Let Me Reminisce Over You: Green Day
Let Me Reminisce Over You is an ongoing feature written by Tommy Delone, where he examines the quintessential songs by his most formative artists. Here, to correspond with the release of their 13th studio album, Father Of All..., Tommy selects the career-defining songs of pop punk icons, Green Day.
By Tommy Delone
I grew up loving Green Day. One of my first memories with music was when my old man used to play Dookie in the car when my siblings and I were younger, and every time Billie Joe would go to cuss, my dad would turn the volume all the way down. Their songs have always hit my ear differently, and even as a kid, I knew that they were going to be a band that would stick with me forever. Even to this day, I find myself attracted most to artists with the same ethos as Billie Joe Armstrong.
Among the generation of early 90s West Coast punk bands, Green Day stood out like a sore thumb. Their early music offered something different amidst a sense of aimlessness - for example, their major label debut, Dookie, was a milestone in rock, yet the album has no central theme or perspective. They went against the grain and wrote about angst in a way that hadn’t been done. It was rock, for sure, but no other rock was writing about sitting on the couch with no motivation, or deconstructing the psyche of a washed-up, angry old man. Their early material was not only raw, the songwriting was incredibly clever, filled with symbolism that set Armstrong’s talent as a songwriter apart from his contemporaries.
However, they’ve seemed to have lost their edge in recent years - really, ever since 2004’s American Idiot. Billie Joe may still fancy himself a punk - cussing out the audience at half-time shows for sporting events - but something seems to be off. Instead of the angst acting as an influence and helping them write great, badass garage rock, it just seems to be causing a whole lot of drama.
With their 13th studio album, Father of All Motherfuckers, releasing today, I thought that I would write a little piece about the Green Day that I grew up on. I could honestly go on for hours about Green Day, because there is so much to dive into with them. Someday I will do just that, but for right now, I think that it’s best to just give the people what they want: a comprehensive list of the songs that I personally think make the band who they are.
10. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” – American Idiot
Every middle schooler from ‘04 - ‘07 definitely screamed this song at the top of their lungs after a blow up with their parents. American Idiot follows the trials and errors of the central character, Jesus of Suburbia, and this song is the point in the story where he realizes no one cares about him and he’s in this thing alone. This song appealed to basically everyone, because it was an incredibly easy theme to resonate with. It isn’t filled with the same idiosyncrasy that the other songs on this list have, but this song is Green Day’s biggest Billboard hit for a reason. A slow, haunting melody paired with despondent, introspective lyrics, that lingers atop lean alt-rock, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” is on an entirely different wavelength than other Green Day songs. Although this isn’t one of my favorite songs by them, I think it would really be hard to get a full idea of who Green Day is without listening to it.
9. “Welcome to Paradise” - Kerplunk/Dookie
Moving from Suburbia, MA to the big, bad streets of Allston, I can connect with the moving-out anthem, “Welcome to Paradise.” Well I mean, not really. This song is intended as Billie Joe writing a letter to his mother about living in Oakland, CA, so it’s no way shape or form close to Allston. But for anyone who has moved away from their home to an unfamiliar place, this song instantly makes a connection. Any sort of major life change is tough, but after a while, you adjust and move forward as a new you, and to the core, this is what this song is all about. The song’s catchy as hell and will have you shredding the air drums along with Tré Cool’s manic fills. Aside from it being just a great song, it’s a perfect example of Billie Joe’s ability to tell his story his way, while still being able to connect to practically every listener it reaches.
8. “American Idiot” – American Idiot
A song that, 16 years later, is more relevant than ever to the American political world. “American Idiot” is a pop punk superhit, the shining example of the band’s ability to mix their nimble messages with an accessible sound. I believe deep down that this is the last really good song Green Day ever produced. It’s worth noting that some of Green Day’s key influences were Dead Kennedys and Operation Ivy, bands whose rebelliousness created the juxtaposition of being anti-American in policy while maintaining an American identity. It was uncharacteristic for Green Day to be political, but “American Idiot” became a battle cry for everyone that was against the insane shit going on during the Bush era. This song was a stepping stone for Green Day, as it made the effort to establish themselves as a more mature band with more insightful things to say.
7. “She” – Dookie
Honestly, “She” is a straight banger. Written for his then girlfriend - who dumped him after he played her this song - Armstrong’s said that it’s one his favorite songs that he’s ever written. He even goes as far to make sure it’s on the setlist of every Green Day show. It’s a sensitive, empathetic love song without being overly delicate. With a simple bass line for the verse paired with a reserved, almost poetic lyric structure, the song starts off soft and progresses into a heavy, rhythmic power chord progression, refusing to quit. The sound of this song is classic Green Day, but the lyrics reach a deeper level of understanding than most of their material. It’s one of the few times when Green Day shows their softer side, but they do it in such a way that is still in line with their core sound. This song is, without a doubt, Green Day’s most underrated song.
