Unpopular Green Day Opinions

[The Disappearing Boy]

#shotsfired

[Hermione]

I don't really pay attention to the storyline when listening to AI. Most of the songs are ambiguous. They mean something different in the context of the musical. There area also a handful of songs added to the actual play. Although I have listened to the songs from the musical and watched a lot of the video about it, I don't even consider that story line while listening to AI. They're separate entities for me. One song that I think is 100x better in the play is Letterbomb. The lyrics mean so much more being sung in the play by a female. Billie even said it was really intended to be from a female perspective.

It speaks to the incredible writing done on AI. The fact that you can take away so many meanings from these lyrics. Holiday is the perfect ambiguous song.

Another example would be Wake Me Up When September Ends. I think I'll probably throw my most unpopular opinion in to the ring now. I like what they did with the Wake Me Up When September Ends video. I didn't like the video itself, but I think the direction they took with the meaning of the song was good because so many people immediately connected the lyric that Billie wrote with 9/11 and their feelings. If you hear those lyrics and think about 9/11 and the pain and despair that followed, then that's what they mean to YOU. Just thinking about how I felt about 9/11, the lyrics make absolute sense in that context. Is that the way BJA intended it? No, but he also said that people should take away from the lyrics whatever they can connect to.

So in a sense I believe WMUWSE is also a perfectly ambiguous song, although not intentionally.

I have a much simpler story in mind when I listen to AI, basically JOS coming of age, moving out, falling in love and discovering new people and new sides of himself, and the struggles and confusion that go with that and with the political backdrop of the time. A basic coming of age story that somewhat mirrors Billie's own adolescence, but set in the present. The musical is an expanded interpretation that starts from the basic story of the album but fleshes it out with extra characters and events. I see them as two related but different stories.

Agreed about the ambiguity! I think it may have been somewhat intentional though, maybe not specific to 9/11 but Billie said he wrote some of the lyrics a certain way and put it at that particular point in the album so that it could also describe how the character was feeling at that point in the story as well as being a personal song about his father. So some degree of ambiguity was intended. And I wouldn't rule out 9/11 being something that crossed his mind either, it's likely he knew a sad song about September on an album with a political edge would evoke thoughts of that.

Probably a very unpopular GD opinion, but I think The Forgotten is probably the most emotional peice of music the band has ever written. If it wasn't part of the Twilight soundtrack I think people would appreciate it a lot more. Makes me tear up everytime I hear those piano notes start up . .

Yes!

[munns6691]

If the lyrics to The Forgotten were less vague then I think it would carry itself better

[IlariaIDIOT]

I have to say that.
Like a Rolling Stone: I prefer Green Day version

[walking_c0ntradicti0n]

I have to say that.

Like a Rolling Stone: I prefer Green Day version

that's exactly how i feel about I Fought the Law

[Guest]

I have to say that.

Like a Rolling Stone: I prefer Green Day version

That's because every cover of a Bob Dylan song is miles better than the original

that's exactly how i feel about I Fought the Law

I'm not one to say opinions are wrong but... damn that's wrong.

[Anaïs.]

My major problem with "The Forgotten" besides the horribly vague and cliched lyrics is that it feels like the first time Green Day actually "sold out" writing a song. The only reason it's on the Trilogy is to produce another ballad hit a la "21 Guns".

[walking_c0ntradicti0n]

That's because every cover of a Bob Dylan song is miles better than the original

I'm not one to say opinions are wrong but... damn that's wrong.

fuck you then.

[Guest]

fuck you then.

It's easily one of the worst covers Green Day have done, just a simple copy and past job changing absolutely nothing from the original, and worst of all, it was recorded for a Pepsi ad. Yeah.

[Z J]

Honestly The Forgotten is one of the only ballads from GD that I don't like. And I've said why I don't like it a thousand times.

I don't have a bias against ballads, in fact I think I like they're ballads more than most GD fans (especially male ones). I think 21 guns is wonderful, especially live. I like Last Night On Earth a lot. Love Good Riddance, BOBD, Brutal Love, Macy's Day Parade, and Are We The Waiting, even Amy.

But I do not like the Forgotten. The lyrics lead me nowhere. They don't have any point or coherent message.

[PleasedToMeetMe]

Be my bestie. I feel so alone in my love for "The Forgotten"!

You are not alone bestie! I especially love when Billie sings "dont look away from the arms of love". I dont know HOW people can think lyrics like that were forced, you can VERY clearly hear the pain in his voice. To me, it's Green Day's 'Imagine'. It's a tearjerker of a song, for me at least.

[Spike]

fuck you then.

It's easily one of the worst covers Green Day have done, just a simple copy and past job changing absolutely nothing from the original, and worst of all, it was recorded for a Pepsi ad. Yeah.

Yep. It takes a lot for Green Day to cover such a great song and it kind of suck. It's just far too polished - exactly the same problem people seem to have with the trilogy.

[Anaïs.]

Yep. It takes a lot for Green Day to cover such a great song and it kind of suck. It's just far too polished - exactly the same problem people seem to have with the trilogy.

On top of that, it's exactly the same setup as the song it's covering. In "Working Class Hero", they added the electric guitars and the drums, and in "Knowledge" they completely changed the sound from the original. "IFTL" is exactly the same arrangement.

