American Idiot is a rock opera by the rock group Green Day that is based on their 2004 album of the same title. The Broadway musical focuses on a group of disillusioned twentysomethings affected by post-9/11 times.
According to SongFacts, Green Day's lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong was inspired to write the title track after hearing Lynyrd Skynyrd on his car radio. The song expressed pride in being a redneck. "Why would you be proud of something like that?" Armstrong asked at the time.
Armstrong immediately wrote the lyrics of "American Idiot" upon arriving at the studio. His bandmates Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool wrote the music. "And it started the ball rolling," Armstrong says.
The entire album and play is told through the eyes of its protagonist, Johnny, or Jesus of Suburbia. He is seen as a saviour figure amongst rebels living in fictional Jingletown, USA. He ventures into an unnamed city and discovers a nation "controlled by the media." It's during his time in The City that he witnesses Americans blindly following what the media has to say, as well as polarizing government policies and lack of individuality.
The "redneck agenda" is his criticism of US president George W. Bush and his administration's war on Iraq. Coincidentally, the American Idiot album was released on September 21, 2004, exactly three years and 10 days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"American Idiot" topped the US Modern Rock Tracks Chart in 2005. It also reached #1 in Canada. "American Idiot" was Green Day's first top 5 hit in the UK, peaking at #3.
Weird Al Yankovic turned "American Idiot" into a "Canadian Idiot" for his 2006 album, Straight Outta Lynwood. He uses his parody to send up Canadian stereotypes, and common American attitudes towards Canada in general. It created a minor stir in Canada at the time, since he has a large fan base in this country. When he and his band performed "Canadian Idiot" live in Winnipeg, he said, "thank you for not killing us."
Green Day formed in East Bay, California in 1987, and they have released eight studio albums to date. American Idiot is their seventh and most successful album thus far. "It's the best thing we've ever done," Armstrong says.
Rolling Stone picked the album's title track as the 13th best single of the 2000s. Its parent album received the 2005 Grammy for Best Rock Album.
I liked this album, at the time that it came out. I pretty much like almost all music, except for heavy metal.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I liked them, for some reason. Maybe because at the time this album came out, I liked bad boys, and they seemed bad.
LOL
Silly, I know.
LOL I can be a bad boy too sometimes ;).
ReplyDelete;)
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