The third song off of Green Day’s third album Dookie, “Chump” is a bitter s… Read Full Bio ↴The third song off of Green Day’s third album Dookie, “Chump” is a bitter song directed the narrator’s ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend, whom he doesn’t know at all, but already despises.

Another important note is that the second half of the song is an instrumental interlude about a minute and a half long to the next track on the album, “Longview”.

Chump
Green Day Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't know you but I think I hate you
You're the reason for my misery
Strange, how you've become my biggest enemy
And I've never even seen your face

Maybe it's just jealousy
Mixed up with a violent mind
A circumstance that doesn't make much sense

Or maybe I'm just dumb

You're the cloud hanging out over my head
Hail comes crashing down welting my face
Magic man, egocentric plastic man
Yet you still got one over on me

Maybe it's just jealousy
Mixed up with a violent mind
A circumstance that doesn't make much sense
Or maybe I'm just dumb

I'm a chump

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Green Day's song Chump speak about the frustration and anger that the singer feels towards an unknown person who has caused them a significant amount of pain and suffering. Even though the singer has never met this person or seen their face, they feel an intense hatred towards them, blaming them for their misery. The lyrics express the singer's confusion around their emotions and the situation as they sing about the possibility that jealousy and a violent mind have clouded their judgment. The irony of the situation is at the forefront of the song as the singer acknowledges that even though the other person is an "egocentric plastic man," they have still managed to get the better of the singer, making them feel like a "chump."

At its core, Chump is a song about the complexities of human emotions, particularly anger and jealousy. The lyrics suggest that these feelings can cloud judgment and lead to irrational behavior, but also that they are entirely valid responses to experiences that have caused pain and heartache. The song also speaks to the idea of power dynamics in relationships, with the "magic man" presumably holding some kind of power over the singer, even though they are not physically present.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know you but I think I hate you
I'm not familiar with you, but I have a strong negative feeling towards you

You're the reason for my misery
You are the cause of the unhappiness and pain in my life

Strange, how you've become my biggest enemy
It's peculiar how you've become my greatest foe

And I've never even seen your face
I haven't even laid eyes on you

Maybe it's just jealousy
Perhaps it's envy that I'm feeling

Mixed up with a violent mind
Coupled with a temperament that tends towards aggression

A circumstance that doesn't make much sense
It's a situation that's illogical

Or maybe I'm just dumb
Maybe it's because I'm not very smart

You're the cloud hanging out over my head
You are the persistent source of my troubles

Hail comes crashing down welting my face
I'm being hit hard and hurt badly by the problems you bring

Magic man, egocentric plastic man
You're fake, self-absorbed, and just an illusion of what a decent person should be

Yet you still got one over on me
You still managed to outsmart me

I'm a chump
I'm foolish for letting you get the better of me

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, 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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