The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Sing us the song of the century
That sings like American eulogy
The dawn of my love and conspiracy
Of forgotten hope and the class of 13
Tell me a story into that goodnight
Sing us a song for me
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Red alert is the color of panic
Elevated to the point of static
Beating into the hearts of the fanatics
And the neighborhood's a loaded gun
Idle thought leads to full-throttle screaming
And the welfare is asphyxiating
Mass confusion is all the new rage
And it's creating a feeding ground
For the bottom feeders of hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
True sounds of maniacal laughter
And the deaf-mute is misleading the choir
The punchline is a natural disaster
And it's sung by the unemployed
Fight fire with a riot
The class war is hanging on a wire
Because the martyr is a compulsive liar
When he said
"It's just a bunch of niggers throwing gas into the hysteria"
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
There's a disturbance on the oceanside
They tapped into the reserve
The static response is so unclear now
Mayday, this is not a test!
As the neighborhood burns, America is falling
Vigilantes warning you
Calling Christian and Gloria
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I'm the class of thirteen
In the era of dissent
A hostage of the soul
On a strike to pay the rent
The last of the rebels
Without a common ground
I'm gonna light a fire
Into the underground
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I am a nation
Without bureaucratic ties
Deny the allegation as it's written
I want to take a ride to the great divide
Beyond the "up to date"
And the neo-gentrified
The high definition for the low resident
Where the value of your mind
Is not held in contempt
I can hear the sound of
A beating heart
That bleeds beyond a system
That's falling apart
With money to burn
On minimum wage
Cause I don't give a shit
About the modern age
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
Mass hysteria
I don't want to live in the modern world
Mass hysteria
I don't want to live in the modern world
Mass hysteria
I don't want to live in the modern world
Mass hysteria
That sings like American eulogy
The dawn of my love and conspiracy
Of forgotten hope and the class of 13
Tell me a story into that goodnight
Sing us a song for me
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Red alert is the color of panic
Elevated to the point of static
Beating into the hearts of the fanatics
And the neighborhood's a loaded gun
Idle thought leads to full-throttle screaming
And the welfare is asphyxiating
Mass confusion is all the new rage
And it's creating a feeding ground
For the bottom feeders of hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
True sounds of maniacal laughter
And the deaf-mute is misleading the choir
The punchline is a natural disaster
And it's sung by the unemployed
Fight fire with a riot
The class war is hanging on a wire
Because the martyr is a compulsive liar
When he said
"It's just a bunch of niggers throwing gas into the hysteria"
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
Mass hysteria
There's a disturbance on the oceanside
They tapped into the reserve
The static response is so unclear now
Mayday, this is not a test!
As the neighborhood burns, America is falling
Vigilantes warning you
Calling Christian and Gloria
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I'm the class of thirteen
In the era of dissent
A hostage of the soul
On a strike to pay the rent
The last of the rebels
Without a common ground
I'm gonna light a fire
Into the underground
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I am a nation
Without bureaucratic ties
Deny the allegation as it's written
I want to take a ride to the great divide
Beyond the "up to date"
And the neo-gentrified
The high definition for the low resident
Where the value of your mind
Is not held in contempt
I can hear the sound of
A beating heart
That bleeds beyond a system
That's falling apart
With money to burn
On minimum wage
Cause I don't give a shit
About the modern age
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
I don't want to live in the modern world
Mass hysteria
I don't want to live in the modern world
Mass hysteria
I don't want to live in the modern world
Mass hysteria
I don't want to live in the modern world
Mass hysteria
Lyrics submitted by bfg1024, edited by Mellow_Harsher
American Eulogy: A. Mass Hysteria/B. Modern World Lyrics as written by Frank E. Billie Joe Armstrong
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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"And the deaf mute is misleading the choir"
This line stands out to me as a reference to Bush. He is deaf in the sense that he didn't seem to have any clue what was going on. If you were deaf you would have no idea what was happening in a choir. And he's mute in the sense that he lacks the ability to communicate (Bush-isms). Misleading the choir is a reference to how he led America in a completely wrong direction.
