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.
Sassafras Roots
Green Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wasting your time
No obligation, just
Wasting your time
So why are you alone?
Wasting your time
When you could be with me
Wasting your time
Well, I'm a waste like you
With nothing else to do
May I waste your time, too?
Warding off regrets
Wasting your time
Smoking cigarettes
Wasting your time
I'm just a parasite
Wasting your time
Applying myself to
Wasting your time
Well, I'm a waste like you
With nothing else to do
May I waste your time, too?
So why are you alone?
Wasting your time
When you could be with me
Wasting your time
Well, I'm a waste like you
With nothing else to do
May I waste your time, too?
May I waste your time, too?
May I waste your time, too?
May I waste your time, too?
The lyrics of "Sassafras Roots" by Green Day speaks about a nonchalant and aimless relationship, where both parties are content with wasting their time together. The lyrics start off with the persona roaming around the house and wasting time with no strings attached, indicating the lack of commitment or the failure to recognize the potential of a more significant relationship. The persona questions the other person's solitude and asks why they didn't choose to spend their time with them instead.
The second verse hints at a feeling of purposelessness, where the persona understands that they are wasting their time and are content with it. The persona compares themselves to a parasite, suggesting that they are feeding off the other person's time and energy. The chorus is repetitive and emphasizes the point that the persona and the other person are both wastes of time, which is why they are perfect for each other. The last verse echoes the first verse, and the persona once again questions why the other person was alone, suggesting that he is always available to waste their time together.
Line by Line Meaning
Roaming 'round your house
I am spending time aimlessly wandering around your house
Wasting your time
I am not doing anything productive or worthwhile with my time
No obligation, just
I do not feel any sense of duty or responsibility to be productive
Wasting your time
I am still not doing anything productive or worthwhile with my time
So why are you alone?
I am questioning why you choose to spend your time alone
Wasting your time
I am criticizing your unproductive use of your time
When you could be with me
I am suggesting that spending time with me would be more enjoyable and worthwhile than being alone
Well, I'm a waste like you
I am admitting that I am also unproductive and aimless like you
With nothing else to do
I have no other obligations or responsibilities that require my attention
May I waste your time, too?
I am asking permission to spend unproductive time together
Warding off regrets
I am using my time to avoid feeling regretful or guilty about anything
Wasting your time
I am using your time in addition to my own to be unproductive
Smoking cigarettes
I am engaging in a habit that has no real benefit and is potentially harmful
Wasting your time
I am still not doing anything productive or worthwhile with my time
I'm just a parasite
I am admitting that I am not contributing anything positive to our relationship or to society at large
Wasting your time
I am still not doing anything productive or worthwhile with my time
Applying myself to
I am putting effort and focus into spending time in a non-productive way
Wasting your time
I am continuing to be unproductive with my time and also using your time to do so
May I waste your time, too?
I am again asking permission to spend unproductive time together
May I waste your time, too?
I am repeating my request to spend unproductive time together in a plea for acceptance and companionship
May I waste your time, too?
I am making a final appeal to spend unproductive time together and form a connection based on shared aimlessness
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
@brett9308
Mike is so damned strong on bass in this track. Very true to his "song within a song" mantra.
@dorianpod77
I love bands with creative bass players... like The Cure
@brett9308
31 years I've been listening to this trio. They've carried me through life, good times and bad!
@Slappy8147
KERPLUNK. OG👍🔥🔥
@JoNX0803
still have the cassette tape of this album.bought it when i was 11 in 1995. really love the whole album.
@PSchlemper
damn youre old
@dustyc324
I was 10. my first cassette. my buddy's daughter wanted to go to a green day show a few years back. asked if I could go with them. I had as much fun as she did and it was her first Rock concert. I dont have kids, but it was cool that her and I had the same favorite band 20 years apart. Green Day will always have a special place with me and countless others from years spread afar.
@brett9308
Brilliant album, a real game-changer. Mike Dirnt practically carries this whole track on bass, the real backbone.
@dustyc324
@brett9308 the drums hit for me. bass is good too. guitar is typical simple green day riff. nothing wrong with it. it's part of the sound in my view.
@rionasera
I literally lost my virginity to this exact song. That's why I love it and always remember it.