According to the American Idiot Songfacts, Billie Joe Armstrong was inspired to write this song after hearing a jingoistic Lynyrd Skynyrd song being played on his car radio, whilst driving to the studio.
Released in 2004, the single peaked at #61 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Green Day's first Billboard Hot 100 chart entry (excluding singles that charted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart), helping revive the band's career. However, the appearance of "American Idiot" on the US singles charts occurred just prior to Billboard Magazine's inclusion of internet download purchases into their Billboard Hot 100 chart data, which would have made a significant difference in the song's peak had it benefited from the new chart tabulation system. This most recent form of sales assessment has resulted in the far greater successes of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Holiday" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends".
"American Idiot" became Green Day's first Top 5 single in the United Kingdom, reaching #3, and peaked at #7 in Australia. It debuted at #1 in Canada, holding onto the zenith position for five weeks.
In Australia, the song was ranked #22 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.
Green Day performed this at the 2005 Grammy Awards. The album won for Best Rock Album.
The song was featured in the trailer for the 2005 film Wedding Crashers. The song features on the soundtrack of the American football video game Madden NFL 2005. It was featured as the closing theme song for the first season of the "Andy Milonakis" show. "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the song on his album Straight Outta Lynwood as "Canadian Idiot" - a satirical commentary on American nationalism and the stereotypical American view of Canadians. In The Simpsons Movie,the song was played by an organist at the band's funeral. Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine covered this song into a lounge style on their 2005 album Aperitif for Destruction, and Avril Lavigne did as well in 2006. The guitar riffs of the song were sampled for the theme for Johnny Test and multiple episodes of the show.
Song information
The song was written by all three members of Green Day, and was co-produced by Green Day and Rob Cavallo. It is in the key of A-flat major, and is widely known for the guitar riff that plays through the whole song, excluding the chorus.
The whole song is similar to the intro riff from Dillinger Four's "Doublewhiskeycokenoice", written in 1997. Dillinger Four opened for Green Day on Green Day's Japan tour, and released a split 7" with Billie Joe Armstrong's side project, Pinhead Gunpowder
"American Idiot" criticizes the post 9/11 U.S., referring to such issues as paranoia, propaganda and media. "American Idiot" has also been certified as an RIAA Gold (500,000 downloads) along with "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", American Idiot's second single.
The song helped pave the road for the future American Idiot singles, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (which, in a great turnaround, would reach #2 in the U.S.), "Holiday" (a Top 30 hit worldwide), "Wake Me Up When September Ends" (which would reach #6 in the U.S. and the Top 20 worldwide), and "Jesus of Suburbia". It was their first #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks from the American Idiot album and their sixth overall.
American Idiot
Greenday Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't want a nation under the new media
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mind-fuck America
Welcome to a new kind of tension
All across the alien nation
Where everything isn't meant to be okay Television dreams of tomorrow
We're not the ones who're meant to follow
For that's enough to argue
Well maybe I'm the faggot America
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda
Now everybody do the propaganda
And sing along to the age of paranoia
Welcome to a new kind of tension
All across the alien nation
Where everything isn't meant to be okay
Television dreams of tomorrow
We're not the ones who're meant to follow
For that's enough to argue
Don't wanna be an American idiot
One nation controlled by the media
Information Age of hysteria
It's calling out to idiot America
Welcome to a new kind of tension
All across the alien nation
Where everything isn't meant to be okay
Television dreams of tomorrow
We're not the ones who're meant to follow
For that's enough to argue
The song "American Idiot" by Green Day was released in 2004 and quickly became an anthem for disillusioned youth. The song condemns the state of American society and politics, criticizing the government's manipulation of the media and the complacency of the American people. The opening lines, "Don't wanna be an American idiot / Don't want a nation under the new media," express a desire to break free from the homogenization and conformity perpetuated by the media. The song also touches on themes of paranoia and propaganda, with lines like "Now everybody do the propaganda / And sing along to the age of paranoia."
