11 - Forever Now

[Clockwise]

7 hours ago, Dakke said:

The lyric booklet is outdated on multiple occasions. It also says 'vote' instead of 'boot' in the lyrics of Somewhere Now. For some reason the booklet passed some rather sloppy quality control.

It is "vote" in Somewhere Now as well, Billie's pronunciation has always been a little iffy, but "boot" just doesn't make sense.

[St. Jonny]

I thought it was "bolt". Saw it on a guitar tab site, sounds a lot like "bolt", but why the hell would they put vote if it isn't. Bolt does make sense. My girlfriend hates this song, though she's not the biggest Green Day fan. I also play the album and the song on guitar a lot so she getting annoyed but fuck it!! Amazing song, 5 stars!! Minus the punk rocker on labor day line.

[Bastard of 1967]

On 10/22/2016 at 6:40 AM, Dakke said:

Of all great lyrics on this song, I think I find "I wanna start a revolution/I wanna hear it on my radio/And put it off another day" is the most intriguing. Putting an end to a revolution is not something they've ever displayed so explicitly in their lyrics as here. I think it's very much a reflection on their 'revolutionary' era with AI ("I wanna start a revolution" - Jesus of Suburbia and Saint Jimmy in a very politically rooted album) and 21CB ("I wanna hear it on my radio" - Christian's inferno for all to see in a post-breakdown city)  and their desire to move away from the grand concepts of the 2000s. Combined with "I ain't gonna stand in line nomore", I think that's Billie screaming out that he isn't making the music other people want to or expect to hear, like AI 2.0 or Dookie 2.0, instead toning the grandeur down to let personal candor shine, as he does on Revolution Radio. Sure, there's still the political revolution in the title track, but the personal, introspective aspect definitely gets the upper hand on the outward perspective that dominated the rock opera's. I think this is very much the most explicit attestation of Billie ending the American Idiot era, and what better way to do it than with an epic mini-rock opera of sorts with himself as the protagonist going through hell - 2010 through iHeart ("I'm freaking out"), purgatory - Rehab and personal troubles ("If this what you call the good life, I want a better way to die") and heaven - getting inducted into HoF, making a new record ("How did life on the wild side ever get so full"), only to end up on the other side of the darkness, feeling settled (Ordinary World), whilst looking back on the tumult of the past four years (the preceding tracks on the record)?

You fucking nailed it, m'friend.

[Dimitris Gotsis]

The last part, just before billie starts singing " I ain't gonna stand in line no more" is sung by mike? I hear his voice!

[Marki.]

15 minutes ago, Δημήτρης Γκότσης said:

The last part, just before billie starts singing " I ain't gonna stand in line no more" is sung by mike? I hear his voice!

If you mean the "I want to start a revolution - I wanna hear it on my radio - I'll put it off another day" part, I think Billie sings that... I think he sings the whole thing. Maybe we can hear Mike supporting him in some parts of the song, I'm really not sure though.

[Dimitris Gotsis]

Just now, Marki. said:

If you mean the "I want to start a revolution - I wanna hear it on my radio - I'll put it off another day" part, I think Billie sings that... I think he sings the whole thing. Maybe we can hear Mike supporting him in some parts of the song, I'm really not sure though.

Yes at the reprise

[Dakke]

20 hours ago, Δημήτρης Γκότσης said:

Yes at the reprise

Mike does sing 'I wanna start a revolution - I wanna hear it on my radio - And put it off another day"  during the live performances, though it isn't very audible due to Billie's 'I ain't gonna stand in line no more' dominating it.

[Ian1234]

The lyric: "My name is Billie and I'm freaking out." reminds me of: "Do you have the time to listen to me whine?" They are both pretty similar if you think about it.

[Bastard of 1967]

On 12/4/2016 at 0:04 AM, crock6000 said:

EDIT: I went and did it again. Ha. I thought I would recalibrate my review and interpretation of this song but instead just spat salad but I tried.  I'll come see if I can splice it up later. 

. . .

Dude. 

