Single Review: Green Day “Holiday”

Holiday
Album: American Idiot
Year: 2005

A recap of the story in the album “American Idiot – Jesus of Suburbia (JoS) has condemned the Fox News and the Republican agenda (“American Idiot”). He then introduced himself as JoS, criticizes his town for being nondescript, and finally gives up on caring about anything at all. (“Jesus of Suburbia.”)

In the biting “Holiday,” JoS has become interested in politics, seeing hypocriscy from both protesters and politicians.

As he watches the news, hearing the newscasters report about collateral damage and friendly fire. He sees the terror level go up as he’s told that Americans are in danger again. He believes Christianity is based on its grief and companies profiting from the Iraq War. (“Hear the sound of the falling rain/Coming down like an Armageddon flame (Hey!)/The shame/The ones who died without a name/Hear the dogs howling out of key/To a hymn called “Faith and Misery” (Hey!)/And bleed, the company lost the war today.”)

In the chorus, he wishes for a side he can believe in and questions the politicians and people commenting on news stories. He stresses people in America aren’t paying attention, vacationing from involvement with the political system. Meanwhile, the damaging decisions are being made which only hinder an American’s way of life. (“I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies/This is the dawning of the rest of our lives/On holiday.”)

A former protestor is now working for the system she once railed against. However, she realizes the group she associated with has its own agenda. An agenda, she finds, which is not in the best interests of what they were fighting for. Blind patriotism has silenced the United States, suffocating the very ideas it was based upon. (“Hear the drum pounding out of time/Another protestor has crossed the line (Hey!)/To find, the money’s on the other side/Can I get another Amen? (Amen!)/There’s a flag wrapped around a score of men (Hey!)/A gag, A plastic bag on a monument.”)

In the bridge, JoS imagines himself as a senator from the California, speaking on C-Span. According to Billie Joe Armstrong, he says everything a politician is probably thinking but doesn’t say out loud.

A pensive, analytical guitar has a solo.

For instance, President Bush would be addressed as a member of the oil company, not the United States. Instead of “Hail to the Chief,” he would be given the Nazi salute.People would be killed and landmarks destroyed if someone expresses an opposing opinion. They have their criticisms but feel they are above normal citizens, ( i.e. “don’t throw rocks at glass houses.”)(“Homosexuals would be shot for not going along with measures which limit their liberties. Politicans aren’t there to change the country. They intend to keep up the status quo. They likely have some crimes they have committed or have things covered up for them. They are not the take-charge people speaking for the residents in their district. (“The representative from California has the floor”/Zieg Heil to the president gasman/Bombs away is your punishment/Pulverize the Eiffel towers/Who criticize your government/Bang bang goes the broken glass and/Kill all the fags that don’t agree/Trials by fire, setting fire/Is not a way that’s meant for me/Just cause, just cause, because we’re outlaws yeah!”)

After the chorus, Armstrong says “this is our lives on holiday.” It’s worth noting here that the title works two ways: chiding Americans for going along with whatever is being said by President Bush. It second use is to jab at British Prime Minister Tony Blair for doing the same thing. In Britian, “holiday” is their word for “vacation.”

The polarizing “Holiday” is provocative in displaying its feelings about the United States’ current Republican government. For people who are consider themselves Republican, “Holiday” is likely to be discredited as extreme liberalism. For Democrats, it’s challenging way to convey their alienation. However, it should be listened by anyone who aligns themselves passionately with any political party.

Single Review: Green Day “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”

Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Album: American Idiot
Year: 2004

In the single, “American Idiot,” Green Day set the theme for their concept album: alienation, anger about current policies, and questioning the idea of patriotism. Since then, the character, Jesus of Suburbia character was formally introduced in “Jesus of Suburbia.” By the thrid song, “Holiday,” he notices hypocriscy in how the U.S. celebrates its heroes yet exploits them at the same time.

By now, JoS is walking on his city streets alone in “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” the next single and track of the album. The road is familiar yet unknown. Although he knows where it leads back to his home in the suburbs, he isn’t sure what’s there. (“I walk a lonely road/
The only one that I have ever known/Don’t know where it goes/But it’s home to me and I walk alone”). Life is there for him, it doesn’t know which direction to take.

