21st Century Breakdown
Green Day Lyrics

Born into Nixon, I was raised in hell
I was born during Nixon's presidency and raised in a difficult environment

A welfare child where the teamsters dwelled
I grew up in a neighborhood with many labor union workers

The last one born and the first one to run
I was the youngest in my family and quick to leave home

My town was blind from refinery sun
The pollution from the local refinery was unbearable

My generation is zero
My age group feels empty and lacking in direction

I never made it as a working class hero
I never succeeded with a blue-collar job as a symbol of American pride

21st century breakdown
The modern era is causing widespread societal problems

I once was lost but never was found
I struggled in the past but didn't receive any support or assistance

I think I'm losing what's left of my mind
I feel like I'm going crazy

To the 20th century deadline
The pressure to meet outdated expectations is overwhelming

I was made of poison and blood
I was raised with negativity and violence

Condemnation is what I understood
I learned that criticism and punishment were the norm

Video games of the Tower's fall
The September 11 terrorist attacks were so shocking that they became popular in video games

Homeland security could kill us all
The government's attempts to protect us from terrorism could harm us as well

We are the class of the class of thirteen
We're the unlucky generation born into hard times (2013 when the song was recorded)

Born in the era of humility
We were raised to be humble and probably poor

We are the desperate in the decline
We represent a struggling society that is facing economic decline

Raised by the bastards of 1969
Our parents were the result of the 1960s counterculture movement

My name is no one, the long lost son
I feel like I don't have a meaningful identity

Born on the fourth of July
I was born on a patriotic American holiday but my life has not lived up to that

Raised in the era of heroes and cons
I was brought up during a time when reality and deception looked similar

That left me for dead or alive
My upbringing didn't give me any guarantees of success or protection

I am a nation, a worker of pride (pride)
I am a patriotic and hardworking person who takes pride in my country

My debt to the status quo
I feel obligated to conform to societal norms and expectations

The scars on my hands and the means to an end
I have physical scars from my struggles and I'll do whatever it takes to survive

It's all that I have to show
I don't have any tangible achievements because I'm too busy trying to make ends meet

I swallowed my pride and I choked on my faith
I pushed my beliefs aside and faked my way through difficult situations

I've given my heart and my soul
I've sacrificed everything for my ambitions

I've broken my fingers and lied through my teeth
I've literally hurt myself and been dishonest to get ahead

The pillar of damage control
I'm trying to salvage the destruction I've caused

I've been to the edge and I've thrown the bouquet (hey)
I've been to the brink of giving up and have given up on my dreams many times over

Of flowers left over the grave
There's nothing worthwhile left to remember after I'm gone

I sat in the waiting room, wasting my time
I feel stuck and unfulfilled while I wait for something to happen

And waiting for judgement day
I'm hoping that there's something better waiting for me at the end of my struggle

Praise liberty
I acknowledge the value of freedom

The freedom to obey
We have the freedom to make our own choices but still have to follow rules

It's the song that strangles me
My expectations and my reality are at odds, causing confusion and pain

Well, don't cross the line
I'm warning others not to follow in my painful footsteps

Oh, dream, America, dream
Oh, America, please live up to your potential and promise

I can't even sleep
My worries about my uncertain future keep me awake at night

From the light's early dawn
From the very beginning, I don't see any hope for my future

Oh, scream, America, scream
Oh, America, let your people's cries for help and change be heard

Believe what you see
The problems we're facing are real and can't be ignored

From heroes and cons
From the surface, it's meaningless to try to tell the difference between heroes and villains in our society