I agree with your interpretation 99.5%, and I feel both honored and humbled to get a glimpse of the album from the perspective of someone who's walked at least some of the same path that Billie did and has come out the better for it.  The only part I disagree with is your view of the procrastination element.  I interpret Billie's references to "radio" throughout the album as a collective metaphor for his social media feeds, particularly in BOTW and to a lesser extent in Bang Bang.  This theme in a nutshell is "everyone flips out about everything and fills the social media 'airwaves' with giant nothingburgers that make no difference to anyone and change no minds, yet they're so up on themselves because they're chasing the latest trends" -- the "fireflies and zeroes" he refers to.  In Bang Bang, we see this in the lyric "broadcasting live and it's on my radio".  The mass-killer's or terrorist's face, manifesto, yada yada gets blasted all over social media and people make up their minds about him before any real, accurate news has a chance to rise above the noise.  In other words, social media is all talk, all fluff, all distraction, and no action.  Taking that concept into FN, the third part of the song ratchets up the tension between his own desire to act, to make a difference, and his fear of action "It doesn't matter anyway/I'll put it off another day".  I want to start a revolution -- but I want to see it on my useless social media timeline ("I want to hear it on my radio") and look! it won't make a damn bit of difference in the real world.  It's knotting up the urge/inaction tension that gets released in Ordinary World -- focus on what you can do, what you can give, what you can love, instead of all this god damn useless political bullshit where nothing anyone does makes a difference and nothing ever changes.

 

[Dakke]

3 hours ago, crock6000 said:

S

 

Thanks for the kind words!

I agree in all about what the "revolution" IS and the problems (social media disconnect et al) of the vehicle for the resolution in reality, and as seen through Billie but I am losing the thread where you are separating the move vs. the movement.

Billie wrote Bang Bang I think after getting out of his car and following a Black Lives Matter crowd and he got out, put his hands up and chanted with the group. Totally fucking awesome.

People right now that are mobilizing are people that will be a part of a revolution or not and Billie ain't "gonna wait on line no more"..."I'll put it off another day" which I very much realize is a typical Billie lyric "I'll put it off another day" could be totally grammatically correct for two opposite ideas "I'll put it off another day" as in tomorrow "or I'll put it off another day" as in the act of actually doing something is now necessary, talk is bullshit so putting it off, I'll do that another day.

To me, it makes complete sense because him actually saying "forget it, it doesn't matter" would be defeatist, not to mention anti-climactic.

I must be missing something becuase I agree with you but not exactly sure what you are seeing differently since I agree.

He wrote Revolution Radio after getting out of his car

[Bastard of 1967]

8 hours ago, crock6000 said:

S

 

Thanks for the kind words!

I agree in all about what the "revolution" IS and the problems (social media disconnect et al) of the vehicle for the resolution in reality, and as seen through Billie but I am losing the thread where you are separating the move vs. the movement.

Billie wrote Bang Bang I think after getting out of his car and following a Black Lives Matter crowd and he got out, put his hands up and chanted with the group. Totally fucking awesome.

People right now that are mobilizing are people that will be a part of a revolution or not and Billie ain't "gonna wait on line no more"..."I'll put it off another day" which I very much realize is a typical Billie lyric "I'll put it off another day" could be totally grammatically correct for two opposite ideas "I'll put it off another day" as in tomorrow "or I'll put it off another day" as in the act of actually doing something is now necessary, talk is bullshit so putting it off, I'll do that another day.

To me, it makes complete sense because him actually saying "forget it, it doesn't matter" would be defeatist, not to mention anti-climactic.

I must be missing something becuase I agree with you but not exactly sure what you are seeing differently since I agree.

I think I get your point now.  To rephrase, "What, postpone the revolution? Fuck that shit, we need to act now.  Put it off?  Another day."  It requires some serious rejiggering of the plain lyrics to get there but I'll give you that this is at least a plausible interpretation.

I still find the action vs. inaction conflict, and Billie's resolution of it through his recognition of cold, hard reality, as the more plausible interpretation, particularly when you look at Green Day's back-catalog as a foundation on which RevRad was built.  With that:

