Billie Joe's lyrical ability

[vegetarianxorgasm]

I actually agree with you. It is interesting to read posts written by people who dare to be critical and honest and not only kiss ass all the time.

With American Idiot Green Day kind of won the lottery. The timing with Bush and the war was perfect and while Green Day did not start the whole protest thing (even the Dixie chicks and NOFX was before and more brave in their critics) the got the most attention.

With 21st CB I'm not sure what he wants anymore. I think the theme of the album was a big, big mistake and I think this review sums it up in the best possible way: http://www.spin.com/reviews/green-day-21st...eakdown-reprise

Exactly! And that is what I miss. I fucking hate how political they have become. BJ used to write such great personal lyrics. It was like reading his diary. That is what made Green Day so interesting. If I wanna hear about politics I might as well listen to Bad Religion, NOFX or U2. It's not interesting.

I think that there is a solution offered. the way I see it, the two characters Gloria and Christian brighten their world by leaving the modern world together. I think the theme for this album is ultimately the power of love and hope conquering all. But that's more for another topic.

[peepee]

I got to be fair though. September ends was one of the most personal songs ever written by BJ but I want to see more of that! St Jimmy, Gloria and Bush doesnt mean anything to me. I have always looked up to BJ as a song writer, musician and intelligent person and I want to get to know him through his songs and not have a lecture in politics. You know what I mean?

[Fauxfink]

Just wanting to gauge the true feeling about Billie Joe's lyrical ability. I was reading the comments under the news items of 21CB's Lyrics Release and somebody compared him the Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain.

I've always felt Billie goes a bit over his skis with his lyrics starting with AI. To me it seems like he tries to say profound things, but there is no real point to most of it, or maybe it has meaning to him and he leaves it up to everyone else to come up with their own interpretation. That's all well and good, but that's not a skilled lyricist. He does some nice word play ("Fallen from grace/Right on my face"), but when I think of great lyrics I look at Sting and Maynard of Tool.

I'm not denying Billie can write a killer song, I'm an enormous Green Day fan, but when I saw that comment I had to speak up. He's an average lyricist at best in my opinion. What do you guys think, and be real.

:/ worthless thread.

[Jillie Boe.]

Just wanting to gauge the true feeling about Billie Joe's lyrical ability. I was reading the comments under the news items of 21CB's Lyrics Release and somebody compared him the Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain.

I've always felt Billie goes a bit over his skis with his lyrics starting with AI. To me it seems like he tries to say profound things, but there is no real point to most of it, or maybe it has meaning to him and he leaves it up to everyone else to come up with their own interpretation. That's all well and good, but that's not a skilled lyricist. He does some nice word play ("Fallen from grace/Right on my face"), but when I think of great lyrics I look at Sting and Maynard of Tool.

I'm not denying Billie can write a killer song, I'm an enormous Green Day fan, but when I saw that comment I had to speak up. He's an average lyricist at best in my opinion. What do you guys think, and be real.

Fail.

[arrie44]

I remember when I first joined here a few years ago people were talking about how amazing his lyrics are and I never really got it.

I have always loved Green Day and I always will, but in all honestly, I would say he's an alright lyricist at best. Obviously, it's very subjective and there's no actual way to measure it.

I think he does a pretty good job, but where the lyrics may lack Green Day definitely make up for in passion, and that has always been the appeal for me.

For me, Justin Pierre from Motion City Soundtrack is one of the greatest lyricists.

I agree. I read some of the lyrics off the new about and you can tell Billie is trying to sound smart and profound, but the lyrics make no sense.

Raise your hands now to testify

Your confession will be crucified

You're a sacrificial suicide

Like a dog that's been sodomized

If somebody can tell me what the hell this really means then I will send you a dozen cookies.

And Justin Pierre is very good, "As autumn turns it's back on me again/I climb the walls for oxygen". Love it.

[Peel Slowly And See]

Nobody actually cares about what you say in the confessional, but you don't know that because you're raising your hands enthusiastically to someone who either doesn't exist or doesn't care. You're wasting your life believing in something that's probably false. You're getting screwed, but you can't tell anyone about it.

So now that I dissected that bit, why on earth do you think that...

