Favorite Son
Green Day / Cast of American Idiot Lyrics
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At the speed of light.
The star was brightly shining,
Like a neon light.
It's your favorite son.
It's your favorite son.
To the silver screen.
From here to Colorado,
He's a sex machine.
It's your favorite son.
It's your favorite son.
But isn't it a drag?
Isn't it a drag?
Isn't it a drag?
It's pretty bloody sad,
But isn't it a drag?
A clean-cut All-American,
Really ain't so clean.
His royal auditorium,
Is a murder scene.
It's your favorite son.
It's your favorite son.
Oh, isn't it a drag?
Isn't it a drag?
Isn't it a drag?
It's pretty bloody sad,
But isn't it a drag?
Well no one says it's fair.
Turn a teenage lush,
To a millionaire.
Now where's your fuckin' champion?
On a bed you laid.
He's not the All-American,
That you thought you paid.
It's your favorite son.
It's your favorite son.
But isn't it a drag?
The lyrics to Green Day's song "Favorite Son" paint the picture of a celebrity who has achieved great heights of success, but at a cost. The opening lines "He hit the ground running, at the speed of light, the star was brightly shining, like a neon light" refer to the celebrity's meteoric rise to fame, but later lines reveal that there is a darker side to his success. The chorus repeats the phrase "It's your favorite son", suggesting that this celebrity is seen as an ideal and a role model to many.
The lyrics continue to describe the extent of the celebrity's fame, from their appearances on talk shows to their role in films. However, the line "a clean-cut All-American, really ain't so clean" suggests that there is something beneath the surface that is not as perfect as it seems. The following line "His royal auditorium, is a murder scene" suggests that the celebrity's success has come at a great cost, potentially referring to the exploitation of others or some sort of scandal.
The song ends with the lines "now where's your fuckin' champion? On a bed you laid, he's not the All-American, that you thought you paid". This suggests that the celebrity has fallen from grace and is no longer the ideal that they once were. Overall, the lyrics of "Favorite Son" serve as a commentary on the dark side of fame and the costs that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
He hit the ground running,
He started with a lot of energy and speed.
At the speed of light.
He was going very fast.
The star was brightly shining,
He was very successful and popular.
Like a neon light.
He was bright and shiny like a neon light.
It's your favorite son.
He is your favorite person.
A fixture on the talk shows,
He was a regular guest on talk shows.
To the silver screen.
He moved from TV to movies.
From here to Colorado,
He was popular all over the country.
He's a sex machine.
He was seen as very attractive to women.
But isn't it a drag?
Isn't it disappointing?
Isn't it a drag?
Isn't it disappointing?
Isn't it a drag?
Isn't it disappointing?
It's pretty bloody sad,
It's very unfortunate.
But isn't it a drag?
Isn't it disappointing?
A clean-cut All-American,
He was a wholesome American boy stereotype.
Really ain't so clean.
He was not as wholesome as he appeared.
His royal auditorium,
The place where he performs is his kingdom.
Is a murder scene.
His performances are violent and aggressive.
Oh, isn't it a drag?
Isn't it disappointing?
Isn't it a drag?
Isn't it disappointing?
Isn't it a drag?
Isn't it disappointing?
It's pretty bloody sad,
It's very unfortunate.
But isn't it a drag?
Isn't it disappointing?
Well no one says it's fair.
Life isn't fair.
Turn a teenage lush,
He was once an innocent teenager.
To a millionaire.
He became extremely wealthy.
Now where's your fuckin' champion?
Where is the person you were once proud of?
On a bed you laid.
You created this person and their success.
He's not the All-American,
He is not the wholesome American boy stereotype he once was.
That you thought you paid.
You got something different than you expected.
It's your favorite son.
He is your favorite person.
It's your favorite son.
He is your favorite person.
But isn't it a drag?
Isn't it disappointing?
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