120 replies to this topic

[XPursuitOfEpicnessX]

Though i try to say it's probably Dookie, I can never really choose a favorite Green Day album because i realize i love them all for different reasons.

As I was listening to American Idiot today i thought to myself, whoa amazing lyrics, Billie's a freaking genius. Then it made me over think about which album is best in a lyrical sense. It's such a hard question!

Though many hate 21st Century Breakdown i'll admit i thought the lyrics were amazing and i could feel the emotion in them.

But i'd have to give my favorite lyrical album to American Idiot or Insomniac., (for this week anyway haha).

What about you guys?

 

Oh and if you want put your favorite album for drums/guitar/vocals/bass whatever. It's always interesting to see that too!

[Tman684]

I think Kerplunk, 39, and Dookie had the strongest lyrics

[Cat C]

The trilogy. 

 

Naw, I'm kidding. Definitely American Idiot. 21CB is good, but "I've got a really bad disease…" makes me cringe every time I listen to Restless Heart Syndrome. While American Idiot (to me) feels naturally expressive and poetic, I've always thought 21CB seemed a bit forced. All albums have their moments because BJA is a great lyricist but American Idiot is overall the strongest for me.

[Gregorovich]

Definitely American Idiot. 21st Century Breakdown comes close, but the other albums are waaay behind.

[musso_kn]

Like you, my favourite album lyrically probably changes on a weekly basis. With the exception of the triology, which for the most part is lyrically weak in my opinion (I do still love the albums regardless), I think all Green Day albums have strong, meaningful lyrics.

 

 

I'll go with Warning because it's so diverse: there are fun lyrics (Blood Sex and Booze and Misery), elements of social commentary (Minority, Fashion Victim and Warning) and displays of very sincere, honest songwriting (Waiting, Macy's Day Parade, Hold On, Deadbeat Holiday).

[PaulS]

As far as I'm concerned, everything Billie has written was leading up to American Idiot. There were standout lines throughout all the proceeding albums (from Dry Ice right through to Macy's Day Parade), but American Idiot really is a stunning moment of realisation. Anarchic, yet awash with symbolism of the traditional family home. A record that somehow melded cynicism with a heartfelt call to arms. It's a once in a generation record, and a once in a career record to boot.

 

Everything since has tried too hard, either with 21CB's penchant for metaphor, or the trilogy's self-conscious abandon. They have good lines amongst them, but the whole never stands up like it did with American Idiot.

[IsaGreenDay]

American Idiot, but 21st Century Breakdown and Insomniac are not far behind. Probably my choices will be different next week, but I'm with AI by now.

[Ballad]

21st Century Breakdown has the best lyrics for me. Sometimes it may seem muddled, but I don't know, every song (except for KYE and Christian's Inferno) has either really great and fitting or just simply beautiful lyrics. Before The Lobotomy, 21st Century Breakdown, Restless Heart Syndrome, American Eulogy, East Jesus Nowhere... all some of the best songs BJA has ever penned.

[DTH]

I think Kerplunk, 39, and Dookie had the strongest lyrics

lol.

 

i love all of those albums musically (1039/smoothed out slappy hours is one of my favorite albums), but lyrically? the first album is just on big love song to me. (an kind of cheezy sometimes).

 

best lyrics: on first position by far: insomniac (overall best) and 2nd: 21st century breakdown (musically second weakest just before uno). for all you kind people i might add: in my opinion.

 

favorite quotes:

 

"no cultures worth a stream of piss or bullet in my face" (no pride)

 

"today's the macy's day parade
the night of the living dead is on its way
with a credit report for duty call" (so their best political song is neither on AI or 21stcbd...: macys day parade)

 

"Billboard on the rise in the dawn's landscape
Working your insanity
Tragic a la madness and concrete
Coca-Cola execution" (static age. sad thing here: their behaviour is nowadays part of what they critisize in those lyrics)

[Strayheart1219]

Kerplunk, dookie and uno for me

[Heather.]

Warning, Insomniac, and Dookie.

 

And those aren't even my favorites. Well, except Warning.

[Dirty Rotten Bastard]

Insomniac or American Idiot. Jesus of Suburbia is just amazing lyrically. 

[DerKoal]

American Idiot

[Anja]

Easy one. American Idiot.

[Florence]

21st Century Breakdown

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[burnout409]

American Idiot

[iRun]

21CB

[JIGD13]

I think Kerplunk is the album that has the best lyrics because it talks about personal experience on Billie Joe's life, maybe 2nd place for me is Nimrod

[C-Lee]

Toss up between American Idiot, since the concept is just brilliant, with fantastic lyrical gems like JOS, Are We The Waiting and Letterbomb, and 21st Century Breakdown, with just fantastic lyrics. 

 

Both great.

[inthehallwaynow]

i really enjoy insomniac's lyrics 

[xXRustyJamesXx]

American Idiot!

[LazyPhil]

American Idiot, in my opinion, has the strongest lyrics but 21st CB is close second

[Brane]

Insomniac and Nimrod

[Quido]

Lyrically the best albums Billie Joe have written is Warning, American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. Feels like this trilogy made a weird turning point lyrically, since it's the worse songs they've ever written, lyrically speaking. 

[Makeout One]

Dookie, Warning and Insomniac.

[EggMong]

Personally American Idiot would be my favorite lyrically. That's partly why it's my favorite album ever, not only is it brilliant musically the lyrics are just as good. I love how it tells a story and everything works so perfectly. I've never really taken the time to try and understand 21st Century Breakdown but from what I hear it's a lot harder to understand. Plus like someone said, there are some iffy lyrics in there. The trilogy isn't brilliant lyrically in my opinion, Makeout Party is one of my least favorite, but there are still some really good lyrics in there, eg Lazy Bones. Warning also has incredible lyrics in for me.

 

On the flip side of the genius lyrics of American Idiot there are the lyrics like from Dookie and Green Day's other earlier albums. They are different but I love them all the same. They're so relatable and I love them. Lyrics like these only increase the appeal of songs and make me want to listen them more.

 

Billie-Joe is a genius!

[Khris]

American Idiot, Warning, and Dookie are up there for me

[Mandy_PunkRock]

American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown

[Andre Bruxo]

Lyrically Insomniac for sure. Really dark and angry.

 

"Standing on the corner of

Stuart and the Avenue
Ripping up my transfer
And a photograph of you
You're a blur of my dead past and rotting existance
As I stand laughing on the corner of insignificance"

[Platypus2000]

21st CB, no doubt about it. Lyrics are amazing on there.