Song of the Week Cigarettes and Valentines

[elisa]

I love this song, I've been listening to it a lot. I'm really looking forward to the live album

and the lyrics are amazing; "there's car crashing deep inside my heart"

[Hermione]

Fantastic! I never dreamed we'd get to hear this song. You can definitely hear when it was written - as expected it really has that just-after-Warning sound, and getting to hear it now is like getting a extra bonus song from that era to enjoy . I can only imagine how fabulous it must've been at that show when Billie announced they were about to play it

I love the lyrics. And I like how there's hints of what was to come in the lyrics. "I don't wanna kiss goodnight", "under the valley of the stars" and the whole feel of the lyrics reminds me of American Idiot. "Red alert is the colour" and "Take a ride through the avenues across the Great Divide" - American Eulogy. And even "'I'm alive' it cries" just like Highway 1

It's a little look into the future, but still with that old style sound and simplicity. Such a treat to hear it!

[Liam]

This songs starting to remind me of "Stay The Night" so I'm thinking either "Stay The Night" was recorded for "Cigarettes & Valentines" (Album) or "Cigarettes & Valentines" is a newly written song.

[The Breakdown]

Side note, I'm still not convinced C&V was a real album. I have nothing to support that, just my feeling about it since the band has been relatively hush-hush about it. I think the existence of this songs shows that in the 7 years since we first heard about C&V, they've written a song with that title. I hope to be proven wrong.

Funny thing I was reading about this the other day when I was on IMDB reading about Heart Like A Hand Grenade. So yeah there was this dude that kinda confirmed that there was something.

On March 31, 2005 I had the opportunity to attend the Premiere of Live Freaky! Die Freaky! at the Vista Theater in Los Angeles. I had an awesome experience as I spoke with Mike Dirnt for about twenty minutes or so before [and after] the film. We spoke about several different topics such as the movie, music, personal likes, hobbies, and some things we had in common. He mentioned that they had just gotten back from Japan and filmed the music video for Wake Me Up When September Ends. Anyway, he mentioned American Idiot and the recording process (as well as John filming the making of the album). He mentioned Cigarettes and Valentines and what had happened.

Apparently it was somebody that worked for the studio. Somebody just decided that they wanted it for themselves. It will never be released as it was never mixed and mastered. It was not a finished album, but rather, several different tracks. Guitar tracks, Bass tracks, Drum tracks, vocal tracks. They were separate tapes that will probably never ever be mixed together. Even if they are mixed and mastered...it will definitely not be what the final/finished product would have been had Green Day been involved.

Mike also mentioned that they still had digital copies of the master tapes, and were going to rerecord them or simply use the copies, but felt violated by whoever it was that stole their material. They were also afraid that their music had been compromised and that if they did start working on the album again, that whoever stole it would just mix and master it and attempt to leak it. They didn't want that...and I fully agree.

Maybe one day we'll hear whatever it was that they had created. Maybe we never will. Right now though...it doesn't matter. Green Day is doing what they do best...making great music. It is as simple as that.

Thanks,

Tom

Well yeah, however credible this actually is, I don't know. Probably is. You never know.

Link

[~Ani~]

I really love this song, as some of you said, it's simple but still amazing. Both, the lyrics and the sound of it, remind me of something between Warning and Kerplunk!

Can't wait for the live album so that I can hear it with better quality.

To the end of the earth,

Under the valley of the stars,

There’s a car crashing deep inside my heart.

[Fuzz]

Funny thing I was reading about this the other day when I was on IMDB reading about Heart Like A Hand Grenade. So yeah there was this dude that kinda confirmed that there was something.

Well yeah, however credible this actually is, I don't know. Probably is. You never know.

Link

It just didn't make sense to me that they'd just give up on an album, and that someone stole them and never did anything with them. I guess that discussion for a separate thread though.

[chrism17]

i agree it just doesn't make sense that somebody would steal it and do nothing. It was probably all a publicity stunt.

[Hermione]

I thought it was pretty much a given that it wasn't really stolen?

