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SoTW: Scattered


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SCATTERED

The fifth track from 1997's Nimrod, Scattered has become a firm fan favourite. Although never released as a single, it is commonly found amongst the favourites of many Green Day fans. Clocking in at 3 minutes, it's one of the longer songs from the album, although it follows Green Day's usual straightforward song structure.

The song meaning, as far as I can tell, is fairly straightforward, someone who's made a mess of a relationship and is yearning to get it back again. As far as I know, there're no existing interviews dealing with the meaning. If anything, the lyrics are actually strangely straightforward for Billie :P The first verse has our protagonist reminiscing while looking at old photographs, thinking about how their life feels meaningless without the person they lost. They've learnt from their mistakes, and regret the choices that lead them to this point. In the chorus the protagonist thinks about how the person they've hurt is with them in the "past and present", and hopes they'll be in their "future too", because they'd give anything for it to happen. In the second verse, we're given an incredibly visceral description of the emotional suffering this relationship breakdown has caused our protagonist. Finally, in the bridge, they ask if they can give the relationship another chance.

The most interesting thing about Scattered is how it fits into the story that's told by the opening songs of Nimrod. Nice Guys Finished Last has the protagonist of the story becoming jaded and cynical about life, and Hitchin' A Ride is them burning out. The Grouch is the bitter regret afterwards, and Redundant is a lament to a broken relationship. Scattered is where the pieces start to come back together, and the healing of the relationship can begin.

On a personal note, Scattered is one of my favourite ever Green Day songs, because it really feels like Billie is writing from experience. Plus I know all too well the feelings expressed within the words.

Lyrics

I've got some scattered pictures lying on my bedroom floor.

Reminds me of the times we shared.

Makes me wish that you were here.

'Cause now it seems I've forgotten my purpose in this life.

All the songs have been erased.

Guess I've learned from my mistakes.

Open the past and present.

Now and we are there.

Story to tell and I am listening.

Open the past and present.

And the future too.

It's all I've got and I'm giving it up to you.

Loose ends tied in knots.

Leaving a lump down in my throat.

Gagging on a souvenir.

Lodged to fill another year.

Drag it on and on until my skin is ripped to shreds.

Leaving myself open wide.

Living out a sacrifice.

If you got no one and I've got no place to go, would it be alright?

Could it be alright?

Below is the most recent performance of Scattered, last year at Irving Plaza. Probably one of the best too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NbX00rloao

Hey, look at that, Céadóg managed to go an entire post without using a gif.

Yeah, right :P

tumblr_mc7qyluV2G1r532ebo1_500.gif

tumblr_mc7qyluV2G1r532ebo2_500.gif

tumblr_mc7qyluV2G1r532ebo3_500.gif

:D

BONUS:

I translated it into Irish because I planned on covering it, but thankfully for your eardrums I was too busy. Here's the lyrics if anyone is interested :)

Ta pictuir scaipthe agam ar mo urlar seomra leapa
Gcuimhne dom an uair roinnte againn.
Ba mhaith liom go raibh tú anseo.
Mar anois is cosúil mé dearmad ar mo críche sa saol seo.
Gach na hamhráin curtha scriosadh.
Cheapaim go bhfuil a foghlaim o mo bhotuin
Oscail suas an t-am anois agus tá muid ann
Scéal a insint agus tá mé ag éisteacht
Oscail suas an t-am anois agus amach anseo
Gach rud agam mé a thabhairt duit
Foircinn scaoilte ceangailte i snaidhm fágáil cnapshuim síos mo scornach
Glas Béil ar cuimhneacháin
Lóisteáil a líonadh bliain eile
Tarraing sé ar aghaidh go dtí go bhfuil mo chraiceann sracadh
fágáil a oscailt mé féin ar fud an
Maireachtáil amach íobairt
Má fuair tú aon duine
agus fuair mé aon áit le dul
go mbeadh sé ceart go leor?
fhéadfadh sé a bheith ceart go leor?

