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How has your relationship to Green Day evolved?


mbk

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Ahh, my Green Day relationship has evolved quite weirdly.

Well, I can't exactly remember who it was that officially showed me Green Day, but I remember in 7th grade that I rented "American Idiot" from the public library and listened it to it NON-STOP for the whole two weeks that I had it! I honestly couldn't get enough of it! And I remember one of my close friends at the time really loved Green Day, well at least old Green Day and she burned me a copy of "International Superhits." Listening to their old stuff just made me love Green Day even more! I remember buying all the albums I could get my hands on! I really did become obsessed during 7th and 8th grade.

But then I hit high school. It's not that I didn't like Green Day music anymore, but I just kinda wasn't as super into them as I used to be. However, randomly, I somehow overlooked the fact that Green Day had two more albums prior to Dookie, and I bought them at a local cd store where I live during the summer of my freshman year in high school. And I remember thinking that 39/smooth was the best album ever! It's still a contender for my favorite Green Day album. So, during that summer I again got into Green Day, and then it kind of wore off again. And even when 21st Century Breakdown came out, I of course bought the album as fast as I could, but I didn't quite enjoy that album as much as I enjoyed their others one. However, I must say one of the best nights of my life, was seeing Green Day live in 2010. Like I can't even begin to describe in words, how amazing it was. I have watched countless of youtube videos of their performances live, but nothing compares to being there in person. And they DO NOT disappoint. That was actually the first concert I had ever been to, and I highly doubt that any other band could top that...not that I would want to see another band anyway :P And as memorable as that concert was, I still didn't get back into my Green Day obsession...

However, let's roll in UNO. Bam! I came back! Seeing Green Day all over the place, just snapped back my love for them. Like when I am driving to school, I just shuffle my Green Day albums. That's all I want to listen to now-a-days. Maybe it was because this albums kind of goes back to their old Green Day roots that made me fall in love with this album and them all over again...I'm really not sure! And it's nice to re listen to the albums I have listened to in a while, because it seems like new music (:

I am so glad I have gotten back into my Green Day ways, because honestly, listening to their music just put me in a happy mood! This band has a way with music. The lyrics, the guitar riffs, the bass rhythms, and the pounding drums gives me a love for music that I didn't think I could have. And like I feel something when Billie's singing. (Not to sound too mushy or cliche) But, granted, I like listening to pop radio, but the lyrics are hollow. Like I don't feel the same emotion and connection as I do when Billie's singing. I could honestly write hours and hours about Green Day, but I think I'll conclude here.

My relationship with Green Day has seemed to rock back and forth, but honestly, it's as strong as ever now. And I can't say how genuinely happy I am now. Maybe that's what I have been missing these last few years...gotta end on a sappy note (;

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I liked them before, I like them now as well. The difference is that I don't fantasize about having sex with all of them at once.

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I first found out about GD after my friend let me borrow a copy of International Superhits that he was about to throw out. This happened about two months after American Idiot came out which I didnt even know about until some other friend told me about Boulevard. After that, I proceded to keep all the albums from them that that same first friend was going to throw away. One man's trash is another's treasure.

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When I first found out that Green Day did drugs shortly after getting into them after hearing Walking Contradiction I lost respect for them and I became really determined to find out if they were clean, which lead to me watching heaps of interviews and reading stuff about them, which kind of led to me liking them more, I know they're off meth and acid but I'm still not 100% sure they are off weed, its likely though lol

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7 years ago:

Absolutely obsessed. Collected volumes of Green Day photos/videos. I had folders organized by era. Bought every single magazine they were on the cover, Bought lots of t-shirts, tote bags, etc that were Green Day or Adeline. On GDC constantly. My parents noticed and argued with me because I never wanted to do anything with them. Lol.

Now:

I've gone through 2 computers since then..don't care for saving every single photo of them, nor saving old interview videos, etc. All of those Green Day t-shirts are in a bag in my parent's attic. I've been meaning to put them on E-bay. Someday. I don't have any current GD tshirt that I wear. How sad! I tried buying the one at Hot Topic but they didn't have my size. I have other music interests and so I don't listen to them constantly as I used to. I'm on GDC frequently, but not as much as I used to be. I quite enjoy their instagram shenanigans.

So basically, my "obsession" has lessened...probably due to college and now full-time job. So my days are busier. I will always love them and they will always be my favorite band. I've never been more "involved" with any other band than I have with Green Day ♥

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In 5th grade, American Idiot came out. I could not stop listening to Holiday and Boulevard of Broken Dreams. They resonated within me that few songs ever have. I became obsessed with the lyrics, "I beg to dream and differ from the hallowed lies, this is the dawning of the rest of our lives" and "where the city sleeps and I'm the only one and I walk alone" and "here comes the rain again, falling from the stars" the lines that i could not get out of my head. I started to think about them constantly, the words and the band. The lyrics painted me a picture of the singer (at the time I didn't know who were the members of the band or what they looked like) walking down the lonely street at night when it was raining, trying to find out who he is. I really connected with this because I felt the same way at the time, and in many ways, still do.