Quote

 him actually saying "forget it, it doesn't matter" would be defeatist

Exactly.  Take a look at the all-too-autobiographical "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield".  The character in that song *is* Billie. "He has no motivation and frustration makes him crazy/He makes a plan to take a stand and always ends up sitting."  -- He feels the rage, he feels the frustration, he wants to act, but he's powerless to change his situation and so sits idle, "fogging his world" with dope to mute the pain.  I think this is the same concept brought forward 20 years later in RevRad, revisited from the perspective of someone who's now abandoned his adolescent apathy ("I found a knife by the railroad track"), who has seen the horror that muting the pain causes, who has changed himself as a result of that, and who now sees his options in the "Ordinary World" a whole lot more clearly: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."  That's what transforms defeatism into constructive, purposeful, "live-in-the-moment" reality.  Indeed we had glimmers of this thought in "See the Light" but it felt more forced in Breakdown rather than authentic because Billie wasn't actually in that place yet -- if anything he was drifting back toward relapse at the time; perhaps something he knew he needed to reach for but was unable to attain at the time.  In RevRad, these concepts are authentic as all fucking hell.  You can feel it from start to finish, even in Ordinary World, and you see and feel it in the band's live appearances and performances.  They're not just talking the talk, they're living it.

 

[Leni.]

12 minutes ago, Bastard of 1967 said:

Indeed we had glimmers of this thought in "See the Light" but it felt more forced in Breakdown rather than authentic because Billie wasn't actually in that place yet -- if anything he was drifting back toward relapse at the time; perhaps something he knew he needed to reach for but was unable to attain at the time.  In RevRad, these concepts are authentic as all fucking hell.  You can feel it from start to finish, even in Ordinary World, and you see and feel it in the band's live appearances and performances.  They're not just talking the talk, they're living it.

I think (maybe I'm wrong) that if I remember correctly that he said something back in the day that while writing the songs for 21stCB he actually dropped the pills for a while and felt quite hopeful, that he managed to do that. Again, it has been a while so maybe I'm wrong about this, but for this reason I see See The Light quite authentic also, as Forever Now, or any other song on this new album. But I agree with you, it could be a little bit forced in the sense that he wasn't convinced enough, so the happiness didn't last long or was transformed into some kind of partying.

 

BTW, I love reading all of these analyses of lyrics in threads like this, it's fun and it's really interesting. 

[Bastard of 1967]

3 minutes ago, crock6000 said:

Again, I agree pretty much in totality with all you hear but with some minor exception but considering how interpretable this album is, I'd say that it's a pretty strong statement.

I do admitatedly find it hard, however, that someone wouldn't agree that while the background lyric is chanting "I'm not gonna wait on line no more" (again he changed that as LIFE at one performance), juxtaposed on during the finale "I'll put it off another day". The mere placement of it leads to a conclusion of the character arc and a story arc and without that meaning, the "Revolution" part of the story ends on a note that makes no sense from a story telling perspective which Billie does take note of, especially in the post AI days of his writing.

Add to that that Billie has stated many times that he feels the DESIRE, if not the knowledge to do something about all he sees going on in the world and he doesn't mean just writing songs. He wants to be a part of the revolution for real, and in the song.

I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY with your view on how Billie's personal emotional space has created an intangible fingerprint on the last few albums and this one is where we find Billie (the man and character) is at his best during the final verse of Forever Now and you can for sure chalk it up to him wanting a Hollywood ending but I can see the raw emotion as real and I am fascinated, relieved and thrilled that he has got there and wrote about it. 

Because I have deep respect for you, I should just relent and say "I understand your point" and move on. I am not on an effort to try and make you think what I think, I just enjoy telling you why I think what I do.

As for the line in Outlaws, I think it was you I was speaking about that line but I came to this on the "I found a knife by the railroad road tracks, you took a train and it won't come back, Forever Now, Forever Now, you'll roam".

To me this is an obvious foreshadow of FN and also plays into the idea of sort of Green Day existentialism. (We were bad <found a knife>, took a train <music, Green Day> and won't come back, forever now, forever now, you'll roam <will be on that road forever>) and I quote real billie:

"The only way I'm ever leaving Green Day is in a body bag". 

  

I've enjoyed exploring your interpretation with you -- seems clear that multiple different interpretations that get you to similar places are easily possible with this record.  So I'll see your interpretation and raise you one final thought: "I ain't gonna wait on LIFE no more" is totally consistent with "Make a difference wherever your difference will be felt." -- live, live purposefully, live authentically.  What that means for each of us is up to, well, each of us.

 

[grene cniht]

I'm not a native speaker so I'm just asking out of curiosity. Since the previous line is "I wanna hear it on my radio", could "I'll put it off another day" also refer to the radio? As "I'll put the radio off another day" (like switching it off or something)? This would just strengthen the idea of not procrastinating and that's how I've always interpreted it.