I thought they realized the material wasn't up to the standard they wanted so they scrapped it and went bigger and better instead, using the "stolen" thing to draw a line under it and start afresh. That doesn't seem so outlandish to me. Maybe some small part of it went missing/got deleted and that was the catalyst for them to make that decision.

In interviews the're always kind of silly/coy when they talk about them being stolen, and they always quickly start talking about how they didn't think the songs were "maximum Green Day" anyway. The way I see it they're basically telling us the real reason, and that the stolen thing isn't entirely serious. Bit like how they deny they're The Network.

[Farah]

I really like this song

[Anja]

I seriously can't wait to hear a recorded version of this song (if that will ever happen).

The first verse

"I don’t wanna go back home.

I don’t wanna kiss goodnight.

Let us paralyze this moment till it dies."

is one of the best I think Bilie has ever written. It's so simple but so magical if you can relate to the words. Perfect song

[RebelofSuburbia]

Wow, I was searching for a thread about this song a few days ago and here it is!

It reminds me of the Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop a bit. But it also has the classic Green Day sound which I love (I hear bits and pieces of different Green Day songs all the time)

Wasn't extremely excited when I first heard it but it's growing on me. Curious about the studio version of this song (if there will be one).

[BillieJoeObsesser]

FUCK YEAH!! love this song and so happy they actually played it and its gonna be on one of their albums!! cant wait for the live album!!!

[Juliette]

really glad they played this song i still don't think it's amazing but i do like it.

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

This song reminds me of Maria. I wouldn't know what era to put it in, it has a bit of a couple of albums. I like it. I'm looking forward to it being on the live album :] I'm not aching for a studio version or anything, live is perfect and I think I like it better that there's only a live version.

I love how there are a couple of recycled lyrics, lines that show up in other, later songs

And it's funny how just a couple of weeks ago, barely anyone had heard the song and some people doubted its existence, and now they've been playing it, everyone knows it and it's even Song of the Week!

on the record thing... I don't think they had an actual record made and just decided to throw it away (I'm definitely not buying the stolen thing, although that IMBD link is making me second guess), I think they had a bunch of songs or tracks and just didn't like it enough, and then came up with American Idiot.

[Ryan GD]

i love this song !

[xpoprocks&kittycatsx]

I think this song is AM-AZ-ING! gets stuck in my head all the time!

[Clayish]

I hear Lights Out in this song so much too.

[addictedjamie]

I love this song! I hadn't heard it 'til the live at Denver and it's just so well written. The lyrics are beautiful

Side note, I'm still not convinced C&V was a real album. I have nothing to support that, just my feeling about it since the band has been relatively hush-hush about it. I think the existence of this songs shows that in the 7 years since we first heard about C&V, they've written a song with that title. I hope to be proven wrong.

I thinky they wrote this either directly before or after 21st Century Breakdown. I mean, it sounds a lot like American Eulogy so he had to have one of them in his mind to consider the idea for the other. If that makes sense.

It reminds me of the Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop a bit.

That was my first thought

[Mrs.Kerplunk]

yay. perfect song.

[Smoothed Out]

Brilliant choice I can't wait to hear it recorded, it's going to be even more amazing <3

[The Platypus!]

I had a feeling this would be song of the week this or Olivia love it .

[Hermione]

This song reminds me of Maria.

Me too! I could imagine it being on International Superhits between Maria and Poprocks And Coke or something.

[lawrahday]

i can't get into this song at all :/ i'll give it a few more listens but it does nothing for me, gotta be my least favourite green day song.

[PanicAttack!]

Side note, I'm still not convinced C&V was a real album. I have nothing to support that, just my feeling about it since the band has been relatively hush-hush about it. I think the existence of this songs shows that in the 7 years since we first heard about C&V, they've written a song with that title. I hope to be proven wrong.

I had the same thought. I think Cigarettes And Valentines is a song from post-AI (2006-09), based on a made-up title they came up with to cover for there Network hiatus. What a great way to fuck with all of us!

But it's just a theory and a gut-feeling. I hope i'm not right

[1039slappygirl]

Oh yeah, Cigarettes and Valentines as song of the week!

/teeniemood