Last year, I was going through a bit of a "nostalgia" phase. I wanted to find some of those old things that I thought of highly as a kid. Then I remembered American Idiot. I listened to it for the first time in nearly 7 years, then I remembered everything as stated above. I got in to them more and more, I later bought 21st century breakdown, the warning, dookie, etc. Now, I am a full fledged fan of them and all their music. But, American Idiot stills means much more to me then just about any other one of their albums, or anybody else's.

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When I first found out that Green Day did drugs shortly after getting into them after hearing Walking Contradiction I lost respect for them and I became really determined to find out if they were clean, which lead to me watching heaps of interviews and reading stuff about them, which kind of led to me liking them more, I know they're off meth and acid but I'm still not 100% sure they are off weed, its likely though lol

It seems like they've mentioned that they don't do drugs - included marijuana - anymore. In that one interview with that one guy a couple years ago (I forgot his name; it's the one where Billie describes different ways of smoking pot) Billie was saying how was trying to quit back when his kids were younger. I got the impression that he did quit though.

I like to think they don't do drugs anymore, just cause I'm that kind of person. Don't do drugs!! It's not healthy!

Okay, carry on with these lovely stories. I'm enjoying reading all of these :)

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^ The Bill Maher video is what you are talking about. God, that is one hilarious interview.

Also I like to believe (maybe because I'm a pothead) that the boys, at least BJ, still smoke marijuana. Maybe not as regularly as they used to, but I mean they just seem like the kind of people to do that thing. Maybe with Billie's recent addiction problems they'll cut out the mary jane just to be extra safe, but who knows.

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Well I was only 7 when American Idiot came out but I always knew Boulevard of Broken Dreams as that "one" song. Pretty soon in 2009 when I was 12 I started playing guitar and heard Know Your Enemy and I was hooked...I now own all their albums, a number of bootlegs, and tons of other stuff. Earlier this year I really started getting into their lesser known material, such as various demos. I got ¡UNO! at midnight and I'm super pumped for the rest of the trilogy!

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Well, maybe it's been very confusing 'cause the first time that I listened to Green Day was in 2005 when American Idiot single came out and I don't know but all of my friends like the song cause it offended America, so I didn't pay attention to the song, but then one day I turned on the radio and I heard a song but no one knew how the song was called so I searched the song 3 years long with the name of ''I walk alone'' and I finnaly find the song. Then a friend of mine asked me how the song was called and I said him ''I walk alone'' and he searched it. The next day he told me listened to this Green Day song and I said him that it was awesome. How's it called? and he told me Holiday at that point my delirium with Green Day started. I searched a lot of song of Green Day and then I listended to all of them and then I knew that the first Green Day song I've heard was Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Like 5 years moved on till I listened another Green Day song and it was Know Your Enemy but I didn't payed attention to the full album. Two years more and Awesome as Fuck came out and I bought it. Know I have 4 Facebook pages of Green Day 10 Green Day Cd's (Here the CD'S are expensive) and know I pre-ordered the Ultimate Box Set. Hope comes here SOON!

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It seems like they've mentioned that they don't do drugs - included marijuana - anymore. In that one interview with that one guy a couple years ago (I forgot his name; it's the one where Billie describes different ways of smoking pot) Billie was saying how was trying to quit back when his kids were younger. I got the impression that he did quit though.

I like to think they don't do drugs anymore, just cause I'm that kind of person. Don't do drugs!! It's not healthy!

Okay, carry on with these lovely stories. I'm enjoying reading all of these :)

Yeah I saw that interview, just the line were he says "some of us still are the Cheech and Chong of punk rock" led me to believe they weren't but what evs

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Other people writing extensive posts has kind of given me the freedom to do the same. Good topic. I love reading about people's relationship with the music they like. I suppose it's good to know that as a music nerd I'm not alone.

I started learning to play the guitar in early 2003, got a computer with internet and questionable downloading programmes at the end of that year. Started downloading guitar bands I heard on music channels. The White Stripes, Nirvana, Muse, Guns N Roses etc. Few months later, the first Green Day song I heard was of course Basket Case. Classic video.

One school trip which featured a long bus ride and my friend introduced me to Longview, When I Come Around, Welcome To Paradise and Nice Guys Finish Last. Our joint impression of how Billie-Joe pronounces "Nice Guys Finish Last" has lasted to this day.

