Whatsername
Green Day / Cast of American Idiot Lyrics
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Then it turned out to only be a dream
I made a point to burn all of the photographs
She went away and then I took a different path
I remember the face
But I can't recall the name
Now I wonder how whatsername has been
Did she ever marry old what's his face
I made a point to burn all of the photographs
She went away and then I took a different path
I remember the face
But I can't recall the name
Now I wonder how whatsername has been
Remember, whatever
It seems like forever ago
Remember, whatever
It seems like forever ago
The regrets are useless in my mind
She's in my head
I must confess
The regrets are useless in my mind
She's in my head
So long ago
And in the darkest night
If my memory serves me right
I'll never turn back time
Forgetting you, but not the time
In Green Day's song "Whatsername," the singer describes remembering a woman whose face he can't forget but whose name he can’t recall. He reminisces about their shared past and the path that they've both taken in life. The song's lyrics suggest that the singer has had regrets about how things ended and how he wishes that he could go back in time and do things differently. The chorus of the song emphasizes this desire for a return to the past with the lines, "Remember, whatever / It seems like forever ago."
The lyrics tell a story of a lost love and illustrate the pain that comes along with it. Green Day is well-known for their energy and punk rock attitude, but “Whatsername” is a deviation from their typical style. The song is a slow ballad with a melancholic mood that suits the tone of the lyrics. The song is an emotional and introspective piece that explores the longing for a lost love that was never quite forgotten.
The song's theme and lyrics are inspired by real-life experiences of Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong, who has said in interviews that he wrote it about a girlfriend who left him behind when she moved away. Armstrong has said that he still thinks about her from time to time and that the song is the result of those thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
Thought I ran into you down on the street
I thought I saw you in person, but it was just a dream
Then it turned out to only be a dream
The sighting was only a figment of my imagination
I made a point to burn all of the photographs
I deliberately destroyed all the pictures of us
She went away and then I took a different path
After she left, I chose a new direction in life
I remember the face
I can visualize what she looked like
But I can't recall the name
However, I've forgotten her name
Now I wonder how whatsername has been
I'm curious about how she's doing these days
Seems that she disappeared without a trace
It appears that she left without a proper goodbye
Did she ever marry old what's his face
I wonder if she married someone else
Remember, whatever
I try to remember, but it feels like it happened ages ago
It seems like forever ago
The memories feel like a long time ago
The regrets are useless in my mind
Regretting the past is pointless
She's in my head
Despite this, she still occupies my thoughts
I must confess
I admit to still thinking about her
So long ago
It all happened such a long time ago
And in the darkest night
Even when everything is bleak
If my memory serves me right
If my recollection is accurate
I'll never turn back time
I know that I can't undo the past
Forgetting you, but not the time
I may forget about you, but I don't forget the memories we shared
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michael Pritchard, Frank E Wright III, Billie Joe Armstrong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind