Green Day will celebrate the 20th anniversary of American Idiot by releasing a deluxe edition on October 25.
The band’s seventh studio album tells the story of Jesus of Suburbia, an adolescent antihero. It’s a coming-of-age tale written about a generation shaped by 9/11 and the Iraq War.
Though American Idiot is explicitly political, it’s also polished punk rock, built for early aughts modern rock radio and MTV. The lyrics are biting and the riffs are heavy, but it’s all coated in a clean, expensive-sounding mix, shaped by producer Rob Cavallo.
American Idiot became a stage musical in 2009. The production reached Broadway the following year, winning two Tony Awards. So travel back to the age of MySpace and check out four key tracks from Green Day’s punk rock opera.
“American Idiot”
In 2003, while Billie Joe Armstrong was driving to the studio he heard Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “That’s How I Like It” on the radio. Repulsed by the sentiment, Armstrong responded with “American Idiot.” He told Q magazine in 2009, “It was like, I’m proud to be a redneck and I was like, ‘Oh my God, why would you be proud of something like that?’ This is exactly what I’m against.” That day, Armstrong wrote “American Idiot” in a frenzied burst of rage. He added, “I looked at the guys like, ‘Do you mind that I’m saying this?’ And they were like, ‘No, we agree with you.’ And it started getting the ball rolling.”
“Holiday”
On the album, “Holiday” is bundled with “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Green Day’s anti-war anthem protests America’s war in Iraq. President George W. Bush’s post-9/11 Global War on Terror divided the country and even spilled over into anti-French sentiments. When France opposed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, some Americans reacted by renaming French fries “freedom fries.” Armstrong alludes to this absurdity with the line: Pulverize the Eiffel towers / Who criticize your government.
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
In a 2005 episode of VH1’s Storytellers, Armstrong said he “nicked” the title from a Gottfried Helnwein painting featuring James Dean walking alone. The song follows Armstrong’s character Jesus of Suburbia as he confronts loneliness in the big city. Armstrong said it also reflects his time living alone in New York City. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 2006. It remains the band’s highest-charting single, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Wake Me Up When September Ends”
Armstrong wrote “Wake Me Up When September Ends” about his father, who died when Armstrong was 10 years old. For years, the internet lit up with jokes about waking up the Green Day singer on October 1. However, fans have pointed out the profound sadness that led to him writing the song. Speaking to Vulture in 2016, Armstrong said he’ll write another song called “Shut the F–k Up When October Comes.” The song fits with Green Day’s tender ballad “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).” Both are a far cry from the irreverent punk rock of “Longview,” an onanistic ode to curing boredom. What shouldn’t be overlooked is Armstrong’s ability to craft flawless pop songs.
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