Does anyone know what order the songs were written for American idiot was?

[Punkfreak1414]

I kept trying to post this to q&a thread but it didn't let me. If you want to put it into thread you can.

So does anyone know what order the songs were written? I know so far first was American idiot then second was homecoming. (:

[Jollyroger118]

That's about as much as I know though I think Jesus of Suburbia came soon after American Idiot cause in Bullet in a Bible Billie said he was thinking about what kind of person his "American Idiot" was and came up with the first lines of JOS. And some people are gonna tell you Letterbomb was originally Clusterbomb, which was from the Warning era, but I doubt it's true. I think they just had similar names.

[Moriarty]

I think Homecoming was first, the "Nobody Likes You" secction was written by Mike when he was waiting at the studio for Billie and Tre. Then the idea for a concept album and American Idiot was after that? At least that's what my memory tells me, could be wrong.

[ThranaM]

Homecoming was the first written song in AI.

[naliuj]

Yeah I heard that Homecoming was first. Then Billie Joe decided to write some more stuff to turn it into a story.

[Todd]

A song called Clusterbomb was supposed to go on Warning, that could have been Letterbomb.

[Spike]

I find it amazing that Homecoming was written first. They could have given up after that, it's the best song on the album

I suspect WMUWSE may have been written in some form some years earlier. Obviously I have no evidence of this, but I've always find it odd that that's the only song that doesn't follow the story and is meant to be the most personal for Billie.

[Spoopy Doo]

If we're talking just the 13 album tracks, I'd say WMUWSE, Letterbomb, and Homecoming were among the first.

[green day is]

As said, Homecoming was the first, but more specifically it was East 12th St. about Billie's community service. Then Mike added to it, and Tré. The other two parts were presumably added once the story was conceptualized. American Idiot was also of the first, but it's unknown whether Billie came up with it independently of East 12th St. or if it was written after.

Also, as Tman said, if the Clusterbomb on Warning was indeed the same as the Clusterbomb from the AI tour program that was to become Letterbomb, that would make it the first.

[Heather.]

Homecoming was the first written song in AI.

I find it amazing that Homecoming was written first. They could have given up after that, it's the best song on the album

I suspect WMUWSE may have been written in some form some years earlier. Obviously I have no evidence of this, but I've always find it odd that that's the only song that doesn't follow the story and is meant to be the most personal for Billie.

Billie has said in numerous interviews that Homecoming was the first song written that inspired them to write the rock opera, and then the writing of American Idiot sparked the rest. HOWEVER, he said in another interview that he wrote WMUWSE a year or two before, which had no link to the writing of the rock opera itself but was included anyway. There was a copy of an email that a cast member of American Idiot on tour tweeted a year or two ago that was from Billie in which he wished them luck on tour and also said that WMUWSE was the first song he wrote on the album.

[StuckWithInsomnia]

American Idiot was written not long after Homecoming, I'm pretty sure

[I killed the DJ]

Homecoming was the first.

[Jon Benjamin]

There was a picture of an early AI track list that had an intro, Welcome, Clusterbomb in place of Letterbomb, and Are We The Waiting and St. Jimmy as a two part song. So I think it's pretty safe to say that Letterbomb = Clusterbomb

[boringdays]

I remember reading Billie saying that after he wrote Jesus of Suburbia he knew there was no turning back. So I'd take that to mean it was relatively early on. Other then that we know that we know Mike and Tre started Homecoming which kicked off the concept of AI although if the Clusterbomb/Letterbomb thing is right that's technically first.

[James!]

I read that WMIUWSE was men to be on shenanigans so that one was pretty early

[green day is]

I read that WMIUWSE was men to be on shenanigans so that one was pretty early

Nothing was meant to be on Shenanigans, it's a compilation.

[mrduckygoosy]

Nothing was meant to be on Shenanigans, it's a compilation.

Yeah but Ha Ha You're Dead was an original track, so WMUWSE could have been written for Shenanigans

[James!]

Nothing was meant to be on Shenanigans, it's a compilation.

I am aware I worded it wrong i know it was written around this time But he wasn't emotionally ready to record it

[Todd]

Just take the year Billie's dad passed away, and add 20 years, and that's around when Billie wrote WMUWSE.

[Spike]

Just take the year Billie's dad passed away, and add 20 years, and that's around when Billie wrote WMUWSE.

So 2002. That would make sense.

[Spoopy Doo]

Just take the year Billie's dad passed away, and add 20 years, and that's around when Billie wrote WMUWSE.

C&V Maybe?

[Todd]

C&V Maybe?

Maybe. You can't say for sure though