Favourite Green Day Lyrics Period

[HaushinkaholicBMC]

Just interested in this, as a songwriter lyrics are always the most important thing to me... I've noticed a definite shift in Billie Joe's lyrical style over the last two albums, with a lot greater use of metaphor, simile,symbolism and imagery which leave a lot of the songs open to peoples personal interpretations. To be honest this shift actually began in Warning, with certain songs (Deadbeat Holiday springs to mind) using greater use of ambiguous language and the other techniques i mentioned.

I've got a feeling a lot of people will say that these lyrics are "better" than his previous work, i don't doubt that he himself would say the same thing. Personally though, I really preferred his old style of straight down the middle, no ambiguity, shoot from the hip lyrics.

I think in some ways it's harder to write songs WELL in that style, to be able to construct a meaningful song using everyday phrases and still not have clumsy sounding lines/songs. For me, Nimrod is the greatest collection of words ever put down into song form :-)

Interested to hear peoples views...

P.S I still freakin love all of his songs, so no need for a 21st Century Backlash :-)

[Maddy.]

American Idiot, my baby.

I still haven't figured out the 'the underbelly stacks up 10 high' ... D:

[Katarina.]

Which album.. Lyrically I think 21CB, cause I really like his writing style on that one. With all the metaphors and stuff.

But just lyrics as a whole, Nimrod

[persons]

Kerplunk

[Vespertine]

Nimrod, American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown.

Oh, and Warning too.

okay, I can't choose.

[Holly Ann]

Jeeeeeeeez, that's a hard'n!

Umm, Warning? Maybe American Idiot?

Ahh I dunno I just think whatever he writes is amazing and go by it xD

[Alex.]

All of them are just as good as each other.

Except American Idiot owns.

[sampy]

American Idiot, absolutely.

[Angela.]

American Idiot, my baby.

I still haven't figured out the 'the underbelly stacks up 10 high' ... D:

Agreed.

And you mean you don't get what the line means? I think that line means... all the shit Whatsername had to go through because of JOS/St. Jimmy was more than enough to have to deal with. He/they (depending on how you view the St.Jimmy alter-ego scenario) were already a representation of the underbelly, the fucked up people of society, and maybe she thought that the stuff they put her through was stuff she would have expected to deal with from a group of people, not just JOS/St.Jimmy. The stuff they put her through kept stacking up more and more, until she finally had enough and said, "Fuck it, I can't do this anymore."

That explain was kind of shitty. I'm sorry, Maddy.

[Juliette]

Oh god, I don't know.

I love the early records because I think the way he wrote love songs back then was just perfect, he never tried to make it seem like something it wasn't but wrote about the real aspects of love and the difficulties of relationships.

I guess technically speaking their modern stuff is better songwriting, but I couldn't choose, I've always loved Billie's lyrics

[HaushinkaholicBMC]

I just think the difference between the songs on say Nimrod and 2st century is quite staggering.

Don't think Billie will ever write another "Grouch" or "Haushinka" again.

I always love that kind of frankness in songwriting. Like, it seems more like they're sharing personal feelings/beliefs. Saying "This is EXACTLY how i feel about this, maybe you do too" rather than something ambiguous that is open to other peoples interpretations.

Having said that, these days he's not writing about how shitty his life is or how cut up he is over a relationship gone wrong, cos his life's (probably for the most part) amazing and he's got a succesful marriage.

The change in style is probably a product of him looking outside his own life more for inspiration than writing about his own troubles and whatnot....

The whole thing really interests me.

[champagne mami]

Lyrically, I'd say American Idiot.

I mean all of them are good, but I think American Idiot is better lyrically, imo.

[_cigarettes&valentines]

For me, it's got to be American Idiot. Even though, he uses like metaphors and stuff like that, it still got that frankness that the earlier albums had.

[justcause]

I just think the difference between the songs on say Nimrod and 2st century is quite staggering.

Don't think Billie will ever write another "Grouch" or "Haushinka" again.

I always love that kind of frankness in songwriting. Like, it seems more like they're sharing personal feelings/beliefs. Saying "This is EXACTLY how i feel about this, maybe you do too" rather than something ambiguous that is open to other peoples interpretations.

Having said that, these days he's not writing about how shitty his life is or how cut up he is over a relationship gone wrong, cos his life's (probably for the most part) amazing and he's got a succesful marriage.

The change in style is probably a product of him looking outside his own life more for inspiration than writing about his own troubles and whatnot....

The whole thing really interests me.

I think he can still write that way when he wants to - if you look at some of the Foxboro stuff like 'Pieces of Truth' or '27th Ave Shuffle', and particularly 'Broadway', they're as straightforward as it gets. American Idiot and 21CB are both concept albums, so what he's doing is more than just speaking his feelings, he's telling a story, creating a world.

[AfterShock]

American Idiot.

[time-of_my-life]

21st Century Breakdown, just cause it has last night on earth, totally in love with that song

however, overall its gotta be nimrod!!!!!!! AMAZING album

[DeJennsitized]

Warning is my favourite album lyrically. I just love his use of vocabulary and metaphors.

Favourite lyrics include;

"I'm on a sentimental journey into sight and sound"

"Philosophy's a liar when your home is your headstone"

"To know you is to hate you, so loving you must be like suicide"

"blinded by silence of a thousand broken hearts"

American Idiot and 21stCB are also great in terms of lyrics.

[in_your_face]

American Idiot and 21st CB. i love their newer stuff and the lyrical writing on that one, with those creepy similes and stuffs like that. and of coarse, Warning is a great album! and i love that too!

[HoneyDo666]

21CB, the lyrics are staggeringly beautiful!

I don't understand how Billie can write such gorgeous words! And I love AI too!

[Supermodel*Robot]

American Idiot & Dookie.

Dookie lyrics just hit home. No bullshit, let's just say it how it is and convey as much emotion and confusion as possible. American idiot has the same effect, but uses more metaphor,etc. Sometimes 21stCB is too much for me. I appreciate it as great writing, but sometimes it's too much for lyrics. If it was poetry, it'd be another story.

[amy_runs]

American Idiot fo sho

[gdpony]

well it depends ... they are all so different, and address different topics, If I had to choose a favorite, it would be between warning and kerplunk...

but I dont know... choosing is too hard

[Jacob.]

21st Century Breakdown, Dookie, Nimrod, American Idiot

[Just Overjoyed]

I'd say Warning has the best lyrics overall, especially with songs like Deadbeat Holiday and Macy's Day Parade that are really just lyrically brilliant.

But I'm also a huge fan of the early, introspective stuff. The thought shown behind the lyrics of songs like Android, or One of My Lies. It's not figurative language, but its questioning the world and society. Ditto for J.A.R, although that was a little later and written by Mike.

Come to think of it, Mike should really write some more songs.

[Jaymee!!]

1039. I love all the teen angsty songs about love and hate.