Released: March 23, 1999

Songwriter: Tré Cool Mike Dirnt Billie Joe Armstrong

Producer: Green Day Rob Cavallo

[Instrumental Intro]

[Verse 1]
Nice guys finish last
You're running out of gas
Your sympathy will get you left behind
Sometimes you're at your best
When you feel the worst
Do you feel washed up like piss going down the drain?

[Pre-Chorus]
Pressure cooker, pick my brain, and tell me I'm insane
I'm so fucking happy I could cry
Every joke can have its truth, but now the joke's on you
I never knew you were such a funny guy

[Chorus]
Oh, nice guys finish last
When you run out of gas
Don't pat yourself on the back
You might break your spine

[Verse 2]
Living on command
You're shaking lots of hands
You're kissing up and bleeding all your trust
Taking what you need
Bite the hand that feeds
You lose your memory and you got no shame

[Pre-Chorus]
Pressure cooker, pick my brain, and tell me I'm insane
I'm so fucking happy I could cry
Every joke can have its truth, but now the joke's on you
I never knew you were such a funny guy

[Chorus]
Oh, nice guys finish last
(When you are the outcast)
(When you run out of gas)
Don't pat yourself on the back
You might break your spine
Oh, nice guys finish last
(When you are the outcast)
(When you run out of gas)
Don't pat yourself on the back
You might break your spine, mhm!

[Instrumental Break]

[Chorus]
Oh, nice guys finish last
(When you are the outcast)
(When you run out of gas)
Don't pat yourself on the back
You might break your spine
Oh, nice guys finish last
(When you are the outcast)
(When you run out of gas)
Don't pat yourself on the back
You might break your spine

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.