His city is bare, full of closed mom-and-pop stores and without any culture like art musuems. (“I walk this empty street/On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams”). People stay in and don’t have much a reason to go out. They are uninspired and disillusioned. (“Where the city sleeps and I’m the only one and I walk alone)”

By continously walking in his city, he feels like the only who is really doing something or feeling an emotion. (“I walk alone/I walk alone”) He would like someone to be with him to talk with about his confusion. Most importantly, he wishes for guidance. He has the initiative but needs someone to instill confidence in his dreams (“Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me/’Til then I walk alone”)

However, he’s starting to disbelieve in his dreams and is considering losing them. He’s at a crossroads: he can become one of the lifeless city people or try to make a difference (“I’m walking down the line/That divides me somewhere in my mind/On the border line/Of the edge and where I walk alone”)

He questions authority and everything he sees, including himself. However, he knows he doesn’t want to be among the people who have accepted the status quo. Yet, he thinks he may be turning into one of them (“Read between the lines/What’s fucked up and everything’s alright/Check my vital signs/To know I’m still alive and I walk alone’).

Green Day is at their best here. They have created a conflicted and flawed character who is at times, arrogant and bitter (“American Idiot”). However, underneath the bravado is a scared young man who has no idea where he is going in life. Even if some listeners may disagree with Green Day’s democratic views, they should at listen to the non-political tracks to hear some terrific characterization.

Single Review: Green Day “American Idiot”

American Idiot
Album: American Idiot
Year: 2004

Liberals are arrogant. Consertatives are self-righteous. After Election Day, those insults and many others were thrown across on these boards and many others throughout the Internet.
However, name-calling only polarizes both sides even more. It also reinforces each sides’ stereotype of the other

The lead single “American Idiot,” Green Day’s concept album surrounding the main character Jesus of Suburbia, exemplifies the polarization felt on the Democrat side. In it, Jesus is angry at the antagonstic direction the United States is headed (“Don’t wanna be an American idiot/Don’t want a nation under the new mania/And can you hear the sound of hysteria?/The subliminal mindfuck America”).

In the chorus, he feels that the U.S. is edgy and people living here don’t really care which way. He thinks a constant sense of fear is how Americans are being taught to live. However, he also feels isolated because of his opposite point of view. (“Welcome to a new kind of tension/All across the alienation/Everything isn’t meant to be okay….We’re not the ones who’re meant to follow/For that’s enough to argue”).

The second verse takes a provocative and extreme turn. Disillusioned, he shouts “maybe I’m the faggot America/I’m not a part of the redneck agenda/Now everyone do the propaganda/and sing along in the age of paranoia”). Regardless of the party he supports, the name-calling and stereotyping derails an otherwise emotional rant. It’s a loaded lyric which should be phrased in a different manner. Green Day are trying to make a point about how alienated they feel. Ironically, by using “redneck agenda” they are using the same polarizing tactics as the consertatives to invalidate the the other sides’ opinions. (Note: I feel Democrats do the same thing, too. I’m not just limiting it to the Republican Party).

In the third verse, Jesus feels the media is partly the blame for the polarization. Due to less media outlets expressing points of views, he feels the media is helping push the conservative agenda along (“Don’t wanna be an American idiot/One nation controlled by the media/Information age of hysteria/It’s calling out to idiot America”). Perhaps the most true and accurate verse, Green Day makes their points best in this section. With the recent pulling of ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and controversy about the NFL ‘Desperate Housewives’ promo, it seems like the American media is obsessed with sensationalism more than ever. It also seems like the FCC may stifle speech by censoring the networks and putting fear into them if they show anything a minority complains about.

Green Day chose the characters’ name as Jesus, which speaks volumes although it is cliche. It lends itself to one possible interpretations: people are twisting the Bible to fit their point of view despite the fact it may mean another thing entirely and the disaffected Jesus feels alienated.