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Basket Case
Green Day Lyrics


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I really don't know where this story began
My friend Houston had got himself a girl
Swanky is her name, she's got the best of him
And he's got the best of her in the palm of their hand

And they could care less what's coming up
Sometimes the future doesn't have much luck
This wigged-out thing called love
It may get kinda rough
And they don't really mind
They're on their own

They said this has been motionless orbit flight
Around each other intoxicating their minds
Dancing in the street under suburban lights
They stumbled to the concrete without a hurt

And they could care less what's coming up
Sometimes the future doesn't have much luck
This wigged-out thing called love
It may get kinda rough
And they don't really mind
They're on their own

Love losing control
So you better hold on

As they walked together in time
Leaving all us drunks behind
This wigged-out thing called love
It may get kinda rough
But they don't really mind
They're on their own, own

Overall Meaning

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 © O/B/O DistroKid, 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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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@rock-saves-the-world

20歳くらいのときに、バイト先の先輩にこの曲を教えてもらって、衝撃を受けてからずっとGREEN DAYのファンです!

そしてそんな私は今年で47歳になります

聴かなかった時期もあるけど、それでもずっと大好き!久々の日本公演、私にとっては20年振りくらいのワンマン、燃え尽き症候群になってしまうくらいに楽しかったです!

日本に来てくれて歌ってくれて演奏してくれて本当にありがとう!

またすぐ来てくださいねー!待ってます!!!



All comments from YouTube:

@GreenDay

20 years and it all went by in a flash ⚡The American Idiot 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition is out now 💣💥 Go give it a listen or grab a copy https://greenday.lnk.to/americanidiot20thdeluxe

@MelanieGonzalez-uy8fj

Say hello please, I’m the 1st comment

@jhonnderdelgado3478

❤❤

@Fnaf4lifer444

Thanks for everything guys

@ehhwhynot3475

Hi guys u are the greatest band of all time

@笹かまぼこ-i4i

ok

78 More Replies...

@Radhaugo108

RIP: Gabriel Pena
My best friend who introduced me to Green Day back in 1998 when I was only 14. Sadly, I recently found out that he drowned in the ocean a few years ago, leaving being a little daughter. He was a genuine wonderful person who, inspired by Green Day, dreamed of starting a Punk Rock band as a kid. We are all anonymous statistics who pass through this world on our journey to self realization, I want to leave his name here for posterity in honor of our friendship.

@rizzupp

U are a good friend. I wish I had friends like u

@leopatra4925

You are such a good friend, I wish I have a friends like you:)

@erinshand6232

Rest in peace Gabriel 🕊

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