[Dakke]

23 hours ago, Master Roshi said:

I'm not a native speaker so I'm just asking out of curiosity. Since the previous line is "I wanna hear it on my radio", could "I'll put it off another day" also refer to the radio? As "I'll put the radio off another day" (like switching it off or something)? This would just strengthen the idea of not procrastinating and that's how I've always interpreted it.

I also assume 'it' refers to radio, though 'put it off' is definitely ambiguous and can be used to justify bot interpretations. To view the 'it' in a broader context, the 'it' in 'It doesn't matter anyway', can refer to both 'Don't wanna think about the road' and 'Don't wanna think about tomorrow'. Now, in the case of the latter it, tomorrow is the future and the road is the past, more precisely the road back from hell, and he doesn't want to think about tomorrow because he wants to live in the present. The radio actually broadcasts the deed (revolution), just like the 'semi-automatic lonely boy' broadcasted from his room (broadcasting from my room and playing with my toys). Therefore I also think 'it' refers to the radio, in the sense that he wants to see his deed (the revolution) heard and seen, but that he doesn't want to protract it and spin into overdrive as he has done in the past (i. e. the Trilogy and general post-21CB era). Sure, he continues to be the punk rebel, but he also isn't the punk rebel people expect him to be anymore. He charts his own course, feels settled (Somewhere Now) and is not going to adhere to any expectations musically, either his or someone else's ('I ain't gonna stand in line no more').

[Thatsername]

On 14.12.2016 at 5:46 PM, crock6000 said:

and I quote real billie:

"The only way I'm ever leaving Green Day is in a body bag". 

  

The scary thing is that this almost became true, so everytime I read this quote now it makes me feel very uncomfortable.

On 14.12.2016 at 9:43 PM, Master Roshi said:

I'm not a native speaker so I'm just asking out of curiosity. Since the previous line is "I wanna hear it on my radio", could "I'll put it off another day" also refer to the radio? As "I'll put the radio off another day" (like switching it off or something)? This would just strengthen the idea of not procrastinating and that's how I've always interpreted it.

I agree, I always interpreted it that way, too. And I think the metaphor "radio" could also refer to Billie's new openness and honesty. Like, when you put something on the radio, it's out there for everyone to listen. Billie shares his deeply personal thoughts and fears with us and doesn't hide away from his problems anymore. The "I'll put it off another day" line would make sense, too, because he feels safe and strong enough to share all of this with us and there's no need to put off the radio.

But I like all of your previous interpretations, too. That's the cool thing about interpretations, there is no right and wrong.

[Beerjeezus]

On 14. 12. 2016 at 5:47 PM, Ellen Caulfield said:

I think (maybe I'm wrong) that if I remember correctly that he said something back in the day that while writing the songs for 21stCB he actually dropped the pills for a while and felt quite hopeful, that he managed to do that. Again, it has been a while so maybe I'm wrong about this, but for this reason I see See The Light quite authentic also, as Forever Now, or any other song on this new album. But I agree with you, it could be a little bit forced in the sense that he wasn't convinced enough, so the happiness didn't last long or was transformed into some kind of partying.

 

BTW, I love reading all of these analyses of lyrics in threads like this, it's fun and it's really interesting. 

I don't recall ever hearing this, I thought he's never talked about it before he quit - not saying you are wrong. I'm just writing down my thoughts. 

I agree See The Light feels authentic but I think its sentiment isn't happiness but hope - it's about recognizing the past mistakes and being ready to change but it's just "not there yet" in terms of having any sort of definite ending, there are no answers. STL ends with "I need to know what's worth a fight" or something like that - maybe it's the first song in which he shows some willingness to change? It's definitely more positive than stuff like RHS but I wouldn't call it happy.

[Leni.]

On 16. 12. 2016 at 2:59 PM, Jane Lannister said:

I don't recall ever hearing this, I thought he's never talked about it before he quit - not saying you are wrong. I'm just writing down my thoughts. 

I agree See The Light feels authentic but I think its sentiment isn't happiness but hope - it's about recognizing the past mistakes and being ready to change but it's just "not there yet" in terms of having any sort of definite ending, there are no answers. STL ends with "I need to know what's worth a fight" or something like that - maybe it's the first song in which he shows some willingness to change? It's definitely more positive than stuff like RHS but I wouldn't call it happy.

