Released: September 22, 1997

Songwriter: Green Day Mike Dirnt Tré Cool Billie Joe Armstrong

Producer: Billie Joe Armstrong Tré Cool Mike Dirnt Green Day Rob Cavallo

[Violin Solo]

[Verse 1]
Hey mister, where you headed?
Are you in a hurry?
Need a lift to happy hour? Say, "oh no"
Do you brake for distilled spirits?
I need a break as well
The well that inebriates the guilt
One, two, one, two, three, four!

[Verse 2]
Cold turkey's getting stale
Tonight I'm eating crow
Fermented salmonella, poison oak, no
There's a drought at the fountain of youth
And I'm dehydrated
My tongue is swelling up, I say
"One, two, one, two, three, four!"

[Chorus]
Troubled times
You know I cannot lie
I'm off the wagon and I'm hitchin' a ride

[Bridge]
There's a drought at the fountain of youth
And I'm dehydrated
My tongue is swelling up, I say...
"Shit!"

[Instrumental Break]

[Chorus]
Troubled times
You know I cannot lie
I'm off the wagon and I'm hitchin' a ride

[Outro]
(Don't know where to go) Hitchin' a ride
(Don't know where to go) Hitchin' a ride
(Don't know where to go) Hitchin' a ride
(Don't know where to go) Hitchin' a ride
(Don't know where to go) Hitchin' a ride
(Don't know where to go) Hitchin' a ride
(Don't know where to go) Hitchin' a ride
(Don't know where to go) Hitchin' a ride
(Say birthday boys, hey!)

Green Day

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.