Though the albums Insomniac (1995), Nimrod (1997) and Warning (2000) did not match the success of Dookie, they were still successful, with the first two reaching double platinum status, while the last achieved gold. Green Day's seventh album, a rock opera called American Idiot (2004), found popularity with a younger generation, selling six million copies in the U.S. Their next album, 21st Century Breakdown, was released in 2009 and achieved the band's best chart performance. It was followed by a trilogy of albums, ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!, released in September, November, and December 2012, respectively. The trilogy did not perform as well as expected commercially, in comparison to their previous albums, largely due to a lack of promotion and Armstrong entering rehab. Their twelfth studio album, Revolution Radio, was released in October 2016 and became their third to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The band's thirteenth studio album, Father of All Motherfuckers, was released on February 7, 2020, and was their final album released by Reprise. On October 24, 2023, the band announced that their fourteenth studio album, 'Saviors', will come out January 19, 2024.
In 2010, a stage adaptation of American Idiot debuted on Broadway. The musical was nominated for three Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design, winning the latter two. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, their first year of eligibility. Members of the band have collaborated on the side projects Pinhead Gunpowder, The Network, Foxboro Hot Tubs, The Longshot and The Coverups. They have also worked on solo careers.
Green Day has sold roughly 90 million records worldwide, them one of the world's best-selling artists. The group has been nominated for 20 Grammy awards and has won five of them with Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and Best Musical Show Album for American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording.
Basket Case
Green Day Lyrics
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About nothing and everything all at once?
I am one of those
Melodramatic fools
Neurotic to the bone
No doubt about it
Sometimes I give myself the creeps
Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me
It all keeps adding up
I think I'm cracking up
Am I just paranoid?
Or am I just stoned?
I went to a shrink
To analyze my dreams
She says it's lack of sex that's bringing me down
I went to a whore
He said my life's a bore
So quit my whining 'cause it's bringing her down
Sometimes I give myself the creeps
Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me
It all keeps adding up
I think I'm cracking up
Am I just paranoid?
Huh yeah, yeah, yeah
(Ooh, ooh)
Grasping to control
So I better hold on
Sometimes I give myself the creeps
Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me
It all keeps adding up
I think I'm cracking up
Am I just paranoid?
Or am I just stoned?
The lyrics to Green Day's song Basket Case are a reflection of the lead singer's anxieties and insecurities. The song is about feeling overwhelmed by everyday life and the constant struggle to maintain one's sanity. The opening line, "Do you have the time to listen to me whine," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is reaching out to someone, anyone, to listen to his problems, "about nothing and everything all at once."
Throughout the song, we see the singer's internal conflict manifesting in different ways. He describes himself as a "melodramatic fool" who is "neurotic to the bone." He is constantly questioning his own mental state, wondering if he is "just paranoid, or am I just stoned?" The imagery of feeling like he is "cracking up" is a recurring theme.
The lyrics also touch on the societal pressure to conform and the fear of being judged by others. The singer seeks help from a shrink, only to be told that his problems stem from a lack of sex. He then visits a whore who tells him to stop whining because it's bringing her down. These interactions only add to his feelings of isolation and helplessness.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you have the time to listen to me whine
Do you have a moment to hear me complain?
About nothing and everything all at once?
About trivial and significant things happening simultaneously?
I am one of those
I am one of the individuals
Melodramatic fools
Who are excessively emotional
Neurotic to the bone
With an underlying mental anxiety
No doubt about it
Certainly
Sometimes I give myself the creeps
At times I feel frightened
Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me
Sometimes my thoughts deceive me
It all keeps adding up
Everything is contributing
I think I'm cracking up
I believe I am losing it
Am I just paranoid
Am I experiencing irrational fear
Or am I just stoned?
Or is it because I am intoxicated?
I went to a shrink
I saw a therapist
To analyze my dreams
To interpret my unconscious thoughts
She says it's lack of sex that's bringing me down
She suggests my lack of sexual activity is impacting my wellbeing
I went to a whore
I visited a prostitute
He said my life's a bore
He told me that my life is tedious
So quit my whining 'cause it's bringing her down
So I should stop complaining about my problems because it's affecting her
Grasping to control
Trying hard to remain in charge
So I better hold on
So I need to hang in there
Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah
An expression of frustration
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billie Joe Armstrong, Frank E III Wright, Michael Ryan Pritchard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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