The chorus of "American Idiot," with the repetition of the phrase "Welcome to a new kind of tension," serves as a warning that something is off-kilter in American society. The song suggests that Americans are being led down a dangerous path by the government and the media: "One nation controlled by the media / Information Age of hysteria / It's calling out to idiot America." The phrase "idiot America" is especially biting, implying that the American people are either too ignorant or apathetic to realize what's happening.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't wanna be an American idiot
I don't want to be seen as a foolish, ignorant American.
Don't want a nation under the new media
I don't want our society to be controlled and manipulated by the media.
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
Can you hear the fear and panic that is being spread by the media?
The subliminal mind-fuck America
The media is using subtle tactics to brainwash and control Americans.
Welcome to a new kind of tension
We are experiencing a new kind of stress and anxiety as a society.
All across the alien nation
This stress and anxiety is affecting everyone across the country.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay
We are facing real problems and issues that cannot be simply ignored or dismissed.
Television dreams of tomorrow
The media presents an idealized version of the future through TV shows and movies.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow
We should not simply accept and follow what the media tells us to do or believe in.
For that's enough to argue
This is a topic that raises enough questions and debates on its own.
Well maybe I'm the faggot America
Maybe I'm the odd one out in this society, and that's okay.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda
I don't align myself with the conservative, racist beliefs of some people in this country.
Now everybody do the propaganda
Everyone is being bombarded by propaganda, whether they realize it or not.
And sing along to the age of paranoia
People are getting caught up in their fears and anxieties, leading to a paranoid society.
One nation controlled by the media
The media has a significant amount of influence and control over our country.
Information Age of hysteria
We are in an age where information and news spreads easily and quickly, leading to panic and fear.
It's calling out to idiot America
The media is targeting and manipulating those who are less informed or less critical of what they see and hear in the news.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG, FRANK E., III WRIGHT, MICHAEL PRITCHARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ThePrinceOfNigeria
Clearly the responses to your comment saying 'what a legend' are from 12 to 13 year olds who know nothing about responsibility or parenting.
(EDIT)
NOTE BEFORE YOU MENTION ME, IT'S BEEN ELEVEN MONTHS.
Then:
1. I am not against having fun by any means.
And
2. I know sensored music sounds terrible because I've listened to many like the sensored version of DMX's song 'What You Bitches Want From A Nigga' that goes like 'What you chickens want from a (blurred)' it's completely unenjoyable, it's an attrocious catastrophe.
What I've been arguing against here from the very beginning is the praising of an adult as a hero for giving a child something against the consent of their loving parents who have gone beyond providing food, shelter, and education for their child to affording them the luxury of enjoying art, be it sensored or not.
It's just a basic principle.
@RadislavPirgozliev
So many wishes Wonder Birthday
Mind straight and sure well stay
We expect excellence above okaaay
Transhumanism of utre
All get along and they guden
All of us are perfly suited.
Do you wanna be a Canadian genius
Holy frankincense and hardened penis
Throw them bows and suck my wenis
And tits so big and little veinous
😇
@GreenDay
20 years and it all went by in a flash ⚡The American Idiot 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition is out now 💣💥 Go give it a listen or grab a copy https://greenday.lnk.to/americanidiot20thdeluxe
@nbctheoffice
The quality upgrade looks good, boys!
@Ixcotv715
Just one week away to make this song the anthem of USA
@missamericana_swiftie
I have the cd box set! I saw you live and you’re SO good! ❤
@Evegutierrezsalasgmailcom
I love them 😭😭😭
@GeForce1080
20 years already 🤯
@leokimvideo
A Green Day song that just gets better with age. Thats quite common with this band. Songs that stand the test of time.
@evansteen8684
It’s like that because new songs just keep getting worse and worse
@MyRegardsToTheDodo
A Green Day song that just gets worse with censoring.
@muhammadriskinugroho1835
Indonesia