Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day
The title track of Green Day’s second rock opera, it presents the main theme of the album, namely how there’s been a “breakdown” in the first decade of the century. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong told Q magazine May 2009:
That goes from a song about where I come from to what it’s like to be in this...
[Part I]
[Verse 1]
(Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
Born into Nixon, I was raised in hell
A welfare child where the teamsters dwelled
The last one born, and the first one to run
My town was blind from refinery sun
[Pre-Chorus]
My generation is zero
I never made it as a working class hero
[Chorus]
21st century breakdown
I once was lost, but never was found
I think I'm losin' what's left of my mind
To the 20th century deadline
[Verse 2]
(Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
I was made of poison and blood
Condemnation is what I understood
Video games to the tower's fall
Homeland security could kill us all
[Pre-Chorus]
My generation is zero
I never made it as a working class hero
[Chorus]
21st century breakdown
I once was lost, but never was found
I think I'm losin' what's left of my mind
To the 20th century deadline
[Part II]
[Intro]
We are the class of, the class of '13
Born in the era of humility
We are the desperate in the decline
Raised by the bastards of 1969
[Verse 3]
My name is no one, the long lost son
Born on the 4th of July
Raised through the era of heroes and cons
That left me for dead or alive
I am a nation, a worker of pride (Pride!)
My debt to the status quo
The scars on my hands and a means to an end
It's all that I have to show
[Interlude]
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
[Verse 4]
I swallowed my pride and I choked on my faith
I've given my heart and my soul
I've broken my fingers and lied through my teeth
The pillar of damage control
I've been to the edge and I've thrown the bouquet (Hey!)
Of flowers left over the grave
I sat in the waiting room wasting my time
And waiting for judgement day
[Bridge]
I praise liberty
The freedom to obey
It's the song that strangles me
Well, don't cross the line...
[Part III]
[Outro]
Oh, dream, America, dream
I can't even sleep from the light's early dawn
Oh, scream, America, scream
Believe what you see from heroes and cons...
21st Century Breakdown was written by Tré Cool & Mike Dirnt & Billie Joe Armstrong.
21st Century Breakdown was produced by Green Day & Butch Vig.
Green Day released 21st Century Breakdown on Fri Nov 13 2009.
Billie Joe: “21st Century Breakdown” was written at two different times, in two different parts. Like there was that sort of ‘Irish drinking’ part of the song – that was written before, but it was just a riff that we were throwing around. Then we did a demo on 4-track for “21st Century Breakdown” a...