourite Green Day songs all around. I loved it from the shitty recordings from 2010. I can't really describe WHAT it is I love about it, I just do....musically (Dat bass solo *eargasm*) and lyrically I think it's excellent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love this song and it is my favorite of Uno! The energy is amazing and it's a great album (and trilogy) opener. And I think it will be an amazing show opener as well! The only thing I don't like is the countdown at the end.

I loved your interpretation of the song, by the way!

I really freaking LOVE this song, and I can't for the life of me understand why it wasn't the first single release. Great interpretation! That's my interpretation as well. Though I'd go even further with the "Nuclear" metaphor. It looks like a reference to the nuclear accident in Fukushima in 2011 and the Chinese government's subsequent cover-up and denial, and all the deaths that resulted from it, which falls in line with around the time Billie has said in interviews that he wrote it. It also falls in line with the metaphor of a man in the midst of a mid-life crisis going through the back and forth confusion and "living in denial," trying to cover it up, just pretending.

The accident in Fukushima was in Japan, not China. :whistle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Love this song. Really, really great!! One of my favourites off UNO, I think. A close second to Stay the Night.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really freaking LOVE this song, and I can't for the life of me understand why it wasn't the first single release. Great interpretation! That's my interpretation as well. Though I'd go even further with the "Nuclear" metaphor. It looks like a reference to the nuclear accident in Fukushima in 2011 and the Chinese government's subsequent cover-up and denial, and all the deaths that resulted from it, which falls in line with around the time Billie has said in interviews that he wrote it. It also falls in line with the metaphor of a man in the midst of a mid-life crisis going through the back and forth confusion and "living in denial," trying to cover it up, just pretending.

Ha! Nevermind. Fukushima was in Japan, so I don't know what the hell China has to do with anything. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love the song, it's probably my favourite from the new ones they've released. I actually really don't like Kill the DJ and Oh Love so I'm glad Nuclear Family's been finally released as I was really down because of the first two songs and for some moments I was so down I thought the album would be a disaster, but it isn't, I like its sound (which is different to 21st Century Breakdown or American Idiot) and the songs are very good but there're some exceptions which I don't like. I'm happy that Nuclear Family's been chosen for this week's song of the week. I like it as the opening song, the lyrics are okay and the melody's refreshing. Also I like the video simple and plain, showing just Green Day playing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love the song and the video is cool too but you wrote that the video for Nuclear Family is directed by Sam Bayer what is wrong. He directed Oh love and Kill the DJ both the nuclear family and the stay the night videos were directed by "Farm League". (it is said in the description under the video on greendays official youtube chanell https://www.youtube....v=jHmSyGjf6BA )

Oh, thanks for catching that! Will change my post :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Copying this from Facebook. I wrote it as a joke, but I also pretty much stand behind it as the only possible meaning I can derive from this song.

"If I had to interpret a meaning, he's talking about the politicians lamenting the destruction of the "traditional family unit," blaming it on outside factors like communism / Islam / whoever we're demonizing this week. It's so stupid, it's laughable, but no one cares, just as long as they're getting good coverage of it in the news."

Still love it though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nuclear Family! :woot:

1. My favorite single off Uno;

2. the song that made me realize how much back vocals are AWESOME in this album;

3. ...lyrics. :) I loved reading that introduction, it's perfect and helped me with some passages that weren't 100% clear to me. But as I usually do, I gave them my personal interpretation and I know it has nothing to share with Billie Joe's real aim :P So I'll just analyse my favorite line, which is the opening one, Gonna ride the world like a merry-go-round. Actually, it should be wanna and not gonna to me. I wanna ride the world like a merry-go-round, that's what I'm thinking now that being adult's became so fucking true. I wanna keep a sort of childish eye, I wanna take life less seriously, I wanna have fun during that ride that's my life. When you're taking your ride, you must pay the money for the ticket, as well as you must do some sacrifices during your existence. But when my ride will end, I wanna feel sorry and not relieved because it's over. Cause when I'll look back, I wanna see beautiful things, things that I'm completely satisfied of, and I want to want (ooops sorry) to take another ride, because I've loved the previous one so much that it'd be okay even to pay the ticket once again for feeling again that amazing experience. :)

I hope it's clear :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This song's an amazing opener, for the album and for a show. The line gonna ride the world like a merry-go round is perfect.

My interpretation is just a guy stuck in his stagnant nuclear family life, wanting to break free and finally getting to the point where he's going to detonate. Simple but yeah.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've seen so many different lyrics to this song it's crazy. Can no one figure out what is being said after "chinese"?

