J'net Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 After all the gloating about what a great year 2009 was for some of us, I thought there might be people who would be happy to see the last of it. This week's Song of the Week is for you - Good Riddance. Please use this thread to discuss your thoughts and feelings about the song. Good Riddance was first released on the Nimrod album in October 1997. Nimrod reached a peak chart position of number 10 and has gone platinum twice. As a single, Good Riddance made it to number 1. It was later included on the compilation International Superhits, released in November 2001. This song has become quite well-known because of its popularity at major life events – weddings, graduations, funerals, etc. It was used in the finales of two major television shows, Seinfeld and ER. Although many criticized it for being the opposite of punk, Mike pointed out that including this song on Nimrod was one of the most punk things they could have done. At a concert, it's always bittersweet to hear Good Riddance beginning, because it signals the end of the show. However, Billie does such a beautiful job performing it and making it seem fresh every time that it's also an incredibly special experience. After all the emotion of the 2 1/2 to 3 hours that precede it, many people burst into tears during this song. I was delighted to see the entire cast of American Idiot sing Good Riddance while playing acoustic guitars as the final encore of that show. What a wonderful and heart-wrenching moment for the majority of the audience – and the entire cast. I haven't discussed my feelings about the meanings in this song – I'll leave that up to all of you for now. So now, here are two youtube videos of Good Riddance performed live – one at the Bridge School Acoustic event and one notorious performance on a New Year's show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6U-3_xnjDg Good Riddance Lyrics Another turning point A fork stuck in the road - Time grabs you by the wrist Directs you where to go. So make the best of this test And don't ask why. It's not a question But a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable, But in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life. So take the photographs And still frames in your mind. Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time. Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial - For what it's worth, It was worth all the while. It's something unpredictable, But in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life. It's something unpredictable, But in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life. It's something unpredictable, But in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can nominate songs for discussion as Song of the Week in the Song Discussions thread, which contains links to each previous Song of the Week from 9/14/2009 forward in its original post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elissa. Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 This is a sweet song, Good Riddance to 2009 Oh my gosh, the 2nd perfomance is the best!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3AC3MAK3R Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 As soon as you here the acustic and you see billie standing in the stop light you know its the last song of the night, you know that Billie is going to sing time of your life, you know that your probely going to cry, and you know that you have just had THE "time of your life" ♥ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel07 Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 this song is incredible. it always gives me that bittersweet feeling though cause it makes me think of the end of the shows. I honestly wish the concerts didn't end with time of your life. I'd rather it go out with a bang, but thats just me. lol :whistling: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dookie93 Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Awesome choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valentinesandcigs Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Oh god this song always manages to make me cry especially when its played it live. After years of waiting to see Green day live i was finally there and in the moment. Then when Billie plays that last chord of the song and walks of the stage its all over its like waking up from a really amazing dream and getting thrown back into real life. Great song just really makes me sad first heard it on seinfield btw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahnade. Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I almost burst into tears at my concert. I think I was too delirious to though. Fitting choice for this week. Amazing song as well, I've always loved it. It's a song I could listen to all day and not get sick of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmalee Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 At a concert, it’s always bittersweet to hear Good Riddance beginning, because it signals the end of the show. However, Billie does such a beautiful job performing it and making it seem fresh every time that it’s also an incredibly special experience. After all the emotion of the 2 1/2 to 3 hours that precede it, many people burst into tears during this song.Happened to me, lol. And I agree it's definitely a special experience. When he played it at the end of the last Auckland show, I found myself thinking back on my own "time of my life" as it were. Y'know how people say before you die your entire life flashes before your eyes? Well it kind of felt like that, memories of every little moment starting from our flight to Australia, hanging out there, going to our first Green Day show in Brisbane, the excitement and countdown back at home, all the fun and random little things from "Camp Green Day" at the arena and the friends we'd made there, and of course everything from the shows themselves just hit me all at once, with Billie Joe playing barely a metre away from me. Happiest tears/sobs and the most incredible moment of my entire life to date.I suppose it's pretty cliche, but if any song is going to carry the memory of my Green Day shows, it'll be this one <3 I'm glad it's song of the week. Perfect timing for me really, as I'm still on a bit of a high but also getting to that "looking back" phase when all the details start to fade...and now I've gone all smiley and excited thinking about it again. And of course I've always loved this song, I remember how thrilled I was when I discovered it was by Green Day. Now I'm just thinking about when I used to hear it as a kid, the lyrics that I caught never seemed to make that much sense to me, but for some reason I liked it, and I never quite knew why. =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica. Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Almost cried when I heard this song live for the first time. This is my favorite song of all time, has been since I was four, despite the fact I didn't even know it was Green Day. And anytime something major in my life happens, I put this song on repeat and listen to it for as long as I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinjonator Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 This song is sex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinchen Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I really love Good Riddance. I never heard such a beatiful song before I heard this.And I know, everybody who went to a conert know it, it's such a GREAT and amazing feeling if you hear it there.Billie puts so much feeling in his voice..aww I can't even discribe. I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob. Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Awesome choice for Song Of The Week.When i was reading this, Good Riddance started to play Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanner Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 this is one of my all time favorite songs. its hard for me to listen to it sometimes tho. i first remember hearing it when i was about 8 or 9. my parents were going though a horibble divorce and my dad put this song on a "divorce mix tape" he made for my mom.my mom and i listened to that tape unil it broke. this was our favorite song on it. i remember we would put it on really loud and sing to it. and it still always makes me laugh in the begining when he messes up. i recorded this song for my mom when i saw them in August and when she watched it, she cryed its one of the only things i remember from that age, cus i pretty much blocked that point in my life out. i love this song so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumstick Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 ok I'm crying now. do I have to say more?simply beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woahinez Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 surprisingly i didn't cry during this song at my show. but it definitely brings a bittersweet feeling. such an amazing song to end an amazing night with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vespertine Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 omg, I loooove this song and I never get sick of it. So beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insomniaticnimrod Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 im pretty sure this is the first green day song i ever heard lol a lot of people i know dont even know this song is by them, they are like "hey i know that song, woah its by green day?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champagne mami Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Oh, i just love this song.I can listen to it over and over again and never get tired of it.Gah, it's probably one of my favorite songs.It's just so beautiful.Ah, very, very awesome choice for SOTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Equus1039 Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 At a concert, it’s always bittersweet to hear Good Riddance beginning, because it signals the end of the show. However, Billie does such a beautiful job performing it and making it seem fresh every time that it’s also an incredibly special experience. After all the emotion of the 2 1/2 to 3 hours that precede it, many people burst into tears during this song.You have said what I wanted to say. Good Riddance is an amazing song, and it's the perfect way to end a concert. Hearing the audience singing along just adds to the experience. I mean, Billie has an amazing voice, but I think that it sounds even more beautiful when thousands of other people are singing it along with him. It's something that you never forget.But then Billie plays that final note, and it's all over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon R. Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I'm a sap. I love this song and it occasionally makes me cry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mar Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Oh lord, that New Years Eve video is priceless. Billie looks so damn adorable in his tux and it's just so great. Overplayed? Sure. But, in becoming overplayed, it's become one of the most ubiquitous songs of all time, and whether or not that's "punk" or not, I don't know. But I think it says something about their staying power, about their ability to connect with anyone who has access to a radio or television (since I think it's safe to say that everyone in the developed world has heard Good Riddance ). It's not my favorite song, but it's such a great song. I wasn't really a fan of them back in '97-'98 when the song was big, but every time I hear it, it brings me back to that time of my life (oh I SWEAR that was no pun intended), it was that relevant.And I agree with Mike's assessment. It sounds nothing at all like anything on Nimrod, yet it still represents Green Day very well, because it invokes emotion and is memorable, so it still accomplishes what their music attempts to do without subscribing to a 'punk' sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcalgreendayfan Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Man such an awesome song and although its actually a bitter breakup song its actually been apart of some good times in my life. It was my graduation song in high school and it finished one of the best nights I ever had seeing them live in SAN JOSE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Those girls in the front row look like they don't know the lyrics.I love this song. It makes me think of being younger. Really good choice for song of the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm_xd Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 couldn't be better choice than this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carcrashhearts Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Oh, i just love this song.I can listen to it over and over again and never get tired of it.Gah, it's probably one of my favorite songs.It's just so beautiful.Ah, very, very awesome choice for SOTW. <3 i can put this song on repeat for hours and never get sick of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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