Green Day

Released: September 20, 2004

Songwriter: Billie Joe Armstrong

Producer: Green Day Rob Cavallo

[Intro: Kathleen Hanna]
Nobody likes you, everyone left you
They're all out without you, having fun

[Verse: Billie Joe Armstrong]
Where have all the bastards gone?
The underbelly stacks up ten high
The dummy failed the crash test
Collecting unemployment checks
A flunkie only along for the ride
Where have all the riots gone
As the city's motto gets pulverized?
What's in love is now in debt
On your birth certificate
So strike the fucking match to light this fuse

[Pre-Chorus: Billie Joe Armstrong]
The town bishop's an extortionist
And he don't even know that you exist
Standing still when it's do or die
You better run for your fucking life

[Chorus: Billie Joe Armstrong]
It's not over 'til you're underground
It's not over before it's too late
This city's burnin', it's not my burden
It's not over before it's too late
There is nothing left to analyze

[Bridge: Billie Joe Armstrong]
Where will all the martyrs go when the virus cures itself?
And where will we all go when it's too late?

[Instrumental Break]
And don't look back

[Pre-Chorus: Billie Joe Armstrong]
You're not the Jesus of Suburbia
The St. Jimmy is a figment of
Your father's rage and your mother's love
Made me the idiot America

[Chorus: Billie Joe Armstrong]
It's not over 'til you're underground
It's not over before it's too late
This city's burnin', it's not my burden
It's not over before it's too late

[Outro: Billie Joe Armstrong]
Well, she said, "I can't take this place
I'm leaving it behind"
Well, she said, "I can't take this town
I'm leaving you tonight"

Formed in East Bay, California in 1986 and still going strong today, Green Day is one of the biggest punk rock acts in the world. Along with other punk bands in California such as The Offspring, Sublime, Bad Religion and Rancid, they have been credited with popularizing and reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the U.S. in the 90s.

First starting in 1986 as Sweet Children, longtime friends Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar and lead vocalist) and Mike Dirnt (bass guitar) teamed up with John Kiffmeyer to produce their debut EP 1,000 Hours. They eventually dropped the name Sweet Children and called themselves Green Day due to the band members' fondness for cannabis (it even inspired a song featured on their first album) and for their second studio album Kerplunk they replaced Kiffmeyer with German-born drummer Tré Cool, who had been drumming since the age of 12 in a punk band, The Lookouts.

It was their 1994 record Dookie that sent the band to stardom and gave them mainstream success. Dookie, alongside their following albums Insomniac (1995) and Nimrod (1997) were certified double platinum. Eventually, the band started to fall in popularity with their 2000 record Warning which only reached gold.

more tracks from the album

American Idiot

From the albums

American Idiot [Japan Bonus Tracks] (2004)
American Idiot (2004)

Green Day popular songs

LetterbombGreen Day

Green Day

American Idiot