[Shes_A_Rebel13]

I never thought of it like that, though I always did get kind of irritated with that kind of "saved my life" stuff. The image it puts into my head is little 12-year-old girls who buy everything at Hot Topic because they're "goff" or"ubor punx lawl" ( the fanfic "My Immortal," for example) My apologies to anyone whose lives have been saved by Green Day. Sorry. :\

The same image goes into my head and it makes me sad, because all that means is the term "this band saved my life" is super overused. Coming from a person who HONESTLY might not be alive if it weren't for Green Day, I hate hearing goth little fangirls saying "that band saved my life!" about every band. It sounds trendy, annoying, and cliche. And all of their stories are the same. But I honestly wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Green Day, I mean, I'm sane now but I was quite and unstable little child in 7th grade, who really loved a certain band ^-^

[IlariaIDIOT]

I'm not saying that Green Day are better than Dylan or blabla "Griin Deei!!! Forever!! 1st Fansss!!"
But I love that version so so much ahaha

[WhiteTim]

My thing with Bob Dylan as far as lyrics goes there is no one really better than Dylan but his voice is annoying as hell so it takes away some imo

That said I perfer GDs version than Dylan's

[Spike]

My thing with Bob Dylan as far as lyrics goes there is no one really better than Dylan but his voice is annoying as hell so it takes away some imo

That said I perfer GDs version than Dylan's

I agree. Dylan is a fantastic lyricist, I wouldn't say best ever but he's up there. But oh dear, he sounds like a strangled duck at the best of times.

[Z J]

Yeah honestly saying somebodies Bob Dylan cover is better than the original is really just stating the obvious most of the time

[AlissaGoesRAWR]

When he says & I just want to bum a cig - I think of all those times as a friend you have listened to friends download but really you just want to get back out there & have fun.

Ugh, this. I agree that it's a good line of the song... a good song I actually like on an album that I generally don't like.

[UNICORN VOMIT]

Ugh, this. I agree that it's a good line of the song... a good song I actually like on an album that I generally don't like.

Really - I don't understand why so many following this thread don't like 21CB - it would be my most listened to album & before the lobotomy would be in my top 5 GD songs.

[Spoopy Doo]

Really - I don't understand why so many following this thread don't like 21CB - it would be my most listened to album & before the lobotomy would be in my top 5 GD songs.

I get the feeling that sometimes, most of the album gets overlooked because of Know Your Enemy and 21 Guns. There's only two songs on the album I truly dislike; I even like Christian's Inferno; speaking of which, why does Christian's Inferno get so much hate?

Anyway, 21st Century Breakdown is definitely in my top five favorite albums.

[bagelfeet]

I get the feeling that sometimes, most of the album gets overlooked because of Know Your Enemy and 21 Guns. There's only two songs on the album I truly dislike; I even like Christian's Inferno; speaking of which, why does Christian's Inferno get so much hate?

Anyway, 21st Century Breakdown is definitely in my top five favorite albums.

I completely agree with you! I love Christians Inferno, it happens to be among my top five of that album

[munns6691]

Ugh, this. I agree that it's a good line of the song... a good song I actually like on an album that I generally don't like.

The "I just wanna bum a cig" line is what turns me off the most with Murder City. Its just such a weak line in the spot where arguably the most powerful line in the sound should be

[Spike]

I get the feeling that sometimes, most of the album gets overlooked because of Know Your Enemy and 21 Guns. There's only two songs on the album I truly dislike; I even like Christian's Inferno; speaking of which, why does Christian's Inferno get so much hate?

Anyway, 21st Century Breakdown is definitely in my top five favorite albums.

Personally I can't stand Christian's Inferno for a few reasons:

1) Complete lack of melody in the verses.

2) The melody in the choruses is pretty crap, and is just four straight repeats. Boring.

3) The vocal effects and Billie's delivery in the verses just make it sound like a failed attempt to be edgy and sound like the Dead Kennedys. Whether it's effective or not is up for debate, but it just seems so out of place on an album that has such Disneyfied songs as The Static Age.

4) It just seems very thrown together on an otherwise very well thought out album (Know Your Enemy aside)

5) It's just not very good and doesn't add anything to the album.

6) It feels so much less epic than songs like 21st Century Breakdown, American Eulogy, Peacemaker and Little Girl. It's just floundering in the middle of all these massive songs, and just gets shat all over as a result. On a weaker album it might be more acceptable, but then again... maybe not.

[Hermione]

Personally I can't stand Christian's Inferno for a few reasons:

1) Complete lack of melody in the verses.

2) The melody in the choruses is pretty crap, and is just four straight repeats. Boring.

3) The vocal effects and Billie's delivery in the verses just make it sound like a failed attempt to be edgy and sound like the Dead Kennedys. Whether it's effective or not is up for debate, but it just seems so out of place on an album that has such Disneyfied songs as The Static Age.

4) It just seems very thrown together on an otherwise very well thought out album (Know Your Enemy aside)

5) It's just not very good and doesn't add anything to the album.

6) It feels so much less epic than songs like 21st Century Breakdown, American Eulogy, Peacemaker and Little Girl. It's just floundering in the middle of all these massive songs, and just gets shat all over as a result. On a weaker album it might be more acceptable, but then again... maybe not.

Christian's Inferno contains this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2PSVYzdcM8

Your argument is invalid