If you could ask one thing about the lyrics on 21CB

[Rezurgam]

what was so important about november? was there a really signifigant thing that happened?

Elections.

[Jack96]

Well, it sounds a tad more normal than wanting to bum a fag, i guess.

Yeah thats sounds abit queer

[Seej]

Yeah thats sounds abit queer

as my gay friend says, "i'm going out for a fag....a cigarette would be nice too." lol

the one lyric that buggles me is the last line from the middle 8 in 21 Guns: "Did you stand too close to the fire like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone" How the FUCK do you get forgiveness from a stone??? its a fucking ROCK! its inatimate, lifeless, dead, etc.

[.Militza.]

^^

I've been thinking of the same thing, and I wrote my opinion of that particular line in the " Breakdown Of The 21 Century Breakdown " ( or something like that) thread.

Read it,an also there are a bunch of post about the lyrics, maybe you'll understand it a little bit better.

I know it helped me.

[Guest jetblackheart]

as my gay friend says, "i'm going out for a fag....a cigarette would be nice too." lol

the one lyric that buggles me is the last line from the middle 8 in 21 Guns: "Did you stand too close to the fire like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone" How the FUCK do you get forgiveness from a stone??? its a fucking ROCK! its inatimate, lifeless, dead, etc.

A grave stone?

[The Disappearing Boy]

if i could ask thema anythinga about the 21stcb lyrics, it would be something along the lines of

"'you made your bed in salad days amongst the ruin?!?', dude, what were you on when you wrote that?"

as my gay friend says, "i'm going out for a fag....a cigarette would be nice too." lol

the one lyric that buggles me is the last line from the middle 8 in 21 Guns: "Did you stand too close to the fire like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone" How the FUCK do you get forgiveness from a stone??? its a fucking ROCK! its inatimate, lifeless, dead, etc.

i always heard it as storm...

[Seej]

well, youre not looking at the lyrics, then arent you?

[forget_me_nots]

the one lyric that buggles me is the last line from the middle 8 in 21 Guns: "Did you stand too close to the fire like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone" How the FUCK do you get forgiveness from a stone??? its a fucking ROCK! its inatimate, lifeless, dead, etc.

I dont think it means literally talking to a ROCK! I think it means, like, a person who is....stone like.....? I mean, someone who is like a stone in that they are unwilling to forgive and forget the narrator of the song....That's what I assume.

[Strychnine Fink]

I would ask, what do you say in KYE, rahey, wahey, right here?

haha I'd ask the same thing

[Seej]

yea, that could be. i know some people that are like that, an ex for one.

[Ila Reto]

acutally, i think i've heard they saying "forgiveness from a stone" somewhere before....just saying.

[forget_me_nots]

^^ Yeah, that's what I mean. It's an old saying, I know I've heard it.

[Seedless_Reject]

Maybe he's constipated

[Barley]

the one lyric that buggles me is the last line from the middle 8 in 21 Guns: "Did you stand too close to the fire like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone" How the FUCK do you get forgiveness from a stone??? its a fucking ROCK! its inatimate, lifeless, dead, etc.

I always assumed he meant tombstone, referring to the stupidity of people visiting graves to pray for forgiveness from somebody that died, when in reality or they're talking to is a piece of rock.

[lookoutrebelgirl]

I would I ask him

why 21 Guns is called 21Guns

he could have called it 22 Guns or any other random number

WHY 21!!!!!!!!!!????

because a 21 gun salute is when Gun are the firing as a military or naval honour.

Mine would be so stupid, but me and friend came up with a cool theory the other day. We weren't sure if Peacemaker was about Christian or Gloria, (we decided probably Gloria, or maybe a bit of both). But we contemplated the lines "I drink from a well of rage, I feed off the weakness, With all my love" and thought maybe it was a vague reference to JoS.

So my quoestion would have to be something rediculous, like "Did Jesus of Suburbia get sick of the 7-11 again and is now a pirate, fighting for Vendetta?"

Yeah...

EDIT: Seriously... "You thought I was a write-off, you better think again"

HAHA. It be cool if Billie was like "OH! you figured it all out!"

[jenni]

It's the year his wife was born, I saw that interview where he messed around and wouldn't say who it was but he's definitely said so in other interviews. I'm pretty sure he's picked that year to represent his generation. Just like 'Class Of 13', with 2013 being the year his son graduates, represents the new young generation.

That's the impression I've got from the song and what they've said about it in interviews anyway, but I'm sure Billie could say more about it

ok!!!

because it seemed so strange to me that he used this word when you see songs like The Last Of The American Girls or Last Night On Earth!!!

[Nova-Caine]

Its probably also to do with Richard Nixon who became President in 1969. That's what I always assumed it to mean anyway.

[Bastard of 1967]

I would ask, what do you say in KYE, rahey, wahey, right here?

But really, I don't know. Should think about it.

I think it's "right here". When you see KYE performed live, BJA often points to himself when he sings it. It makes sense when you read KYE in context with Restless Heart Syndrome. "Do you know your enemy" is what is asked in KYE, Restless Heart answers "you are your own worst enemy," KYE agrees by responding "gotta know the enemy, right here. <points to self>" The songs on 21CB speak to each other like nothing else Green Day has ever done before, even including American Idiot, and this is a perfect example.

Probably the same reason Billie used the words 'Fag' and 'Faggot' in AI, it's just a word that fit, it went well with the song.

Or,

It's just a word, granted you wouldn't call a black guy a Nigger to his face but another black guy could and the first black guy a Nigger without getting killed.

Maybe Billie thinks it's stupid that you have to be black to say it.

I thought this lyric came out of the Hurricane Katrina aftermath-fiasco when the Bush administration's apologists were arguing that "it's not really as bad down there as the liberal media is making it out to be, it's just a bunch of [you know the word] throwing gas into the fire."

[minorityxdisturbed]

I probabily ask about I drank the water from a hurricane, hurricanes mades wind no wate, I know that's a stupid question, and for fogiveness from a stone, why a stone and not... other thing?

[spark in the night]

I probabily ask about I drank the water from a hurricane, hurricanes mades wind no wate, I know that's a stupid question, and for fogiveness from a stone, why a stone and not... other thing?

FACEPALM

hurricanes are storms. they produce heavy rainfall AND high winds

that's actually my favorite line from that song. To me it seems like he's referring to a new start. Hurricanes destory everything in their path. It's a change, a new start.

forgiveness from a stone is referring to a tombstone (someone stated that a couple posts above ^^)

[EmmOuGR]

I would ask if "Restless Heart Syndrome" was about BJ..It seems quite personal,that's why..I wanted also to ask something else but i forgot it..

[rage-love-life]

Probably the same reason Billie used the words 'Fag' and 'Faggot' in AI, it's just a word that fit, it went well with the song.

Or,

It's just a word, granted you wouldn't call a black guy a Nigger to his face but another black guy could and the first black guy a Nigger without getting killed.

Maybe Billie thinks it's stupid that you have to be black to say it.

I see what you mean, but why not use something less offensive? I know he could have reworked the song so it didn't use it, but any other word for blacks could have fit in there.

I have a feeling he's just using these words for shock value.

[Bastard of 1967]

I probabily ask about I drank the water from a hurricane, hurricanes mades wind no wate, I know that's a stupid question, and for fogiveness from a stone, why a stone and not... other thing?

This is a direct reference to Hurricane Katrina. I don't think "I" is meant as a literal "I", rather a metaphor for the city of New Orleans and other Gulf Coast towns that flooded. "I drank the water from a Hurricane" morphs into "my cities and towns flooded, killing thousands unnecessarily, while our leaders stood by, shrugged, and watched."