"As autumn turns it's back on me again/I climb the walls for oxygen"

...makes any more sense? Is this song about Spider-Man?

[justcause]

Nobody actually cares about what you say in the confessional, but you don't know that because you're raising your hands enthusiastically to someone who either doesn't exist or doesn't care. You're wasting your life believing in something that's probably false. You're getting screwed, but you can't tell anyone about it.

I think he's doing a double-play on the word 'testify'. One is in the sense of a religious thing where people 'testify' to their faith, the other is in a court of law where you raise your hand and swear to tell the truth - and this is where 'confession' is double-meaning also. It goes to what Billie Joe said about the unquestioning faith required by some religions - that if your testimony is a confession of doubt, it's unacceptable - it will be 'crucified'.

[christie1039]

I like Billie's lyrics, they talk about the life and what happens on the people's life. I think that one of the bests lyrics that Billie has written is Jesus of Suburbia. What do you think???

[wwnflat_punk]

I wouldn't compare Billie Joe to anybody else, Billie Joe is Billie Joe. He is a very talented and honest songwriter.

[andy4]

So now that I dissected that bit, why on earth do you think that...

"As autumn turns it's back on me again/I climb the walls for oxygen"

...makes any more sense? Is this song about Spider-Man?

In autumn the carbon dioxide levels rise as leaves fall off of the trees and rot. That be my guess.

[YORUGUA]

Nothing can ever top the lyrics Dookie has

Totally true!

Green Day ALWAYS wrote great lyrics, it seems like just since American Idiot BJ becomes recognized, but is not like that. Listen to lyrics like ¨Road to acceptance¨, ¨Only of you¨, ¨Stuck with me¨, ¨Worry Rock¨... and many many more! Differents thematics maybe, but really poethic and well written!

[Emily86]

to me i can't relate to hardly any lyrics. they just don't make sense to me at all. that either means he is a great lyricist, anawful one, or i am just stupid. but i tend to lean towards the first one.

I always thought there lyrics were pretty good for the most part.

All of their songs, I always looked up the lyrics to. Even if I completely missed

the point of a song, which seeing to how I didn't write it...I'm sure I did, I always manged to

get something out of it, or was able to relate in some way. Songs like She, Burnout, and Who Wrote Holden Caulfield...

Even Jesus of Suburbia.

Bottom line, I love Green Day, for their music, and their lyrics.

Which is why I think they're a lot better than a million other bands.

[trejack101]

That is sooo Coca Cola execution.

[frankiessister]

That is sooo Coca Cola execution.

You really like this Coca Cola execution thing, don't you?

This is the third time you posted it - or maybe more, it's just the third time I have read it. Give it a rest, buddy!

On topic: I don't agree that the lyrics on 21st CB are political. They are about the world that surrounds us, seen through the eyes of two opposed characters that are just different sides of Billie Joe. Sounds pretty personal to me.

[4whatsername8]

I think Billie is a superb lyricist, especially compared to most mainstream artists out there today (and no, I'm not just saying that because I'm a fan of the band). His lyrics make sense, they have meaning around 95% of the time, and they make really bold statements. Not to mention that they're rather colorful / unique - I like that he doesn't use the corny, over-used phrases that some artists do (which annoys the hell out of me).

[J'net]

I think Billie is a superb lyricist, especially compared to most mainstream artists out there today (and no, I'm not just saying that because I'm a fan of the band). His lyrics make sense, they have meaning around 95% of the time, and they make really bold statements. Not to mention that they're rather colorful / unique - I like that he doesn't use the corny, over-used phrases that some artists do (which annoys the hell out of me).

Yeah, I agree, and I love the way he'll take a common word or phrase and twist it some way to make it unique, like, "Does the pain weigh out the pride?"

And the way he'll play on the commonalities between 2 words or phrases, like: "I am a Caesar. I'm gonna seize the day." And like, "...with the credit report for duty call..." I just love that last one ... credit report ... report for duty ... duty call .. all in that one quick little phrase, and all things that could flash in front of a TV watcher's eyes and blur together.

I could think of a lot of other examples, but I need to go eat dinner before my stomach devours me from the inside.

