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.

Extraordinary Girl
Green Day Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's an extraordinary girl
In an ordinary world
And she can't seem to get away

He lacks the courage in his mind
Like a child left behind
Like a pet left in the rain

She's all alone again
Wiping the tears from her eyes
Some days he feels like dying
She gets so sick of crying

She sees the mirror of herself
And image she wants to sell
To anyone willing to buy

He steals the image in her kiss
From her hearts apocalypse
From the one called what's her name

She's all alone again
Wiping the tears from her eyes
Some days she feels like dying
She gets so sick of crying

She's all alone again
Wiping the tears from her eyes
Some days she feels like dying
Some days she's not worth trying
Now that they're both up on it
She gets so sick of crying

She's an extraordinary girl
An extraordinary girl

An extraordinary girl
An extraordinary girl

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Green Day's song "Extraordinary Girl" are about a girl who is different from everyone else in her ordinary world. She is unique and special, but she cannot seem to escape the mundanity of her everyday life. The singer, possibly a love interest, lacks the courage to pursue her, leaving her feeling alone and abandoned.

The girl is depicted as crying and feeling like dying, wanting someone to understand and appreciate her for who she is. She sees herself in the mirror, but the image she wants to sell is not what society deems acceptable. Nonetheless, someone steals the image from her, leaving her heartbroken and feeling like just another ordinary girl.

Throughout the song, the repetition of the lyrics "She's all alone again, wiping the tears from her eyes, some days she feels like dying, she gets so sick of crying" emphasizes the girl's struggle to fit in and find someone who understands her.

Overall, "Extraordinary Girl" tells a story of a young woman fighting to be seen as anything but ordinary, and the pain and loneliness that comes with it.

Line by Line Meaning

She's an extraordinary girl
The woman being referred to is an exceptional person

In an ordinary world
However, she exists in a world that is common or usual

And she can't seem to get away
She is unable to escape her commonplace surroundings or her own thoughts and emotions

He lacks the courage in his mind
The male protagonist in the song hasn't got the bravery to confront his issues

Like a child left behind
He feels forgotten or abandoned, like a kid who has been ignored or cast aside

Like a pet left in the rain
He also feels as though he's been left outside, neglected, and left to fend for himself like a pet in the rain

She's all alone again
The woman is once again alone in her thoughts or in her physical surroundings

Wiping the tears from her eyes
She is upset or disappointed and is crying as a result

Some days he feels like dying
The male protagonist experiences deeply painful emotions that cause him to feel like giving up altogether

She gets so sick of crying
The woman is sick of the sadness and the tears that accompany her struggles

She sees the mirror of herself
She gazes upon her own reflection

And image she wants to sell
The image she projects is one that she is trying to sell to others

To anyone willing to buy
She believes that others might appreciate this image and be willing to buy into it

He steals the image in her kiss
The male protagonist takes what he desires from the woman's display of affection

From her hearts apocalypse
Through this stolen kiss, he finds the source of her suffering and desperation

From the one called what's her name
The woman remains nameless and anonymous to the male protagonist, showing how little he knows about her true persona

Some days she feels like dying
The woman continues to struggle with overwhelming emotions and feels like giving up at times

Some days she's not worth trying
The people around her, who should be helping her, decide that she isn't worth the effort

Now that they're both up on it
Now that they're both participating in this act of desecration

She gets so sick of crying
The woman continues to feel the same level of disappointment and despair

She's an extraordinary girl
The song repeats the first line, reinforcing that the woman is a remarkable individual

An extraordinary girl
Repetition of the title one last time before the song ends

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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