Back in those days I used to download songs rather than albums, and make mix CDs for my Walkman. I eventually built myself a fantastic Green Day compilation which was mostly songs from International Superhits along with their cover of I Fought The Law and a hilarious version of Eye Of The Tiger where he doesn't know the words. Then American Idiot came out, and it sounded to me like the end of all music. Nothing sounded like it, nothing came close to matching its awesomeness. A week later, I went on holiday to America, and of course that album soundtracked the whole thing. The song Holiday, for going on Holiday, Homecoming, for the return flight, for nearly every song on that album I can remember one of the parts of the holiday where I listened to it.

Into 2005 and it was great to be a fan of the band everyone were talking about. I came on here and started reading all the song meanings, particularly for American Idiot and the story behind it, but also for songs like Reject, Jackass, Macy's Day Parade. I got really into Warning during summer of 2005, and really pissed off when they played T In The Park in Scotland and I waited the full day to watch their highlights to be told "the band won't let us film them because they're bringing out a DVD". It was around that time when I finally completed my collection. I was still downloading albums song by song, and for ages had been searching for "1,039 Smoothed Out Happy Hours" and wondering why nothing was coming up. Spot the mistake! Then of course the last song I downloaded was "Green Day" since it's hard to search "Green Day Green Day".

My listening habits changed and evolved pretty quickly, the next year I discovered Arctic Monkeys and they quickly became my favourite band. Green Day's always been number two since then. But after years of loving both bands I saw them both for the first time only weeks apart in 2009 and Green Day as a live show are far superior to anyone else I've ever seen. Suggested going to see them at Wembley and my friend Jamie convinced me to camp out. No one complains about the lack of intimacy at a stadium show when they're in the second row!

I now go through phases of not listening to them, probably because everything has been worn out, but there are always times when I re-discover songs and then exclusively listen to Green Day for a week. Right now I'm interested in the new albums and finding out about a UK tour so I'm pretty regularly on here and listening to their discography pretty regularly.

TL;DR Been around since two-thousand-fuckin'-four.

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Wait, the line that some are still the Cheech and Chong of punk rock lead you to believe he doesn't smoke weed?

Also, the best part of that was Billie's reaction to Maher not knowing what a gravity bong hit was. Billie proceeded to enthusiastically explain it. Classic.

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No that line leads me to believe he does smoke weed?

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I'll make this as short as possible. I've known Green Day for years, but only for the song American Idiot. I assumed they we're some half decent band that were a one hit wonder. That's until I heard Holiday in 2006 and from there I learned they also did Good Riddance, Blvd of broken Dreams, Basket Case, Wake me up when september ends. From that point I slowly progressed through all of their albums and fell in love with every single one of their albums. All their songs carried me through middle school and high school. Never looked back since and Green Day have been the closest friends I've ever had

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i feel like everybody here is so young haha. when warning came out i was in the 9th grade. :dry:

lol, nah. I was in 7th grade when Insomniac came out.

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Just a warning, this is going to be long. I'm a really wordy person and there's a lot to talk about.

Unfortunately, I discovered Green Day a lot too late. I didn't really even get into music that much until like sophomore year in high school. Don't know how I could have missed American Idiot! I heard Boulevard of Broken Dreams on the radio and really liked it, so I looked it up. For some reason I used to think "Green Day" was a rap group. Maybe because the Black-Eyed Peas have a color in their name too, honestly I have no idea. Anyway, stupid. So I really liked Boulevard of Broken Dreams and started hearing news about Green Day everywhere because it was several months before 21st Century Breakdown was going to be released. The first time I saw them was in a rhapsody commercial on TV and then I saw them perform on The Colbert Report and was like "Oh! That's Green Day?! Wow!" I also remember thinking it was kind of funny that the lead singer's name was Billie Joe. :lol:

After that, I found out they were coming to Seattle and decided I just had to go! Even though I was up in the nose bleeds, the was the best concert I had ever been too! When leaving, there was a person handing out tour posters and I got the last one! I also remember one of the people I went with asked "So what did you think?" and I said "Oh my god! That was incredible! I really like the lead singer."

When I got back home after that concert, I was so emotionally overwhelmed that I was literally crying on and off for almost a month. It was almost like grieving. I'm a very emotional person to begin with and I know that, but this level of intensity surprised even me and I was actually a little worried about it. I didn't know anyone else I could talk to or identify with who also loved Green Day, so I had no way to share my feelings and just had to keep them locked up. I think that accounted for so much of the intensity. But I got over it. I also got into watching at least one Green Day video every night, whether it be performance, interview or something else.

Anyway, I've loved Green Day ever since that concert and I now have all records and side project works they have ever done. I am also thrilled to finally find a place like this where there are other people who share my love! :D

With my love and respect for Green Day, my love for Billie Joe grew as well, now it's overwhelming at times. Ha ha! I started out thinking

"Oh, I kind of like him, he's cute!" Then it developed into, "Wow! He is really hot!", now it's more like "Holy fucking hell! He is the most attractive living thing that has ever existed in the entire universe!" I don't feel like I could ever love or respect anyone as much as I do him. :wub: He is just such an amazing, intelligent, sweet, talented, and creative person and Billie coming into my life has changed it just as much as Green Day has.