[_all_is_well_]

I think Billie is a superb lyricist, especially compared to most mainstream artists out there today (and no, I'm not just saying that because I'm a fan of the band). His lyrics make sense, they have meaning around 95% of the time, and they make really bold statements. Not to mention that they're rather colorful / unique - I like that he doesn't use the corny, over-used phrases that some artists do (which annoys the hell out of me).

I agree I love his lyrics and how I can almost always relate and I think they are very clever. But most mainstream artists dont write their own songs like katy perry (correct me if im wrong) and such.

[Bryn]

Someone mentioned "Woprry Rock" and I agree the lyrics on that one are really fantastic!

"Yelling at brick walls and punching windows made of stone

The worry rock has turned to dust and fallen on our pride"

I love that line.

Then there is "Stuck With Me" which I am not sure has been mentioned but all around great and a favorite of mine.

There are so many.

I agree though, his songs mean something. It is not mindless banter, or an attempt to be a "cool band" and write "cool lyrics".

With Green Day, the lyrics are real emotion.

[LilyMarie]

I think he's a genius of a lyricist. I've been a music lover my whole life, and I've never related to one artists catalog so completely. As someone else said earlier, it's like he's writing from his soul, and that makes ring true. I feel like he takes pains to make them come out just right...sometimes with other artists, even a song I really like will have a line or phrase that just makes me cringe and I don't remember ever feeling that way with Billie's stuff. There's an honesty and a passion to it like no one else has.

[miss green day]

I think Billie is definitely up there with the great lyricists.

He puts a lot of passion and emotion into his writing.

And that's really all you need.

But on top of that, he can often tell stories through his lyrics. So.

[Colin]

The lyrics on American Idiot were the peek of Billie Joe's lyrical ability imo.

I mean 21st Century Breakdown seems like he's just trying to show everone lightening can strike twice (in terms of great lyrics), when in reality it's like a 35 year old man after sex and planning to go a 2nd time - not gonna happen.

[elanorelle72]

The lyrics on American Idiot were the peek of Billie Joe's lyrical ability imo.

I mean 21st Century Breakdown seems like he's just trying to show everone lightening can strike twice (in terms of great lyrics), when in reality it's like a 35 year old man after sex and planning to go a 2nd time - not gonna happen.

I think his lyrics are fantastic...no matter what

and I feel its Billie's own natural self...I tend not to like to compare him to anyone else if I can

[GGreenDDay]

The lyrics on American Idiot were the peek of Billie Joe's lyrical ability imo.

I mean 21st Century Breakdown seems like he's just trying to show everone lightening can strike twice (in terms of great lyrics), when in reality it's like a 35 year old man after sex and planning to go a 2nd time - not gonna happen.

I don´t think the lyrics have ever been really great before AI and when it comes to 21stCBD i agree with above

BTW Ha ha : D I totally cracked ^^

[S.cattered]

Where do I even begin? Ok, the first thing is that he never wastes one single word, and all of his words are powerful. When I first read thru the lyrics of 21CB - totally blown away by them - Dylan came to mind, and I'm thinking, 'yeah, he's up there now'. But really, I wouldn't compare him to anyone else, because he's just who he is, a one-off. He was a natural from the beginning, but he works at it and he evolves. He can write in many different ways, but even when it sounds simple, there are always shades and depths. He kicks ass.

I completely agree! Thankyou!

I also think, Billie's lyrics being open to interpretation means that they appeal to differant people differantly. - Whether that's good or bad really depends on the person, I think.

Billie has the rare talent of being able to comunicate feelings through his lyrics, as well as tell a story. Even without music or having ever heard the songs, I could read the emotion in the lyrics of so many songs on 21st Century Breakdown.

I can relate to Green Day lyrics more than any other artist or band, and as far as most bands and artists around today, Green Day really does blow all of the others out of the water, especially as far as lyrics go.

[Nova-Caine]

The lyrics on American Idiot were the peek of Billie Joe's lyrical ability imo.

I mean 21st Century Breakdown seems like he's just trying to show everone lightening can strike twice (in terms of great lyrics), when in reality it's like a 35 year old man after sex and planning to go a 2nd time - not gonna happen.

You are so wrong trust me on this one