This is just my interpretation of it though. Love the new album :D
This song speaks right to my heart. After listening to it on repeat for an hour, I began to cry. It tells me that there are people out there who understand how fucked up society is, and how the class of 13 (the upcoming generation, which includes me) is going to severely pay for the fuck ups of today's governments and people. Green Day's music really gives me hope that eventually, society will change, and that the internally flawed systems the world's nations operate by will finally be gotten rid of. We can make peace with the world, we just have to believe it can exist.
Hey right on man. You know the same thing happened to me, the crying and all that. I'm just starting to realize the extent and depth of the corruption and lies and bullshit that we Americans are fed, and its a lot to take in. I, too, am included this generation (class of '12), and i feel pretty alone in these realizations that I'm having. Its like most everbody around my age level is just so ignorant of the evils of our government and the world - caught up in their selfish and materialistic fantasies. Hopefully some of things stated in this beautiful song will happen so that our eyes can open a little wider.
The first part Mass Hysteria is talking about the falling of the American society as Anarchy takes its slow grasp around us. Then Part B. Modern World is just talking about how the modern world os to concerned about such petty bullshit and that He doesn't want a part of it.
the verses in this sound EXACTLY like deadbeat holiday (probably one of my favorite songs) but i like it...not sure about my opinion on the album though
Well, personally I think this song was like, Christian and Gloria running from the Modern Age. Lol the modern age does suck so i'd run too. But I also think Christian dies at the end... you hear from the album, at the end of the song, what sounds like a helicopter flying past, then it stop abrubptly. I could be wrong, but See The Light comes right after and a lot of people say "Don't go into the light" Idk, it's possible.
The Class of 13' mentioned in a few of the songs of 21st Century Breakdown, might be Billie's way of reaching out to the Class of 13' and telling them to go ahead and change the world and stop the Mass Hysteria.
Just a guess.
I'm part of the Class of 13' :D :D :D
The Class of 13 refers to Billie's older son who will graduate in 2013.
Part A seems to be about HURRICANE KATRINA... "Tapped into the reserve", "Just a bunch of niggers", "Natural disaster", "the unemployed"
Also Katrina... "There's a disturbance on the ocean side", "THE STATIC RESPONSE"
cool!!!!!! <3 this song!! will it be on 21st century breakdown??
It sure is!
"Mass Hysteria" sounds a bit like "Deadbeat Holiday" from Warning. Also... "Mass Hysteria" is a song by Social Distortion (different song all together of course)... and on the deluxe version they cover Social Distortion's "Another State of Mind." But, I'm pretty sure this is just a huge coincidence.
Also, on the deluxe version they cover Dylan, The Who, and Arthur Crudup.
funny you say that new moon, because around 3:17 when the mini-solo kicks in, it sounds exactly like that one part of I Fought The Law. if i knew how to read tabs, im sure i'd find a huge similarity
Who sings the part in the 'Modern World' section? Is that Tre?
That's Mike
Its Mike Dirnt. and yeah i agree with new moon123 it sounds ALOT like deadbeat holiday. which is kinda cool, its like they were tying in the old green day with new green day.
I'm thinking that they might have purposely copied themselves for some songs (especially considering how much Mass Hysteria is like Deadbeat Holiday and the beginning of See The Light/21st Century Breakdown), because the verse for Horseshoes and Handgrenades sounds so much like the bridge in All The Time.
I noticed that on a lot of these songs:<br /> !Viva la Gloria! : Letterbomb (favorite song off old album)<br />
oops, accidentally sent that too soon, anyways:<br /> Before the Lobotomy: No One Knows (from Kerplunk!)<br /> ?Viva la Gloria?: Misery (Warning)<br /> Restless Heart Syndrome (solo): Blvd of Broken Dreams (American Idiot)<br /> Horseshoes and Handgrenades: All the Time (Nimrod)<br /> The Static Age: Church on Sunday (Warning)<br /> 21 Guns (verse): Blvd of Broken Dreams (American Idiot)<br /> American Eulogy: Deadbeat Holiday (Warning)
OMG, i didn't notice that before. You're right!
The verse on Static Age sounds kinda like Macy's Day Parade. The bit that goes "then I realised what it took, to tell the difference between thieves and crooks" etc. or is it just me?
mike dirnt
Actually P!nk, that is Mike