6. “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” - Nimrod
It is purely by coincidence that the song that follows “She” on my list is about the same girl; this time, Billie Joe tries to come to terms with the breakup. Aside from winning the award for “Most Used Graduation Song,” this song is a great stepping stone for Billie Joe as a songwriter. His lyricism was decent up until this point, but he was a punk who hadn’t quite grown up. You can tell how mature a lot of musicians are by the way they write lyrics and articulate their feelings, and while Billie Joe has always been talented, he has never been this clear, or understanding, with his lyrics and feelings. He still named the song “Good Riddance…” as a juvenile middle finger to the girl, but overall, this song is a turning point in Green Day’s career, and looking back, definitely one of the most important songs in their huge discography.
5. “When I Come Around” - Dookie
The woman that Billie Joe wrote this song about is up for speculation, but what’s not up for speculation is that “When I Come Around” is just a flat-out awesome song. Until “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” this song was the band’s biggest Billboard hit, and it’s pretty easy to see why. From the opening guitar riff, the song hooks you in until you find yourself singing every word. When you really listen to the lyrics, you realize how relatable they are. Billie Joe cares about this girl, but he can’t commit to her right now, so he needs to be free for a bit and suggests that she does the same. His honesty within the lyrics represents an emotional progression, one that helped him grow and start writing songs like “Good Riddance.”
4. “Hitchin’ a Ride” – Nimrod
This song immediately grabs your attention. The violin at the beginning, transitioning into the rhythmic guitar riff, is like nothing else that’s off Nimrod, or really any of the band’s albums. A tale about a recovering alcoholic giving up on his sobriety, “Hitchin’ a Ride” is one of my favorites. This song is a great example of Green Day’s lean and mean sound, as well as Billie Joe’s inventive wordplay and lyricism. With a simple song structure that seems reminiscent of the blues, and double entendres in almost every line, this track stands out amongst the rest in a time where Green Day was known for its individuality amongst pop punk peers.
3. “Basket Case” - Dookie
A cleverly written ode to his own anxiety, Billie Joe asks the million dollar question, “Am I just paranoid, or am I just stoned?” Let’s be honest, I’m sure a lot of us have asked ourselves that question, but that’s not what makes this song one of the most quintessential Green Day songs. In this song, he gets more self-reflective than any song that he wrote before this, and it shows immediately on the surface level. One of the staple tracks off Dookie, Billie Joe opens up completely about his insecurities and his anxieties, admitting that he’s close to cracking under the pressure. One of Green Day’s most relatable tracks, Billie Joe’s words resonated with listeners everywhere, and still do today.
2. “Nice Guys Finish Last” - Nimrod
Personally, “Nice Guys Finish Last” is my favorite Green Day song. Aside from the fact that it helped me get over a middle school breakup, it’s filled with biting symbolism, and is neck and neck with “Hitchin’ a Ride” in regards to inventiveness. The first track of Nimrod, an album that represented a major turning point in Green Day’s career, is an anthem adopted by every guy who tried to be “nice” and got hosed. Now, let’s admit it: while intended to satirize the bros who think they deserve a girl simply for acting like a normal person, it never really got the message across in that way. However, Billie Joe took time to emotionally develop as a person, so this is definitely more “on-brand” with who Green Day really are - emotionally intelligent, not articulate. This one is a personal favorite of mine and deserving of the #2 spot on my list purely because it has everything that makes a good Green Day song: creative metaphors, a less than perfect message, a smooth bass line, and an incredibly catchy chorus. Anyone that wants to fully get a feel for Green Day’s roots should put this song at the top of their list.
1. “Longview” - Dookie
For this writer, “Longview” is the most “Green Day” of Green Day songs. The unforgettable bass-line was written while Mike Dirnt was allegedly tripping on acid (don’t do drugs, kids), and from there, the song morphed into the monster hit that it is today. The thing that has always drawn me to Green Day is their individuality, and the radically different themes in all of their songs. Their songs always had somewhat of an unconventional approach, but always managed to resonate with people, and “Longview” is the perfect example of that, both musically and lyrically. The entire song is about being just a boring, apathetic bum and not wanting to leave your house, and hitting that point of rock bottom. As a rock band, Green Day always wanted to show off and do what everyone at that time wasn’t, and with “Longview,” I think that they were able to encompass that ideal more than any of their other songs. This song may not be their biggest hit, or everyone’s fan favorite, but “Longview '' is always the light that shines the brightest when it comes to Green Day’s importance as a band.
