21guns&novacaine Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 This song speaks to my cold, black heart. On a realistic level, it's one of the few songs on this album that ignited some thought, and actually triggered some memories I hadn't thought of in a long time. First, I found some comparisions that I found quite interesting. Is the line "I found a knife by the railroad tracks" a possible reference to Christie Road? Since the song is about being a troublesome kid. Even if it isn't, that line fucked me up for a while after hearing it, the way "She said I can't take this place, I'm leaving it behind. Well she said I can't take this town, I'm leaving you tonight." from Letterbomb did for me. It was just one of those 'oh my god' moments in my opinion. And "We destroyed Suburbia." Reference to Jesus of Suburbia or not, I couldn't help but think of it as a cool reference to Saint Jimmy. The song's melody and moody lyrics overall reminded me quite a bit of Brutal Love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastard of 1967 Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 It's the nostalgia, the looking back at what you left behind and where you've been, before looking forward into a fucked-up, uncertain future, that makes Outlaws resonate with me. The intro's setup of the song -- sweet, simple "bubblegum pop" bass and percussion that covers Billie's dreamy vocals -- puts you in a '57 Chevy cruising down Route 66 at sunset as you revisit the memories of your freewheeling youth. Then the band kicks into gear for the chorus, and the heartache you feel as the lyrics connect you back to that simpler time just crushes you. The rhythm and riff call out to Wild One, probably with purpose since this is, after all, a reflection on one's "wild", carefree days....but where Wild One swings and misses emotionally, the yearning for that fun, simpler, less-confusing, less "oh shit now I have something to LOSE" time that Billie writes about in Outlaws kicks you in the balls. And then...then...there's the outro. "I found a knife by the railroad track, you took a train and you can't go back, forever now, forever now you'll roam." Your life -- that old life you used to have. Everything's changed now. You've grown, you have responsibilities, you have some sort of future even if you don't know where that train track is going to lead you next. No matter how hard you try, your young wild abandon, your self-destructiveness, how you hurt others, everything about the way you used to be....that's all represented by the knife that's now sitting on the ground. You once used it as your weapon, but you're not carrying it with you anymore and so you won't, you can't, hurt anyone through that old reckless or immature behavior again. You will never return to who you used to be. The fun you once had is now waiting for you again in your "life beyond the stars" -- which I take as a metaphor for the afterlife. The only way lies ahead, your search for purpose in this Ordinary World has no beginning and no end. "Forever now you'll roam" -- laying the groundwork for the climactic 11th track where Green Day will revisit all these themes and tie them together. RevRad's an artistic masterpiece, probably Green Day's best ever from a purely conceptual and writing perspective. I'll write more about the other tracks and how they tie together as time permits, but I wanted to start with Outlaws. It's that good, and it's that important a part of the record. You can't understand or complete the story it's telling you without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakke Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I love your interpretation of the last lines of Outlaws? They've been intriguing me since I've first heard Outlaws, making me wonder whether they are referring to someone who actually committed suicide (X-Kid) or something more metaphorical. I fully agree that RevRad is more of a coherent story than it seems on a first listen. Somewhere Now, Outlaws and Forever Now tie the whole voyage through time together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerjeezus Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 2 minutes ago, Dakke said: I love your interpretation of the last lines of Outlaws? They've been intriguing me since I've first heard Outlaws, making me wonder whether they are referring to someone who actually committed suicide (X-Kid) or something more metaphorical. I fully agree that RevRad is more of a coherent story than it seems on a first listen. Somewhere Now, Outlaws and Forever Now tie the whole voyage through time together. I see it metaphotically. Someone left their old life and conflicts behind - it will never come back but the future is uncertain and they yet have to find themselves or find a new path to take. "Forever now you'll roam." means there is no destination in life, it's setting out somewhere, on a new journey. With the theme of nostalgia, it might be about someone who used to be very close with the narrator but can't be anymore because thir journeys separated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakke Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 1 minute ago, Jane Lannister said: I see it metaphotically. Someone left their old life and conflicts behind - it will never come back but the future is uncertain and they yet have to find themselves or find a new path to take. "Forever now you'll roam." means there is no destination in life, it's setting out somewhere, on a new journey. With the theme of nostalgia, it might be about someone who used to be very close with the narrator but can't be anymore because thir journeys separated. Spot on. It's probably about parting with the past and having an uncertain, yet comforting path ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerjeezus Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 5 minutes ago, Dakke said: Spot on. It's probably about parting with the past and having an uncertain, yet comforting path ahead. That's what makes most sense. The whole song is about being nostalgic about the past so some hope for the future at the end makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Second favourite son Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 This song has been stuck in my head all day. It's not even the most catchy song on the album. It's almost like a sequel to Rusty James: they were the last gang in town, but now they've given up too and are looking back fondly/sadly at their time as outlaws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PursuitOfEpicness Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 4 hours ago, Second favourite son said: This song has been stuck in my head all day. It's not even the most catchy song on the album. It's almost like a sequel to Rusty James: they were the last gang in town, but now they've given up too and are looking back fondly/sadly at their time as outlaws. Yeah that's an interesting parallel. I think there are much better songs on this album but as far as the lyric