Yeah, I'm not sure and I can be wrong. I'm not able to find it and I have no idea why, but all what I know is that I have this impression that I've read it in some interview (maybe in 2009 or during 21stCB era, really don't know, maybe someone here remembers it too?). If I'm wrong which is fairly possible, please excuse my bad memory, thank you.

To make it clear, I didn't mean that See The Light is a happy song lyrically, I was reffering to the era itself - the feel that something new will start and there's a chance of it being better. I used the word happiness in the sense of 'satisfaction' for a lack of a better word. Even in the lyrics there's a line I've been wasted pills and alcohol, from which I have the impression that he realised the problem and was "ready" to change it or at least to do something. But after several years he has been wasted again so the happiness/excitement/satisfaction with being "clear" transformed into something uncotrollable once again. 

[Beerjeezus]

3 hours ago, Ellen Caulfield said:

Yeah, I'm not sure and I can be wrong. I'm not able to find it and I have no idea why, but all what I know is that I have this impression that I've read it in some interview (maybe in 2009 or during 21stCB era, really don't know, maybe someone here remembers it too?). If I'm wrong which is fairly possible, please excuse my bad memory, thank you.

To make it clear, I didn't mean that See The Light is a happy song lyrically, I was reffering to the era itself - the feel that something new will start and there's a chance of it being better. I used the word happiness in the sense of 'satisfaction' for a lack of a better word. Even in the lyrics there's a line I've been wasted pills and alcohol, from which I have the impression that he realised the problem and was "ready" to change it or at least to do something. But after several years he has been wasted again so the happiness/excitement/satisfaction with being "clear" transformed into something uncotrollable once again. 

I'm sure you're not the first one to mention something like this to me. I remember someone claimed the same thing about the 2010 tour but I've never seen any source. I kind of doubt it though because I don't remember many rumors spreading back in the day which I suppose would have happened if he had talked about it. 

Yes, I see what you mean. You're right. 

[Leni.]

1 minute ago, Jane Lannister said:

I'm sure you're not the first one to mention something like this to me. I remember someone claimed the same thing about the 2010 tour but I've never seen any source. I kind of doubt it though because I don't remember many rumors spreading back in the day which I suppose would have happened if he had talked about it. 

Yes, I see what you mean. You're right. 

I don't remebmer where did I take the information from, I don't want to spread rumors. My memory isn't really good  

We were actually saying the same thing, in the end  

[Beerjeezus]

2 hours ago, Ellen Caulfield said:

I don't remebmer where did I take the information from, I don't want to spread rumors. My memory isn't really good  

We were actually saying the same thing, in the end  

That's absolutely fine, I'm just thinking about it because it's something I never heard but it makes perfect sense with the way you interpret See The Light so I'm wondering if it reminds me of something I read.

[Bastard of 1967]

On 12/14/2016 at 0:01 PM, crock6000 said:

Bam!

Hey guy - been letting our discussion cook for a couple of weeks and I'm now on board with your interpretation of FN. Billie's revolution could be political but I think for him it's personal -- a radical change in who he is. Will write more later. Cheers!

[Thatsername]

I absolutely love Forever Now live. After hearing it live for the first time on Wednesday, it already feels like a song they've played for years, and I love how passionate Billie sings it. Especially the way he screams the last "I ain't gonna stand in line no more", supported by the pyro effects. It's fucking perfect. Definitely one of my (live-) favourites of all time.

[End Of The World]

7 hours ago, MMwhatsername said:

I absolutely love Forever Now live. After hearing it live for the first time on Wednesday, it already feels like a song they've played for years, and I love how passionate Billie sings it. Especially the way he screams the last "I ain't gonna stand in line no more", supported by the pyro effects. It's fucking perfect. Definitely one of my (live-) favourites of all time.

Totally agree.

Still Breathing/Forever Now was my most emotional part of the show. The bangs at the end of Forever Now were just amazing and the overall "epic feeling" made the song perfect to be played live.

[St. Jonny]

Cannot wait!! It is great. Love the breakdown riff, it's a lot of fun to play and sing. Can't wait til' March. Actually I can, I need more money.