The song deals with the death of lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong's father, who died when Armstrong was a child.
The single peaked at number six in the United States, becoming Green Day's second Top 10 single. It also peaked at #8 in Canada and the UK, while making #13 in Australia. "Wake Me Up When September Ends" had sold 1,652,000 copies as of May 2010, and was the second highest selling single in the U.S. from American Idiot, behind only the multi-platinum "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". The song ended the streak of Green Day's three consecutive #1 hits on the Modern Rock Tracks chart ("American Idiot", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Holiday"), but it hit #2 on the chart, kept from #1 by Gorillaz "Feel Good Inc.". The song also hit #2 on the Adult Top 40 and #4 on the Mainstream Top 40. This was the band's most successful song to the adult contemporary market, hitting #13 on its own chart and their only song to chart other than "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". The song is certified Silver in the United Kingdom for sales of 200,000
Music video
Like the majority of the videos from the album American Idiot, it was directed by Samuel Bayer. The video features Green Day's support guitarist, Jason White. This is the second time Jason White has appeared in a Green Day video, first appearing in "When I Come Around", ten years earlier but not as a band member.
The video focuses on a very loving couple (played by Jamie Bell and Evan Rachel Wood). The boyfriend promises never to leave his girlfriend but they later argue when the boyfriend enlists in the United States Marine Corps. The boyfriend interprets his actions as a way to show her that he loves her so much that he would put his life on the line to keep her safe; the girlfriend, however, is heartbroken, as he broke his vow to never leave her, and terrified at the thought that he might die in battle. The video then shows the boyfriend in battle in Iraq being ambushed by insurgents. This scene is intercut with scenes of the girlfriend tearfully mourning in a quiet field. The video ends on this juxtaposition, emphasizing the pain and heartache of losing loved ones due to the war.
This video adds to the American Idiot anti-war sentiment of the Iraq War. The song eventually became a tribute song to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and sound bites were added from various news coverages to the song. A live version of the song, recorded on September 3, 2005, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts was released soon after and dedicated to the hurricane's victims. The song was performed live with U2 guitarist The Edge in the pregame show of the Monday Night Football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons; it was the first game played in the Superdome in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Released June 13, 2005
Format Digital download, CD single, vinyl, Video single
Recorded September 2003
Genre Alternative rock
Length 4:45
Label Reprise/Warner Bros.
Writer(s) Billie Joe Armstrong / Green Day
Producer(s) Rob Cavallo, Green Day
Certification Platinum (RIAA)
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Green Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
Like my fathers come to pass
Seven years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
Ring out the bells again
Like we did when spring began
Wake me up when September ends
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
Like my father's come to pass
Twenty years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
Wake me up when September ends
Wake me up when September ends
The song Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day is a reflective and emotional song that tells a story of grief, loss, and the yearning to forget a painful memory. The opening lines "Summer has come and passed, the innocent can never last" set the tone for the song and suggest a feeling of time passing by quickly and the loss of innocence. The line "Wake me up when September ends" serves as a request from the singer to be awakened when a difficult time has passed, which is likely referring to the month of September.
The second verse reveals that the singer has lost a loved one who was like their father, and the pain of that loss is still present seven years later. The line "becoming who we are" suggests that they have been changed by this loss and it's a part of their identity now. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the importance of a significant time passed.
The third verse mentions rain, which may symbolize tears or a time of grieving. The line "drenched in my pain again" shows that the singer is still grappling with their emotions. The final verse mentions the passing of time again, this time with the passing of 20 years, but the pain never truly goes away as the singer's memory never forgets what they have lost.
Overall, Wake Me Up When September Ends is an emotionally charged song that covers themes of loss, grief, and the passage of time. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is struggling to move on from a painful experience and is seeking a way to escape from their pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer has come and passed
The easy and carefree days of youth have passed and life has moved on, as it always does
The innocent can never last
The purity and wholesomeness of youthfulness can never be preserved and will inevitably vanish with time
Wake me up when September ends
Let me sleep through the month of September, which holds memories of tragedy and loss that I do not wish to relive
Like my fathers come to pass
Just like those who came before me, I too will pass on and leave this world one day
Seven years has gone so fast
Time moves quickly, and it feels like only yesterday that my loved one was still with me
Here comes the rain again
Just like the passing of time, there are certain things in life that are inevitable and cyclical. Rain serves as a metaphor for difficulties and hardships
Falling from the stars
Challenges and hardships can come from unexpected places, just like the rain that falls from the sky
Drenched in my pain again
The struggles and hardships I face in life are deeply emotional and overwhelming
Becoming who we are
Challenges and hardships shape our character and help us grow into the person we are meant to be
As my memory rests
While time moves on, memories of the past remain with us, serving as a reminder of what we have been through and what we have lost
But never forgets what I lost
Even as time passes, the pain and loss still weigh heavily on my heart
Ring out the bells again
The changing of the seasons and passage of time is marked by various traditions and rituals, such as ringing bells
Like we did when spring began
Just like how we mark the beginning of spring, we must also acknowledge the end of summer and the passage of time
Twenty years has gone so fast
Time marches on relentlessly, and it seems to pass faster the older we get
Wake me up when September ends
The pain of loss and hardship that is associated with September is too much to bear, and I would rather not confront it
Wake me up when September ends
The pain of loss and hardship that is associated with September is too much to bear, and I would rather not confront it
Wake me up when September ends
The pain of loss and hardship that is associated with September is too much to bear, and I would rather not confront it
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michael Pritchard, Frank E Wright III, Billie Joe Armstrong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GreenDay
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New album ‘Saviors' out January 19th, 2024, pre-order it now https://greenday.lnk.to/saviors
@burkhardraum1956
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@_661.
I crying reel 😢
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yay i am going
@HEYLETZPLAYZ
ill see you in toronto!!!!!
@clarkfelgner6196
🎉 wow!
@paulmassey1089
Short story behind the song...
Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong wrote this song about his father, who died of cancer on September 1, 1982 when Billie was just 10 years old. At his father's funeral, Billie cried, ran home and locked himself in his room. When his mother got home and knocked on the door to Billie's room, Billie simply said, "Wake me up when September ends," hence the title.
Pretty darn sad but awesome of BJA at the same time.
@normalbutyl
Thanks for the cannon ✊🏾
@jamesmcclements4354
Yeah because I fought it was a 9/11 song but then I researched and found that out 😉
@jasonanderson3267
Cancer is no good Lost my mom and dad and my family almost lost me to it sorry for your loss