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.

Song of the Century
Green Day Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sing us a song of the century
That's louder than bombs
And eternity
The era of static and contraband
That's leading us into the promised land
Tell us a story that's by candlelight
Waging a war and losing the fight

They're playing the song of the century
Of panic and promise and prosperity

Tell me a story into that goodnight
Sing us a song for me

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Green Day's song "Song of the Century" are a challenge to the listener. It's a call to tell the story of the modern world, to sing a song that captures all of its darkness and light, all of its triumphs and failures. The song is a reminder of the power of music to shape our understanding of ourselves and our world. It's a song that demands something of us, that asks us to listen closely and to think deeply about the world around us.

Green Day uses images and metaphors to capture the spirit of the times. The era of static and contraband is a reference to a world that is filled with noise and confusion, a world that is ruled by greed and selfishness. The promised land is an idealistic concept, a world that is characterized by peace and justice. The lyrics suggest that the current state of affairs is leading us away from this ideal and that we must take action to turn things around.

The song is about the power of music to shape our understanding of the world around us. It's a call to action, a demand that we pay attention to what is happening in the world and work to make it a better place. It's a reminder that our individual actions can have a profound impact on the world, and that we all have a responsibility to fight for what is right.

Line by Line Meaning

Sing us a song of the century
Please perform a song that represents this era perfectly

That's louder than bombs
A song that can evoke more emotions than a violent explosion

And eternity
A song that can withstand the test of time

The era of static and contraband
A time period filled with restrictions and censorship

That's leading us into the promised land
A time that is moving towards a better future

Tell us a story that's by candlelight
Recite a tale that is intimate and personal

Waging a war and losing the fight
Fighting for a cause but ultimately being defeated

They're playing the song of the century
The most significant song of this time is being played

Of panic and promise and prosperity
This song invokes feelings of fear, hope, and success

Tell me a story into that goodnight
A tale that can be shared before going to bed

Sing us a song for me
Perform a song for the listeners to evoke emotions and tell a story

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG, FRANK E., III WRIGHT, MICHAEL PRITCHARD, MIKE DIRNT, TRE COOL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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