content and reflection it's beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grinch Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 Outlaws stands right along side Brutal Love as one of my favorite songs they've ever put out. If there's any song on the album that has a mashed replay button, it's this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaded in Chicago Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 For me this is the only track on the CD that I skip past. Oh maybe Revolution Radio sometimes too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakke Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 On 10/16/2016 at 11:43 PM, Grinch said: Outlaws stands right along side Brutal Love as one of my favorite songs they've ever put out. If there's any song on the album that has a mashed replay button, it's this one. And just like Brutal Love, it's a standout song on the record, but one I fear is going to end up being underrated next to Say Goodbye, BB and Somewhere Now. It's a song I didn't expect to sound the way it does, but I'm completely in love with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inthehallwaynow Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 On 10/13/2016 at 3:23 PM, 21guns&novacaine said: This song speaks to my cold, black heart. On a realistic level, it's one of the few songs on this album that ignited some thought, and actually triggered some memories I hadn't thought of in a long time. First, I found some comparisions that I found quite interesting. Is the line "I found a knife by the railroad tracks" a possible reference to Christie Road? Since the song is about being a troublesome kid. Even if it isn't, that line fucked me up for a while after hearing it, the way "She said I can't take this place, I'm leaving it behind. Well she said I can't take this town, I'm leaving you tonight." from Letterbomb did for me. It was just one of those 'oh my god' moments in my opinion. And "We destroyed Suburbia." Reference to Jesus of Suburbia or not, I couldn't help but think of it as a cool reference to Saint Jimmy. The song's melody and moody lyrics overall reminded me quite a bit of Brutal Love. This was on Lyrics Genius as a quote from Billie “I was feeling nostalgic,” says Armstrong, “thinking about when me and Mike would break into cars and steal tapes and lighters and shit like that.” The band sees it as a sequel of sorts to their 1992 track “Christie Road,” which mined the same period of their lives. So you pretty much nailed it with Christie Road! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
End Of The World Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 In my opinion, this song is very cool... But I really don't like a few parts, like the beginning because of the fade. The bridge is awesome though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unextraordinarygirl Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 The line "I found a knife on the railroad tracks. You took a train and you never came back." Pretty much sums up the past at Christie Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stories and songs Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 On October 14, 2016 at 3:06 PM, Bastard of 1967 said: No matter how hard you try, your young wild abandon, your self-destructiveness, how you hurt others, everything about the way you used to be....that's all represented by the knife that's now sitting on the ground. You once used it as your weapon, but you're not carrying it with you anymore and so you won't, you can't, hurt anyone through that old reckless or immature behavior again. You will never return to who you used to be. The fun you once had is now waiting for you again in your "life beyond the stars" -- which I take as a metaphor for the afterlife. The only way lies ahead, your search for purpose in this Ordinary World has no beginning and no end. "Forever now you'll roam" -- laying the groundwork for the climactic 11th track where Green Day will revisit all these themes and tie them together. This actually made me cry. What a wonderful interpretation. I didn't really understand the end of the song, even though it's clearly very emotional, so thank you for sharing this! Makes the song that much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unextraordinarygirl Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 This song also makes me think of American Idiot. Like this could be a continuation of Johnny's story. This could be him looking back 20 years or whatever at his past and Whatshername leaving. I thought of that while listening to it the other day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefano Bras Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 This song shatters my soul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeJennsitized Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 This is the song that's in my head when I'm not listening to the album (which isn't often to be fair!) After reading the little bit from Billie where he says he was thinking about himself and Mike breaking into cars, I see Outlaws now as an ode to their friendship and it suddenly became a whole lot more endearing 'Baby hooligans' is now my headcanon, whatever Billie meant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slash Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 I fought the outlaw and the outlaw won Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Dude Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 To me this one is sort of a love song to Mike, and the same thing is continued in Bouncin of th Wal . Mike is the Devil. Haha, I'm dead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vishal007 Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 My fav on RevRad! (: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inthehallwaynow Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 I need a live version of this soooo bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Dude Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 The lyrics to this one are different everywhere I read them. Is it "raised to roam" or "raised to hell" or "raised to troam" or what. Jeeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 3 hours ago, Too Dumb to Die(s) said: The lyrics to this one are different everywhere I read them. Is it "raised to roam" or "raised to hell" or "raised to troam" or what. Jeeze. I hear "ways to roam". Definitley don't here "raised to hell". But english isn't my first language so.. According to the lyric book it's "place to roam" but I'm guessing you've already seen that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shahd Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 I always skip this song. Every time I try to listen to it, I just can't. I guess it's too depressing for my taste. I wish to see why everyone loves it, maybe if they play it live it'll be faster and I'll enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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