How do the writing styles of Green Day NOW differ than when they were 18?

[Kaedon Ilk]

How has the writing styles of Green Day NOW differ of when they were 18?

[beejeezee]

They still write about chicks and fucking.

[-Billiejoezee-]

Well but it's different, Tristan. It's not like before where Billie would write about present Girlfriends and heartbreaks. Green Day are older now and obviously their writing and mentality have matured. (don't quote me on Mentality... ) They have families now and it's different. If Billie writes about love then it's about memories or Adrienne. Over the years their topics have changed into bigger things like politics and stories which have attracted a bigger audience. I mean, they can't write about masturbating anymore or getting high, now that they have a younger audience as well. (I mean they COULD, but do we really want to see a band in their 40's writing about that? I know Green Day know better than that. ) In short words, their music writing is wwaayyy more mature now than when they were 18.

[Fuzz]

I think the biggest change is that they're music is more complex now. It's not as deriviate as punk and has a more robust rock and rock n roll sound. Especially with some of the songs we've heard so far on the new stuff. I think AI and 21Cb were definitely their biggest departure from old style Green Day. But musically, you can tell they've matured, they wanted to write something a little more in depth. They're capable musicians, so they did it well. But I'm really looking forward to the "back to the basics" in Uno, Dos, Tre as Rob Cavallo suggested.

[GreenDayisAmazing]

They write about politics and stuff going on in the world. They can make the new stuff into an awesome musical. When they were 18 they were looking for love and ready to start new chapters in their lives now they have families.

They still write about chicks and fucking.

Haha I was going to say that too. Since they said the new music is about f**king! But they write about other stuff now too.

[beejeezee]

Haha I was going to say that too. Since they said the new music is about f**king! But they write about other stuff now too.

Yes. Now they're fucking the chicks instead of thinking about it.

[Hermione]

Like a lot of people as they got older and had children they became more concerned about the bigger picture of what's going on in the world. That's the biggest change I think, they'd occasionally touched on topics of the wider world right from the beginning but from Warning onwards the lyrics became much more outward looking. I think it's totally natural, an 18 year old's lyrics will likely be more inward looking, focusing on the writer's own life, but as they get older other things start to become more important.

I don't think that means it's any less personal though, the lyrics on Warning, AI and 21st CB are still deeply personal. It's just that the list of things that affect them personally enough to write a song about them has expanded and now includes wider reaching topics as well. So yeah they can definitely still write about chicks and fucking, and they can write about society and politics too because all those things are important topics that affect them personally. They're now in the awesome position of being able to write about either or both, and do it brilliantly well.

[jacknovella]

I agree with Hermione 100%...the songs have matured along with the band, but just like the band, they've managed to hold on to that zest for life and youthful presence that they've always had

[Brigister]

Now they make more complex lyrics, when they were 18 their lyrics were kind of rough. And when they talked about love or girls/women at the age of 18, it was mainly referred to crushes and teenage love, now it's about adult life.

[Sixtrix]

As everyone already kind of said, it is a natural process of maturing that can be seen in the lyrics.

Still I think Billie has always kind of been a bit ahead of his age when writing lyrics. Even though their early songs were mainly about girls and crushes, the way he was able to describe it really drew you into the stories because it was exactly as how it would happen to you and how you would have felt. The ability to get the audience to relate to your lyrics is quite a gift that he has been developing ever since.

As for the topics he has been writing about compared to their recent songs is quite comparable to how we personally develop in our own life while growing up and gaining experience.

You always learn the hard way and that's what makes you stronger and smarter every time.

In the case of Green Day, their songs get better and more dynamic. I think the lyrics on 21CB are probably Billie's most dynamic lyrics to date.

[Firecracker Lell]

I agree with Hermione too I remember once Billie said after I got married my whole life changed. he said that if you look up at my old lyrics you see that there was an emptiness in my life

when they were 18, most lyrics were about girls & some were full of anger -- but now even the love songs are about Adrienne

btw, as they get bigger, their music gets bigger too -- now they're writing more seriously & about the things that they believe in

[Elena]

Well but it's different, Tristan. It's not like before where Billie would write about present Girlfriends and heartbreaks. Green Day are older now and obviously their writing and mentality have matured. (don't quote me on Mentality... ) They have families now and it's different. If Billie writes about love then it's about memories or Adrienne. Over the years their topics have changed into bigger things like politics and stories which have attracted a bigger audience. I mean, they can't write about masturbating anymore or getting high, now that they have a younger audience as well. (I mean they COULD, but do we really want to see a band in their 40's writing about that? I know Green Day know better than that. ) In short words, their music writing is wwaayyy more mature now than when they were 18.

yeah now they don't write songs about masturbating, but songs about fucking jk

their lyrics are now more compact and they've matured...also their range got bigger: they have a live pianist and another guitarist, so they can do more and they tried out a lot...their music also isn't "just" punk rock and pop punk anymore, they try out a lot of genres and Billie once said that he doesn't care whether a song is punk, he just cares that it's good...

[Annie, get your gun]

It differs for the fact that before they wrote about love, girls, how hard is to grow, teenage problems, hanging with friends and stuff. And now they can write about anything they want, like Billie said; about something that pisses you off, or something that makes you wanna fall in love (or have sex) He also said that never wrote about politics because he didn't know much about the matter and now he does. New experiences, new feelings or even new people they know, it's the natural evolution of all artists I guess...

But Green Day knows how recycle subjects and keep writing those awesome kick-ass songs!

[The Grohl]

I think they used to write about not getting girls and smoking weed a whole lot more than they do now. Their last few singles were definitely politically charged