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Well, I'll make it short. I found out about Green Day when American Idiot came out (but had listened a little to International Superhits, my brother had the CD), and then instantly became a fan. It's my first love in terms of music, because then I started listening to a lot of bands (not only punk I mean). And well, the "obsession" has grown a lot since 21st Century Breakdown because in 2010 they came to my country and I went to see them. And now I love the band more than ever.

I'm not ashamed to say that this "obsession" keeps growing because I can handle it. And I don't want to have sex with them.. Only because I know that won't happen. just joking

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I'm married to the band now. That's how my love for them feels, like a 9 year marriage. All chill with the right hint of passion.

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Ok, well here you can feel young. When Wanring came out, I was in my 7th year of college. hahaha

Ah yes, finally someone closer to my age, and closer to the number of years I spent in college. :lol:

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My relationship with Green Day started really young but it was never that strong. When I was a kid my brother and I loved the music in the Tony Hawk video games, especially THPS1-4. I really loved the punk stuff in those games, but I never really thought about it, it was just good music to me. In 5th grade American Idiot broke and I loved the singles from that, my friend Chris borrowed it from the local library but when he let me borrow it I (rather ignorantly) only ripped the singles and neglected the rest of the album. After that I sort stopped listening to music as I got into other hobbies. Fast forward to 7th grade, where I was really into the bad music that everyone was listening to, I'm talking shitty rap from the Bay Area like E-40 and such. Then in 8th grade I discovered classic rock through Guitar Hero III on accident, and that introduced me to Metallica. I was a huge metal head during that year and in my first year in high school, and I was in love with Metallica. It motivated me to learn the guitar and start a band. I liked the Sex Pistols at the same time and the Ramones, but the closest thing to GD I was listening to at the time was Nirvana, and even then I wasn't really that into it.

Then it happened. I went on a family trip to Stockton, CA on Easter Sunday in 2008. I didn't own an iPod, and knowing I was bored my cousins let me borrow her iPod on the ride over. I looked through and scoffed at the lack of bands I liked, no Metallica, no Megadeth, no Pantera, I couldn't find anything. I saw Green Day, and I though "I used to like this shit why not". The iPod was on random and St. Jimmy started playing. I was immediately hooked. Then Jesus of Suburbia played. Then Homecoming. I literally spent that whole day listening to American Idiot non stop. At the end I was absolutely blown away, I was emotionally exhausted and I couldn't believe this had been under my nose the entire time. When I got back to my cousins I immediately borrowed AI and then the next day asked my mom to take me to Best Buy where I spent my lunch money on Dookie. My life changed. My band stopped playing thrash and started playing punk, I changed my guitar focus from technicality and speed to chord progression and melody. Ever since then I've loved Green Day, and they've gradually evolved from my second favorite band to my absolute favorite band. 5 years strong.

Another reason I love Green Day though is because they introduced me to so many awesome bands. Rancid, NOFX, NUFAN, Blink-182, Operation Ivy, Fifteen, Crimpshrine, Pinhead Gunpowder, Bouncing Souls, Bodyjar, Bosstones, Goldfinger, Husker Du, Misfits, MTX, MxPx, Pennywise, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Clash, Less than Jake, etc.; all these kickass bands and more were introduced to me because Green Day showed me this thing called "punk rock", and I will never go back. That's why Green Day will always have that special place in my heart, because they are essentially my first kiss, a first kiss that I think has saved my life and made it better.

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The first time I heard Green Day was when American Iditot got released. I think I was 12/13 and back then I stated trying to find who I was and all that teenage stuff. So when I heard Green Day, I knew exactly who I wanted to be. So I bought the record and I absolutely fell in love with it. Obviously I didn't understand everything they were singing since english is not my first language, but it still was the best album ever for me. After that I got all the CD's they released.

After that I discovered more and more punk/rock/indie bands and obviously I didn't listen to Green Day all the time, but I would always come back around and fall in love with them all over. When 21CB got released I was beyond exited, but somehow the record didn't click with me, so I rarely listened to it. About a bit over a year ago I listened to it again in full and then it finally clicked and I fell in love with it too. However I wasn't majorly obsessed with them anymore, but they would always still be one of my favorite bands.

So before Uno got released I wasn't paying too much attention to GD, but when it got released, HOLY MOLY. I fell in love with it and now I am where I started all over again :3

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When I became a Green Day fan, I was so ignorant to other music. There was a period where GD was like the only shit I bumped.

Over the years, Music is a huge part of my life. Followed countless rock/alt bands, became huge fans of classic bands, and became a pretty big hip hop fan.

Green Day will always have a part in my life though. Will never change mang, owe it all to them.

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