Chinese dominate conspiracy

Chinese drama or conspiracy

chinese company conspiracy

and then there's this mess that I found:

Alone

All

In the world is a merry-go-around

Where do the free? in this place get down?

Switched to a bastard home

I just want to latch and get a grip

Go

Chorus:

Right now these lonely faces

The other nuclear families

They left you

Were not that complicated

But another - problem

To you

And - can all go to hell

[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/g/green-day-lyrics/nuclear-family-lyrics.html ]

That spell

Ba-baby, baby, your protection, oh yeah

Fall/fold old-new concept that never went away

The ride in the world is a merry-go-around

Where do the free in this place get down?

Sweet Jesus, Jesus, Bloody Mary, oh yeah

I've been rooting? for an old-new concept that never went away

....so it's a Chinese what??????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The official lyrics are "Chinese drama and conspiracy," but I can't unhear "Chinese company conspiracy," so I will continue to sing it wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nuclear Family! :woot:

1. My favorite single off Uno;

2. the song that made me realize how much back vocals are AWESOME in this album;

3. ...lyrics. :) I loved reading that introduction, it's perfect and helped me with some passages that weren't 100% clear to me. But as I usually do, I gave them my personal interpretation and I know it has nothing to share with Billie Joe's real aim :P So I'll just analyse my favorite line, which is the opening one, Gonna ride the world like a merry-go-round. Actually, it should be wanna and not gonna to me. I wanna ride the world like a merry-go-round, that's what I'm thinking now that being adult's became so fucking true. I wanna keep a sort of childish eye, I wanna take life less seriously, I wanna have fun during that ride that's my life. When you're taking your ride, you must pay the money for the ticket, as well as you must do some sacrifices during your existence. But when my ride will end, I wanna feel sorry and not relieved because it's over. Cause when I'll look back, I wanna see beautiful things, things that I'm completely satisfied of, and I want to want (ooops sorry) to take another ride, because I've loved the previous one so much that it'd be okay even to pay the ticket once again for feeling again that amazing experience. :)

I hope it's clear :lol:

That's a great interpretation and I relate to that as well, but I see the "gonna" as a set-up to the rest of the album and into iDOS! and iTRE!, especially when you factor in the count-down at the end, like the next song of "Stay The Night" is the beginning of the story. It's like he's saying this is what's gonna happen, prepare for the hell-ride that's about to come next with the rest of the songs as I completely fuck up my life with my family in lieu of the cheap thrill. And they've said in interviews that iTRE! is cleaning up the mess, which indicates some regret.

The official lyrics are "Chinese drama and conspiracy," but I can't unhear "Chinese company conspiracy," so I will continue to sing it wrong.

Haha! Me too. I know it's supposed to be "Chinese drama and conspiracy," but "Chinese company conspiracy is already stuck in my head. I'm having to force myself to sing it right, but I catch myself singing it wrong when I'm not being deliberate about it. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a great interpretation and I relate to that as well, but I see the "gonna" as a set-up to the rest of the album and into iDOS! and iTRE!, especially when you factor in the count-down at the end, like the next song of "Stay The Night" is the beginning of the story. It's like he's saying this is what's gonna happen, prepare for the hell-ride that's about to come next with the rest of the songs as I completely fuck up my life with my family in lieu of the cheap thrill. And they've said in interviews that iTRE! is cleaning up the mess, which indicates some regret.

Yes yes you're right! :) The wanna is just referred to myself ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes yes you're right! :) The wanna is just referred to myself ;)

I'm with you there. I definitely wanna ride the world like a merry-go-round. Hmmm... then again, since a merry-go-round only goes in circles and never actually gets anywhere, maybe not. Maybe I wanna ride the world like a ... what the freak kind of joy ride doesn't come crashing down at some point? A high speed rail train maybe? Okay, I'll go with that one: "Wanna ride the world like a high-speed train/Slicing through the mountains/Breaking through the rain" :D

I'm just teasing you. I completely get what you're saying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wrote an album review of iUNO! last week for Huffington Post. Given the events that have unfolded over the weekend with Billie Joe Armstrong, in retrospect, the entire album seems eerily autobiographical. The actual review starts at the fifth paragraph and it kind of freaks me out now, but it's my interpretation of Nuclear Family and how it fits in with the rest of the album:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-webster/green-days-iuno-an-album-_b_1894560.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...