Don't wanna be an American idiot
Don't want a nation under the new mania
Hey 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


Lyrics submitted by animated456, edited by devildog579

American Idiot Lyrics as written by Frank Edwin Iii Wright Michael Ryan Pritchard

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

American Idiot song meanings
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  • +23
    General Comment

    I interpreted this entire album and it took me days to do it. Every song fits in exactly where it's supposed to fit in.

    American Idiot - Bit of a 'prequel' to the rest of the disk...basically, before Jesus is introduced, it talks about the bulk of today's youth being a bunch of conformists. The media owns the people, and these people are basically idiots. Jesus does not want to be one of these people...

    Jesus of Suburbia - Intro to the main character, Jesus. The 'Son of Rage and Love'...basically, he grew up in a home where his father was hard on him and his mother loved him (reminds me of that 70's show), he basically turns to drugs and alcohol to stay sane in that home.

    City of the Dead - Basically shows Jesus's life outside of his home. 'Graffiti in the bathroom stall'...'Holy scriptures of a shopping mall'...people are talkign about him...he's confused.

    I Don't Care - Coming to grips with what's going on in the world, Jesus basically decides he doesn't care about anything if no one else cared...driving him to the point of suicide

    Dearly Beloved - No one's listening, he's confused, does he kill himself or does he run...he doesnt know

    Tales From Another Broken Home - 'To live, and not to breath, is to die, in tragedy'...suicide is to tragic...so what does lil jesus do...RUN'S AWAY! He leaves home...what else do you need to know?

    Holiday - I've heard some say that this song doesn't fit in with the story, when in fact it does. Jesus has left the protection of Mommy and Daddy...he now sees the real world, and what's goin on in the real world right now? THE WAR ON TERRORISM!!!! I also thing it has something to do with Arnold Schwarzenneger 'The representative from California has the floor'...but hey, what do i know?

    Bvld. Broken Dreams - By far the best song on the album, Green Day probably would have released this first but who wants to release a power ballad for your first song in four years? Basically, it's really self-explanatory, Jesus is alone and confused...Hey, wouldn't you be to if you were alone?

    We Are the Waiting - Not the best song on the album, but certainly the most anthemetic. This is Jesus's transformation from who he really is to who he needs to be to survive in the world - St. Jimmy. 'The Jesus of Suburbia is a lie'...he lies about his old life, he hates his old life...

    St. Jimmy - Look what Jesus has become since he left home...the punk rock rebel we all know as St. Jimmy...everyone loves Jesus now...everyone but Jesus...

    Give Me Novocaine - DRUGS!!! PAIN-KILLERS!!! Who wants an alternate reality, Jesus sure does, he wants to be St. Jimmy, it's who he evolved into, it's who he is now...he needs a numbing, welcome to your new life Jesus

    She's a Rebel - Enter Whatshername, she's a rebel, she's a saint, she's the salt of the earth and she's dangerous! Well, Jesu--oops--St. Jimmy, meets her, begins to fall in love, sees her as a revolutionary, blah blah blah...but who does Whatsername want - Jesus or St. Jimmy?

    Extraordinary Girl - lol trippy drums! Anywho, basically St. Jimmy is holding her up on a pedestal, as most guys do to the girl their in love with...and he would do anything to make her happy...but she's super sad

    Letterbomb - Well, Whatsername and Jimmy are together...but not happy...Whatsername doesn't want Jimmy, she likes what he was, who he should be. This song actually has A LOT of depth. however, you can figure out this whole song and tie up any lose ends in the previous tracks. 'Your not the Jesus of Suburbia, and St. Jimmy is a figment of, your fathers rage and your mother's love, your now the idiot America...' and at the end when it says Whatsername is leaving. He's not Jesus anymore, he left who he was because he was scared. St. Jimmy is just an alter-ego made up by all Jesus had when he was growing up...his Fathers rage and his mothers love...and finally, think back to 'American Idiot'...what is Jesus...just an idiot...nobody likes him, everyones left him, there all out without him, having fun! THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TRACK IN THE ALBUM'S STORYLINE!!!

    Wake Me Up... - Love this song, no matter how heavy Green Day gets, every soft song they make is a knock-out...especially this one. Basically, what does Jimmy have left, Whatsername is gone...it's been seven years since he left, what does he have, where can he go. Obviously this takes place in September, and he's hoping that everything will be better by October...this song has a lot more death and it's even tied into rumours about Billie Joe's dad dying.

    The Death of St. Jimmy - So what does sad, little, left with nothing St. Jimmy do? HE DIES!!! WELCOME BACK JESUS!!!! St. Jimmy is how Jesus spent most of his life, it was how he learnt how to live, love, and believe. Basically, the alter-ego St. Jimmy was the only thing he could turn to when Jesus was alone, dreamless, hopeless, so it's what he became.

    IMPORTANT - Some might argue that St. Jimmy was infact not an alter-ego of what Jesus becomes, but infact was his sort of 'guide' out in the world, think about the last lines..."In the state, of mind, it's my own private suicide..."Basically, he just kills that state of mind, he is Jesus again.

    East 12th Street - This is what Jesus is now, no St. Jimmy, he is now just Jesus...workin in some office 'Filling out Paperwork'...but he's still not happy...he still wants out...

    Nobody Likes You - What do you think...Jesus is the American Idiot with nothing to do but drink coffee and watch spike tv...boring huh?...whered everyone go? wonders Jesus...

    Rock and Roll Girlfriend - I don't know when or where this fits in exactly, but I know it does cuz everything does. I'm tired of everyone saying this song sucks, it's not Green Day, blah blah blah...I personally like it...I think it sounds old school jazz rocky! but anyway, my guess is that it's one of Jesus's old friends, named TUNNY,...first of all it's addressed to St. Jimmy, which Jesus's friends probably still believe he goes by...and that by staying where he was and working he got the ultimate rock and roll life, while poor Jesus is all alone.

    We're Coming Home Again - After seeing everything he missed, Jesus goes home...is there much more to it?

    Whatsername - Some would think that the last song would be the conclusion, but in this case, i don't believe it is. All Jesus is doing is remebering Whatsername...and thats it.

    That's my opinion, in short, it's a story about not running from your problems...can I get mor specific.

    This is my interpretation of the album, please do not believe the same thing because you heard it here, but make of it what you make of it.

    canadian_idioton October 19, 2004   Link

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