Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in … Read Full Bio ↴Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career they have been a power trio with drummer Tré Cool, who replaced John Kiffmeyer in 1990 before the recording of the band's second studio album, Kerplunk (1991). Before taking its current name in 1989, Green Day was called Blood Rage, then Sweet Children and they were part of the late 1980s/early 1990s Bay Area punk scene that emerged from the 924 Gilman Street club in Berkeley, California. The band's early releases were with the independent record label Lookout! Records. In 1994, their major-label debut Dookie, released through Reprise Records, became a breakout success and eventually shipped over 10 million copies in the U.S. Alongside fellow California punk bands Bad Religion, the Offspring, Rancid, NOFX, Pennywise and Social Distortion, Green Day is credited with popularizing mainstream interest in punk rock in the U.S.

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.

¿Viva la Gloria?
Green Day Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Little girl, little girl
Why are you crying?
Inside your restless soul
Your heart is dying

Little one, little one
Your soul is purging
Of love and razor blades

Your blood is surging

Runaway
From the river to the street
And find yourself with your face in the gutter
You're a stray for the salvation army
There is no place like home
When you got no place to go

Little girl, little girl
Your life is calling
The charlatans and saints
Of your abandon

Little one, little one
The sky is falling
Your lifeboat of deception
Is now sailing

In the wake all the way
No rhyme or reason
Your bloodshot eyes
Will show your heart of treason

Little girl, little girl
You dirty liar
You're just a junkie
Preaching to the choir

Runaway
From the river to the street
And find yourself with your face in the gutter
You're a stray for the salvation army
There is no place like home
When you got no place to go

The traces of blood
Always follow you home
Like the mascara tears
From your getaway
(Gloria!)
You're walking with blisters
And running with shears
So unholy
Sister of grace

Runaway
From the river to the street
And Find yourself with your face in the gutter

You're a stray from the salvation army
There is no place like home

Overall Meaning

"¿Viva la Gloria?" by Green Day is a song about a young girl who is struggling with her inner demons. She is on the verge of losing herself to love and razor blades. The song describes her as a runaway who finds herself on the streets with nowhere to go. She is lost and looking for a way out but seems to be drowning in her sorrows. The lyrics suggest that the girl is searching for salvation and meaning in her life, but she is caught up in a spiral of self-destruction. She is a dirty liar, seemingly preaching to the choir of her inner demons.

The song's chorus speaks to the young girl, encouraging her to find herself and her place in the world. It suggests that she needs to find her way home, where she can be safe and secure. Despite the darkness in her life, there is hope for her, and she can find her way back to the light. The song speaks to the struggles that many young people face as they navigate their way through life.

Line by Line Meaning

Little girl, little girl
Addressing a troubled person with condescending familiarity

Why are you crying?
Asking the person to explain their emotional distress

Inside your restless soul
Referring to the person's inner turmoil

Your heart is dying
Expressing concern for the person's emotional state

Little one, little one
Addressing a troubled person with condescending familiarity

Your soul is purging
Referring to the person's attempt to cleanse their mind and body

Of love and razor blades
Referring to the person's struggles with mental health and substance abuse

Your blood is surging
Referring to the person's emotional and physical intensity

Runaway
Encouraging the person to escape their problems

From the river to the street
Describing the potential journey to escape

And find yourself with your face in the gutter
Acknowledging the difficulties of such a journey

You're a stray for the salvation army
Describing the person's vulnerable and desperate state

There is no place like home
Highlighting the importance of a stable and supportive environment

When you got no place to go
Emphasizing the dire circumstances of the person's situation

Your life is calling
Encouraging the person to answer the call of life

The charlatans and saints
Referring to the different facets of society that the person may encounter

Of your abandon
Implying that the person has abandoned their previous way of life

The sky is falling
Drawing attention to the severity of the person's situation

Your lifeboat of deception
Referring to the ways in which the person has previously deceived themselves

Is now sailing
Implying that the person's previous way of life is gone forever

In the wake all the way
Describing the aftermath of the person's previous lifestyle

No rhyme or reason
Acknowledging the irrationality of the person's behavior

Your bloodshot eyes
Referring to the physical symptoms of the person's troubles

Will show your heart of treason
Implying that the person has betrayed themselves

You dirty liar
Addressing the person with anger and disappointment

You're just a junkie
Labeling the person as an addict

Preaching to the choir
Implying that the person's words are not reaching anyone new

The traces of blood
Referring to the person's physical wounds and scars

Always follow you home
Highlighting the inescapable nature of the person's problems

Like the mascara tears
Comparing the person's pain to makeup that cannot be easily erased

From your getaway
Referring to the person's previous attempts to escape their problems

(Gloria!)
A repeated phrase that could be interpreted in a variety of ways

You're walking with blisters
Describing the physical pain that the person experiences

And running with shears
Implying that the person's attempts to escape their problems are dangerous

So unholy
Labeling the person as unclean or impure

Sister of grace
Using religious imagery to suggest that the person is capable of redemption

Find yourself with your face in the gutter
Repeating a previous line to emphasize the cyclical nature of the person's problems

You're a stray from the salvation army
Repeating a previous line to further highlight the person's vulnerable and desperate state

There is no place like home
Repeating a previous line to remind the person of the importance of a stable and supportive environment

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG, FRANK E., III WRIGHT, FRANK EDWIN WRIGHT III, MICHAEL PRITCHARD, MIKE DIRNT, MIKE RYAN PRITCHARD, TRE COOL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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