Good Riddance
绿日(Green Day) Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Intro]
Fuc...

[Verse 1]
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test and don't ask why
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time

[Chorus]
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life

[Verse 2]
So take the photographs and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf of good health and good time

Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth, it was worth all the while

[Chorus]
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life

[Bridge guitar]

[Chorus]
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life

[Outro]
It's something unpredictable




But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life

Overall Meaning

The song Good Riddance by Green Day is about the inevitability of change and the importance of living in the present moment. The first verse sets the tone, describing a turning point in life where one must make a decision about which path to take. Time is personified as an entity that directs us where to go, and we must make the best of the situation we find ourselves in. The chorus emphasizes that life is unpredictable, but in the end, everything will be right. The song ends with the sentiment that we should appreciate the time we have, as it is unpredictable and limited.


In the second verse, the lyrics encourage the listener to capture memories, through photographs and mental images, and preserve them on a shelf, symbolic of good health and good times. Memories are equated to tattoos, things that stay with us but also fade away over time. The overarching message of the song is to cherish the moments in life and appreciate everything, even the difficult and challenging times, as they shape who we are.


Line by Line Meaning

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Life presents us with choices where we must make decisions that have consequences.


Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
Time is a force that cannot be controlled, but instead guides us towards our fate.


So make the best of this test and don't ask why
We should strive to do our best in whatever situation we are in, and not question or dwell on the reasons why.


It's not a question but a lesson learned in time
Life is not always straightforward, but every experience can teach us something valuable in time.


It's something unpredictable
The future is uncertain and cannot always be foreseen.


But in the end is right
Despite the unpredictability of life, things have a way of working out in the end.


I hope you had the time of your life
I wish that you have lived your life to the fullest and enjoyed every moment of it.


So take the photographs and still frames in your mind
Memories are precious, and we should try to capture and cherish them in our minds.


Hang it on a shelf of good health and good time
Memories can be a source of comfort and happiness, particularly when they evoke positive emotions from a time when we were healthy and enjoying life.


Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
Memories can be both beautiful and painful, represented by tattoos on our skin that can remind us of both the good and bad times in our lives.


For what it's worth, it was worth all the while
Even if some experiences were difficult or painful, they were still worth it and contributed to making us who we are today.




Contributed by Adeline P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@High-Strangeness

So few songs 💯capture the age of an era.
For those who weren't there,
This was how the 90s felt

As soon as this song was released, we all knew that was forever to be a moment, frozen and sealed like a time capsule

Whatever you may be going through, listen to this and raise a glass to those no longer with us

You'll always be together in memories🔥



@94oGs

Personal Story Time:
I was 17 when I was introduced to Green Day by my girlfriend at the time who was obsessed with them. So, to impress her before we started dating, I binge listened to all their music and slowly but surely I realized why she was so crazy about this band. I could relate to her on a whole new level because I eventually just loved all their songs and we would cruise throughout the late nights just listening to Green Day in my car. "When It's Time" was our song by them. I was definitely head over heels for this girl and when I went to the military, she waited for me. It all sounds like a movie now that I look back on it. Another song that always stood out to me was " Good Riddance". It wasn't necessarily a happy song when I read the lyrics so I couldn't really associate happy feelings with it. Anyways, fast forward, we both start our freshman year of college together. Life's good... until life and school start to get in between us and we were no longer those young kids that fell in love in high school... We slowly became different people. As months go on, we argued more and more and I came to the realization that maybe, it's better if we went our separate ways. I ended it but I knew it was for the best. My heart was broken because as much as I wanted "us" to work, it didn't. I loved that green eyed red haired girl. Fast forward a week later, I find out she rebounded and let me tell you, even though we weren't together, I suffered knowing something so precious to me was easily snatched up by a guy she barely knew. I don't think I've ever cried so hard ever in my life because folks, a broken heart tears you apart from the inside out. So, after months of trying to recover, I revisited Green Day again because I really loved their music, but I associated their music with her. One song stood out more than the others... " Good Riddance".. because each single lyric has meaning behind it for me. It will forever be associated with her now because it matches so much what we went through for 2 years. " It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right, I hope you had the time of your life" As she was the best thing for me in the beginning, she ended up being the worst for me in the end, but I loved every second with her.

Update: I didn't realize this comment would blow up the way it did! Really I was just in my feelings one night and wrote about this personal story to get it out of my system 😅 I didn't realize how many people actually cared to read it and I'm grateful for that. Anyways, if you're wondering what happened after this story took place, life went on as usual. Everything healed with time really. It's never the end of the world when break-ups occur even though it may seem like it at the time. These types of things are just little bumps In the road of life that may slow you down, but ultimately it's your choice to pick up the pace once again, even if it is just baby steps. It's still progression!

P.s. life's too short to be worrying about one person you've been with for however long. Especially if you're a Marine and a sophomore in college 😅
Much love!

07/25/2021: I saw Green Day for the first time last night for their Hella Mega tour with Weezer and Fallout boy in Dallas ♥️ at the end of their set, they played this song in the most tranquil, peaceful way possible!! 😭😭 It was so beautiful and It felt like everything in the past has led to this moment, as weird as that sounds. I just feel at peace ATM ♥️ Much love guys!!



@martinamarty1859

So, I'm a 16 yo italian girl.
Since I'm 10 I've always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, but my parents didn't let me.(but i learned piano)
This year was one of the worst in my life(I'm not joking) and Green Day (and also music in general) helped me a lot.
Finally three weeks ago I started my guitar lessons and yesterday my guitar teacher said "now I wanna teach you this very beautiful song" and he started playing"Good riddance".
Now i learned it (only the chords ofc)
and I don't know how to describe how I feel...finally I'm happy, not bc of the fact that I kinda learned this song, but bc I reflected a lot these months and I stopped hating on myself.

So thank you guys, thank you so so much.
Also I was supposed to see Green Day this june in Milan, but next year will be great! Stay safe.

Edit: thank you for the likes, wasn't expecting this many! Also I finally bought an electric guitar a month ago!



@-bobarsauruz-1859

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life
So take the photographs and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life

And if you’re reading this I hope you have the time if your life



All comments from YouTube:

@GreenDay

We just announced a MASSIVE tour 🌏 All the details you need for The Saviors Tour are on greenday.com/tour

New album ‘Saviors' out January 19th, 2024, pre-order it now https://greenday.lnk.to/saviors

@patty2074

🥳❤

@chipmunk3k

you kids going to come to Australia?

@eveapple4928

Booked it - 29th June wembley. Absolutely cannot wait ❤

@roksanabrzezinska4842

Me too ❤

@jovaniaribeirodejesus5338

​@@chipmunk3k6tu

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@socialsuicide6270

This song should be called "Good Riddance (We Play This Song At Every Fucking Graduation) "

@shoe6003

so much truth

@trueactionchannel

Elliot Rodger brought me here

@alham9618

this song better than...graduation by vitamin c lol

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