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.

Scumbag
Green Day Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You come around every now and then
Your clothes are different but you're still the same
Why else would you come here?
Scumbag on a mission
You're telling me that it's been awhile
Shit eating grin and a brand new lie
Somebody let you come here
Scumbag with permission

Never thought I'd see
The likes of you around this place
What's the special occasion?
Did you run out of friends?

Here you are, comin' 'round again
And things are different but you still pretend
You've got a reason to come here
Scumbag with ambition
And now you're telling me that things have changed
And you'll be leavin' in a couple of days
You're gonna change the world someday
Scumbag with a vision

It must be nice to know
You've got it all figured out
But from where I'm sittin'
It's the same thing again and again

You never stop to think
Before you open up your mouth

Cause every time you do
It's the same thing again and again

Overall Meaning

The song "Scumbag" by Green Day is a scathing critique of a person who routinely comes back into the singer's life, despite their history of lies and manipulations. The lyrics are dripping with sarcasm and resentment, as the singer expresses disbelief at the audacity of the "scumbag" to keep showing up and trying to sell their latest con. The opening lines "You come around every now and then / Your clothes are different but you're still the same" sets the tone for the rest of the song, conveying the idea that no matter how much the scumbag may try to change their outward appearance, they are still the same conniving person they always were.

The chorus of the song takes on a more aggressive tone, with the singer directly calling out the scumbag's deceitful behavior. They mockingly comment on the scumbag's supposed "ambition" and "vision", suggesting that these are nothing more than hollow words meant to mask their true intentions. The chorus also highlights the cyclical nature of this toxic relationship, with the scumbag making the same promises and using the same manipulations every time they come back into the singer's life.

The verses of the song continue in this vein, with the singer expressing their frustration and anger at the scumbag's behavior. The second verse in particular is scathing, with the singer questioning why the scumbag keeps coming back when they clearly have no real friends or anyone who wants to be around them. Overall, "Scumbag" is a blistering and unapologetic takedown of a manipulative and untrustworthy person.

Line by Line Meaning

You come around every now and then
The subject of the song has a habit of appearing infrequently.

Your clothes are different but you're still the same
The subject undergoes external changes but doesn't develop personal growth to match.

Why else would you come here?
The singer is questioning the subject's reason for appearing once again.

Scumbag on a mission
The singer's derogatory term for the subject, indicating that they have an ulterior motive.

You're telling me that it's been awhile
The subject acknowledges their absences, suggesting they're not a regular part of the singer's life.

Shit eating grin and a brand new lie
The subject is attempting to deceive the singer, despite not being successful in the past.

Somebody let you come here
It's unclear who the subject is in relation to the environment they're visiting.

Scumbag with permission
The singer repeats their derogatory term, but adds an extra insult by suggesting that someone allowed the subject entry.

Never thought I'd see
The singer is surprised to see the subject.

The likes of you around this place
The singer doesn't feel positively towards the subject, perhaps finding their presence bothersome.

What's the special occasion?
The singer is trying to figure out why the subject appeared again, indicating that their presence isn't normal.

Did you run out of friends?
The singer suggests that the subject has no reason to appear besides a lack of other options.

Here you are, comin' 'round again
The singer repeats that the subject has reappeared once more.

And things are different but you still pretend
The singer suggests that the subject isn't being honest about their changes.

You've got a reason to come here
The singer acknowledges that the subject may have a motive for appearing.

Scumbag with ambition
The singer uses their derogatory term again, this time accusing the subject of having ulterior motives.

And now you're telling me that things have changed
The subject has claimed that they've altered in some way.

And you'll be leavin' in a couple of days
The subject isn't planning on staying long, despite their claims of change and ambition.

You're gonna change the world someday
The subject believes they have the power to enact large-scale change.

Scumbag with a vision
The singer uses their derogatory term again, this time sarcastically praising the subject for their supposed ambitions.

It must be nice to know
The singer is being cynical towards the subject.

You've got it all figured out
The subject thinks they have everything under control.

But from where I'm sittin'
The singer disagrees with the subject's self-assuredness.

It's the same thing again and again
The singer believes that the subject is predictable and unchanging.

You never stop to think
The singer criticizes the subject for acting on impulse.

Before you open up your mouth
The singer believes that the subject doesn't consider their words before speaking.

Cause every time you do
The subject's penchant for thoughtlessly speaking has resulted in negative consequences.

It's the same thing again and again
The subject's thoughtlessness results in repetitive, undesirable outcomes.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 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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