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.
Holiday/Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
Green Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Coming down like an Armageddon flame (Hey!)
The shame, the ones who died without a name
Hear the dogs howling out of key
To a hymn called "Faith and Misery" (Hey!)
And bleed, the company lost the war today
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
On holiday
Hear the drum pounding out of time
Another protester has crossed the line (Hey!)
To find, the money's on the other side
Can I get another Amen? (Amen!)
There's a flag wrapped around a score of men (Hey!)
A gag, a plastic bag on a monument
I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
On holiday
"The representative from California has the floor"
Sieg Heil to the president Gasman
Bombs away is your punishment
Pulverize the Eiffel towers
Who criticize your government
Bang bang goes the broken glass and
Kill all the fags that don't agree
Trials by fire, setting fire
Is not a way that's meant for me
Just 'cause (hey hey hey hey)
Just 'cause, because we're outlaws yeah!
I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
This is our lives on holiday
I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes, but it's home to me and I walk alone
I walk this empty street on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
When the city sleeps and I'm the only one and I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk a
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah
I'm walking down the line that divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line of the edge and where I walk alone
Read between the lines, what's fucked up when everything's alright
Check my vital signs, to know I'm still alive and I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk alone
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah
I walk alone, I walk a
I walk this empty street on the boulevard of broken dreams
When the city sleeps and I'm the only one and I walk a-
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
The song "Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day is a combination of two songs, "Holiday" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". The two songs have different moods but share a common theme of loneliness, isolation, and disillusionment. "Holiday" portrays the confusion and rebellion of a generation at war, while "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" focuses on the feeling of being lost and alone. The opening verse, "Hear the sound of the falling rain, Coming down like an Armageddon flame (Hey!), The shame, the ones who died without a name", is a metaphor for the destruction and chaos brought by war. The second verse talks about the voice of dissent and the protesters who stand against the war for what they believe in.
The second part of the song, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a portrayal of personal isolation and loneliness. The singer walks down the empty street, contemplating everything that has gone wrong, wishing someone could find him. He knows where he is headed, but he doesn’t know where the road will lead him. He walks alone with just his shadow for company.
Overall, the song represents the disillusionment and alienation that define modern life, whether on a personal or societal level. The song conveys a sense of despair and weariness of the things that are supposed to give meaning to our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the sound of the falling rain
The start of a storm or the end of something, much like the end of the world.
Coming down like an Armageddon flame (Hey!)
The storm or end of something is forceful and very likely irreversible.
The shame, the ones who died without a name
The pain of death and the burden of not having a name to remember the deceased.
Hear the dogs howling out of key
Disharmony and chaos surround the people in the song.
To a hymn called 'Faith and Misery' (Hey!)
The confusion and disarray created by conflicting ideologies.
And bleed, the company lost the war today
The failure of a group or organization, possibly a corporation.
I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
The desire to think independently and not believe in the lies around them.
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
A new beginning, or a chance for change.
On holiday
Time to escape from everything going on in the world, and to focus on something else.
Hear the drum pounding out of time
The disconnection between people and society.
Another protester has crossed the line (Hey!)
The violation of a pre-existing boundary or limit, with a sense that the person is radical or subverting the system.
To find, the money's on the other side
A search for the source of a problem, often leading to greed or corruption.
Can I get another Amen? (Amen!)
A call for support, perhaps from a crowd or group of people.
There's a flag wrapped around a score of men (Hey!)
The flag symbolizes a group of people with a shared identity, perhaps soldiers.
A gag, a plastic bag on a monument
A protest or demonstration featuring censorship or restriction.
Sieg Heil to the president Gasman
A warning that the leader or authority figure may be tyrannical, frightening or negative.
Bombs away is your punishment
A sense of justice or vengeance, possibly related to war or violence.
Pulverize the Eiffel towers
A desire to destroy symbols of national pride or influence.
Who criticize your government
Challenges to the status quo, perhaps seen as unpatriotic or undesirable.
Bang bang goes the broken glass and
Violence or chaos caused by a broken society or group.
Kill all the fags that don't agree
Hate speech or prejudice towards a marginalized group not complying with authority and conformity.
Trials by fire, setting fire
A challenging, difficult or even dangerous test or initiation that must be overcome.
Is not a way that's meant for me
Denial of participating in or accepting a convention or standard.
Just 'cause (hey hey hey hey)
An act of rebellion or disobedience, a way to stand against the system or authority.
Just 'cause, because we're outlaws yeah!
Self-determined individuals who operate outside the law, and refuse to conform.
I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known
A sense of solitude and loneliness, but also independence and autonomy.
Don't know where it goes, but it's home to me and I walk alone
An aimlessness or lack of direction, but also a strong sense of self or identity.
I walk this empty street on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
A symbol of failure or despair, perhaps a commentary on the emptiness of consumer culture or urban society.
When the city sleeps and I'm the only one and I walk alone
A dehumanized, impersonal and isolating world where the artist is alone and unconnected.
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
A sense of constant surveillance or self-reflection.
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
A state of emotional numbness or detachment.
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
A longing for human connection or hope for change.
'Til then I walk alone
A sense of resignation or acceptance of the status quo.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michael Pritchard, Frank Wright, Billie Joe Armstrong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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