In order to change things up a bit, I’ve decided that, every Thursday, I am going to post a song that I vibe with. It might be a newer song, it might be an old song. I am going to begin this new weekly feature with my favorite song from Green Day, “She.”
Green Day - Castaway
I have been a big fan of Green Day for a long time. Of their entire discography, the Warning CD is my least favorite. "Castaway" appears on this disc.
The song is one of their more 'pop' songs and it sounds like they wrote it because some studio exec thought it would sound 'cool.' So we end up with a rather bland tune. Even the semi-catchy parts of the song come across as bored. There is very little energy here and, unfortunately, that feeling takes up most of the album.
Music review: Green Day - One For The Razorbacks
Artist: Green Day
Members: Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals), Mike Dirnt (bass), Tre Cool (drums)
Album: Kerplunk
Release date: 1/17/92
Video link: Via YouTube
Lyrics: Juliet's trying to find out what she wants, but she don't know Experience has got her down Look this direction, I know it's not perfection, it's just me... I want to bring you up again now
I'm losing what's left of my dignity A small price I'll pay to see That you're happy Forget all the disappointments you have faced Open up your worried world and let me in
Juliet's crying cause now she's realizing love can be Filled with pain and distrust I know I am crazy, and a bit lazy But I will try to bring you up again now About the song: I've always loved Green Day's older music more than their current albums. Maybe it was the "emo teenager" in me that felt a connection to songs like this. Songs about how love can suck and life isn't always roses. Now that I'm older, these songs don't cut nearly as close as they used to but they still bring me feelings of nostalgia.
Music review: Green Day - St. Jimmy
Artist: Green Day
Members: Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass, vocals), Tre Cool (drums)
Album: American Idiot
Release date: 9/21/04
Video link: Via YouTube
Lyrics: St. Jimmy's comin' down across the alleyway Up on the boulevard like a zip gun on parade Light of a silhouette He's insubordinate Coming at you on the count of 1,2,1,2,3,4!
My name is Jimmy and you better not wear it out Suicide commando that your momma talked about King of the forty thieves And I'm here to represent That needle in the vein of the establishment
I'm the patron saint of the denial With an angel face and a taste for suicidal
Cigarettes and ramen and a little bag of dope I am the son of a bitch and Edgar Allen Poe Raised in the city under a halo of lights The product of war and fear that we've been victimized
I'm the patron saint of the denial With an angel face and a taste for suicidal
ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?
I'll give you something to cry about.
ST. JIMMY!
My name is St. Jimmy I'm a son of a gun I'm the one that's from the way outside I'm a teenage assassin executing some fun In the cult of the life of crime.
I really hate to say it but I told you so So shut your mouth before I shoot you down old boy Welcome to the club and give me some blood And the resident leader at the lost and found
It's comedy and tragedy It's St. Jimmy And that's my nameeeeeee...and don't wear it out! About the song: St. Jimmy is from Green Day's rock opera album American Idiot. All of the songs from the album go together to form a larger story so it's a little bit difficult to talk about some of the songs individually.
St. Jimmy is one of the characters in the rock opera. While the band will not talk about their interpretations of the lyrics, a lot of fans think St. Jimmy is an alter-ego of the Jesus of Suburbia character. The Jimmy personality is filled with violence and drugs where the JoS personality is merely a bored suburban kid.
I'd definitely recommend that everyone listens to the entire American Idiot at least once. It's an awesome album.
Music Review: Green Day - Jaded
Artist: Green Day
Members: Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass, vocals), Tre Cool (drums)
Album: Insomniac
Release date: 10/10/95
Video link: live performance from 1998
Lyrics: Somebody keep my balance I think I'm falling off Into a state of regression The expiration date Rapidly coming up It's leaving me behind to rank Always move forward Going "straight" will get you nowhere There is no progress Evolution killed it all I found my place in nowhere I'm taking one step sideways Leading with my crutch Got a fucked up equilibrium Count down from 9 to 5 Hooray! We're gonna die! Blessed into our extinction Always move forward Going "straight" will get you nowhere There is no progress Evolution killed it all I found my place in nowhere
About the song: Jaded is the companion song to Brain Stew. (See the music video for both here.) On both the album and the music video, Brain Stew goes right into Jaded without missing a beat. As a result, it'll be difficult for me to discuss Jaded without referring to Brain Stew.
Billie Joe wrote Brain Stew when he was being kept up all hours of the night by his newborn son. That song (and the accompanying music video) is about exhaustion and the hallucinations that go along with it. Jaded, on the other hand, is more about the rush of adrenaline you get when you are completely exhausted. It's a lot faster and Billie Joe slams through the lyrics at a frantic pace. The two songs are perfect compliments for each other.