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This is my favorite song from nimrod, i just love it so much, can´t stop listen to it!! :wub:

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Scattered and Uptight are among my favorite Green Day songs ever, so I love seeing it as song of the week.

To Ceadog:

Congrats on a meaningful post, buddy!

LmwwQvo.gif

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Scattered and Uptight are among my favorite Green Day songs ever, so I love seeing it as song of the week.

To Ceadog:

Congrats on a meaningful post, buddy!

LmwwQvo.gif

You'd be surprised, a fair amount of my posts are meaningful :P

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You'd be surprised, a fair amount of my posts are meaningful :P

In your own, (e)special(ly) annoying way :wub::P

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well written Céadagh!!!

i would have been deeply disappointed if there was no gif :ninja:

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what i find interesting is that the first half of this song was written in '92 then finished in '96.

best song off nimrod period.

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what i find interesting is that the first half of this song was written in '92 then finished in '96.

best song off nimrod period.

I did not know that. Makes a lot of sense though, with everything that was going on with Adrienne at the time.

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My favorite song after Jesus of Suburbia I would say. Nimrod is probably my favorite album because of that song.

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Although that live version is great, the studio version is still way more powerful for me.

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I agree with the Irving Plaza performance being one of the best live versions. I really wasn't into the song that much until I saw it.

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I only recently got more into songs, I was never really a fan of it but its grown on me a lot. They actually tried to play this at the show I was at back in 2009 but Billie stopped when no one else knew the lyrics.

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I only recently got more into songs, I was never really a fan of it but its grown on me a lot. They actually tried to play this at the show I was at back in 2009 but Billie stopped when no one else knew the lyrics.

I'm so ashamed of all the fans who talk about being with Green Day since Christie Road, then forget the lyrics to an epic song like Scattered.

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This is definitely a favorite of mine. One thing that I can't help but notice every time I hear the song is the odd lyrics. Back in the day Billie Joe wrote a lot of fantastic wordplay into his lyrics, but the chorus of Scattered seems like it goes beyond simple wordplay and ends up almost nonsensical, or it at least ignores the rules of grammar. :P Not that I'm complaining of course, I just find it very interesting and it always stands out to me. Am I the only one?

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This is definitely a favorite of mine. One thing that I can't help but notice every time I hear the song is the odd lyrics. Back in the day Billie Joe wrote a lot of fantastic wordplay into his lyrics, but the chorus of Scattered seems like it goes beyond simple wordplay and ends up almost nonsensical, or it at least ignores the rules of grammar. :P Not that I'm complaining of course, I just find it very interesting and it always stands out to me. Am I the only one?

It makes sense, so long as you don't care too much about grammar :P

Open the past and present.

Now and we are there.

Obviously thinking about the times they've shared.

Story to tell and I am listening.

Can be interpretated a couple of ways, either the person is telling a story and he's lending an ear to listen, or it's just a continuation of the above interpretation.

Open the past and present.

And the future too.

Showing that they want to be with the other person again.

It's all I've got and I'm giving it up to you.

Pretty obvious, really :P

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It makes sense, so long as you don't care too much about grammar :P

Open the past and present.

Now and we are there.

Obviously thinking about the times they've shared.

Story to tell and I am listening.

Can be interpretated a couple of ways, either the person is telling a story and he's lending an ear to listen, or it's just a continuation of the above interpretation.

Open the past and present.

And the future too.

Showing that they want to be with the other person again.

It's all I've got and I'm giving it up to you.

Pretty obvious, really :P

Oh, of course, I didn't mean that the lyrics have no meaning, I just meant that they're very odd structurally. The message that BJ is trying to get across with that chorus is pretty clear, it just seems like he crafted it in a very peculiar way, much more so than in other songs.

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Oh, of course, I didn't mean that the lyrics have no meaning, I just meant that they're very odd structurally. The message that BJ is trying to get across with that chorus is pretty clear, it just seems like he crafted it in a very peculiar way, much more so than in other songs.

Oh right, haha. Yeah, I kinda like it though.

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I got into this song recently and I find myself humming to this tune almost everyday.

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