Posted on 03/14/2023 1:23:28 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Green Day were on the verge of something big in the early 2000s—they just didn’t know it yet. After making a fan flop album with 2000’s Warning, the follow-up was set to be a return to the old-school pop punk sound reminiscent of the days of Dookie. Although they had a good album in the can, everything changed when the master tapes were stolen.
During the original sessions for what was to become Cigarettes and Valentines, Green Day had two choices: either rerecord what they had already recorded or start again from scratch. After figuring out what to do, producer Rob Cavallo made them ask themselves if they were putting their best foot forward on their first try.
In an attempt to aim even bigger, Billie Joe Armstrong got the inspiration for his next classic when he heard the song ‘That’s How I Like It’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd on the radio. The Skynyrd tune celebrated Southern American values, from thanking God for what he’s given them to being proud of their redneck roots.
In a post-9/11 world, Armstrong was seething listening to this song, saying (via Songfacts), “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”. In response, Armstrong wrote ‘American Idiot’ as a retort to that Southern mindset, most neatly noted in the lyric “redneck agenda.”
While Armstrong was hesitant to get political in his lyrics, his bandmates pushed him to say what was on his mind. What unfolded was a firm critique of how Americans were reacting to The Iraq War and President George Bush marching troops into battle to die for no reason. Armstrong got into more political territory on the next song, ‘Holiday’, aiming a stern middle finger at the head honchos in Washington and their outlaw-like tendencies.
Although the political tension of the time was the genesis for this tune, Armstrong mentions that ‘American Idiot’ doesn’t have an anti-American sentiment, saying, “It’s about the confusion of where we’re at right now. My education was punk rock – what the Dead Kennedys said, what Operation Ivy said. It was attacking America, but it was American at the same time”.
When unpacking the rest of the record, Armstrong hit on a concept about teenagers trying to make their way through a modern version of America, trying to balance the sentiments of rage and love that everyone was suffering from at the time. Following the life of ‘Jesus of Suburbia’, the album takes on different themes across the track list, from needing some kind of relief on ‘Give Me Novacaine’ to wanting to cause as much havoc as possible on ‘St. Jimmy’.
The gamble of starting from scratch paid off, giving Green Day a second wind in the minds of rock fans and exposing them to a new era of pop-punk fans. Although Armstrong might have been uneasy about the song at the time, he credits ‘American Idiot’ for revitalising his career, saying (via Kerrang), “It created a new future for us. It’s made all of our albums since Dookie make sense for people who weren’t up to speed with what we were doing. Obviously having all this critical acclaim is a first, but that’s all”.
I miss that man.
‘Oh my God, why would you be proud of something like that?’
Rednecks built the country where a little punk POS like Billy Armstrong can be a punk POS and make a lot of money. Rednecks protect that little punk. Rednecks feed that little punk. Rednecks produce the oil that fuels that little punk’s tour busses.
“ Oh my God, why would you be proud of something like that?’ This is exactly what I’m against”
Kind of like Green Day being American hating ignorant libtards I can’t stand to listen to
They’r exactly what I’m against
Stay out of our country
'American Idiot' - Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
-Father was a truck driver and mother was a waitress
-Launched from San Francisco area
These two don't hate "rednecks"; they hate themselves. It's just easier to project it onto others.
The Southern Man don't need 'em around anyhow.
In 20 or 50 or 100 years, who will be remembered Lynyrd Skynyrd or Green Day?
Green Day was the cash cow of Hollywood and were not punk – they were slick, greedy and could definitely play their instruments, whereas punk was not about how well they played their instruments but about attitude. Punk hated established bands like Led Zeppelin who they thought were dinosaurs, because they were cash cows to the establishment. Both Green Day and Nirvana sold out and became the mainstream, cash cows that they hated in other bands. Old story...
Hahaha. I’m not sure how accurate this is, as it’s based on my cloudy memory, and I’m too lazy to research it. Neil Young wrote ‘Southern Man’, slamming southern, redneck values. Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd them responded with “Sweet Home Alabama”, with the aforementioned lyrics about a Southern man not needing Neil Young anyhow.
Neil Young later regretted painting with such a broad brush, and he and Ronnie Van Zant became friends.
He’s a drunken American Idiot. Green Day and Rage Against The Machine had to stifle themselves when Obama was in office running the same wars that GW did.
When I think of green day I think of a sweaty dirty sock. I’m not exactly sure why. That’s what they remind me of.
Green day started out OK. But then it was like every song had that same whinny sound. So I could not longer stand them.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is 1000 times better than Green Day on a bad day.
Green Day, the toe jam of the Ramones.
Perfect. Isn’t this the same ass who wears maskera and eye makeup?
Green Day isn’t 1/100 of what Lynyrd Skynyrd was, it’s an insult to Rock and Roll to even mention Gangrene Day in the same sentence with Skynyrd.
I've never heard of the song and it won't be remembered through the ages, not like those nasty old redneck Lynyrd Skynyrd tunes. *shrug*
Many believe themselves brillant and superior but can hardly see a thing looking down that nose.
Intellectuals sometimes struggle more than the average Joe but it's ok, we still love ya. :)
Armstrong isn’t fit to wipe the dead asses of LS.
L
I sure miss Petty.
I do too, but still listen to him music daily. My number 1 Pandora Station is Tom Petty and my 20 year old son loves him too.
We can sing “Won’t Back Down” together in perfect time.
What this world needs is a few more rednecks!
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