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.

See The Light
Green Day Lyrics

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I crossed the river
Fell into the sea
Where the non-believers
Go beyond belief
Then I scratched the surface
In the mouth of hell
Running out of service
In the blood I fell

Well I - I just want to see the light
And I - I don't want to lose my sight
Well I - I just want to see the light
And I need to know what's worth the fight

I've been wasted
Pills and alcohol
I've been chasing
Down the pool halls
Then I drank the water
From a hurricane
And I set a fire
Just to see the flame

Well I - I just want to see the light
And I - I don't want to lose my sight
Well I - I just want to see the light
And I need to know what's worth the fight

I crossed the desert
Reaching higher ground
Then I pound the pavement
To take the liars down
But it's gone forever
But never too late
Where the ever-after
Is in the hands of fate

Well I - I just want to see the light
And I - I don't want to lose my sight

Well I - I just want to see the light
And I need to know what's worth the fight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Green Day’s “See the Light” seem to talk about a journey- both literal and metaphorical- of a person with a troubled past looking for redemption and clarity of purpose. The opening lines describe the singer’s descent into chaos and despair: “I crossed the river/Fell into the sea/Where the non-believers/Go beyond belief”. But then, he emotionally scratches the surface and fights his way back from the mouth of hell- “Then I scratched the surface/In the mouth of hell/Running out of service/In the blood I fell”. He is exhausted and lost, but he realizes that there is only one way out- “Well I- I just want to see the light/ And I- I don't want to lose my sight/ Well I- I just want to see the light/ And I need to know what's worth the fight”. He’s willing to fight the demons within him to see the light and clear his path- “I’ve been wasted/Pills and alcohol/ I’ve been chasing/ Down the pool halls/ Then I drank the water/ From a hurricane/ And I set a fire/ Just to see the flame”.

Throughout the journey, the singer seems to be exploring different ideas and philosophies to find what’s worth fighting for. He crosses the desert, pounds the pavement, and fights the easy lies of the world to find the truth that’s worth living for: “I crossed the desert/ Reaching higher ground/ Then I pound the pavement/ To take the liars down/ But it's gone forever/ But never too late/ Where the ever-after/ Is in the hands of fate”. The lyrics seem to talk about a journey of self-discovery and finding meaning in the meaningless chaos of life.

Line by Line Meaning

I crossed the river
I left my comfort zone and ventured off to unknown territory

Fell into the sea
I took a risk and failed

Where the non-believers
In a place where those who lack faith reside

Go beyond belief
Doing things that are hard to fathom

Then I scratched the surface
I barely made progress

In the mouth of hell
In a place of torment and suffering

Running out of service
I was losing hope and felt disconnected

In the blood I fell
I was consumed by my own despair

Well I - I just want to see the light
I am seeking a way out of my darkness

And I - I don't want to lose my sight
And I don't want to lose my way

Well I - I just want to see the light
I am still searching for a path to redemption

And I need to know what's worth the fight
I need a reason to keep going

I've been wasted
I have wasted my life

Pills and alcohol
Drugs and alcohol are my vices

I've been chasing
I have been trying to catch a break

Down the pool halls
In places of despair such as pool halls

Then I drank the water
I indulged in destructive habits

From a hurricane
From something that leaves devastation behind

And I set a fire
I did something reckless just for the thrill

Just to see the flame
Just to witness the destruction

I crossed the desert
I overcame great hardships

Reaching higher ground
I made progress and achieved success

Then I pound the pavement
I worked hard to bring down those who deceived me

To take the liars down
To expose the truth and hold people accountable

But it's gone forever
But my past is long gone and cannot be changed

But never too late
But I can still make a change and move forward

Where the ever-after
Where the destination beyond life

Is in the hands of fate
Is determined by factors beyond our control

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, 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

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