Murder City

Actually the real meaning of this song was told by Green Day themselves in an interview with MSN (I saw it on YouTube) The guys were going to a bar to drink one night, and there was a teenager who had been handcuffed by the police for some reason then he was shot and killed. The guys got there right after this happenend. This is why in the song it says "I'm wide awake after the riot" because they got there right after the "riot" (not really a riot but the commotion at the bar) Billie wrote this song about the events that happened that night and he said this song sticks in his head more than any other on the new album.

It sounds like a story similiar to American Idiot's, except the guy's name is Christian and someone else (the singer). From what i can see is Christian and Billie are in a city full of chaos and murder. "The clock strikes midnight In the Murder City

I'm wide awake After the riot"

They've tried to revolt and change things because they feel like they're ablee to fix it somehow but so far nothing's worked "Desperate But not hopeless...

We are the last call And we're so pathetic"

idk, i could be wrong because i've just read it over a few times. it'll help once the album comes out. i sincerely hope this isn't a bullshit slow album 'cause they've had so many great songs in the past i'd hate to see them go soft.

heard this album for the first time today...this is my fav song off of it... the record is wonderful, I didn't expect any less from Green Day (:

like SouthernPunk777 said, its about Christian and most likely Billie. The chorus, especially the line "desperate but not hopeless", shows us that the narrator is desperately fighting for a change. Even though things look bad, the struggle is "not hopeless". Everything else is pretty obvious. The lines "This empty laughter Has no reason Like a bottle Of your favorite poison" A little confusing a first, but think of it this way : having a bottle of poison isn't a reasonable thing. So the laughter is just as crazy/unreasonable or without foundation.

The line "We are the last call/And we're so pathetic" refers to the fact that while Christian and Gloria are this 'murder citys' last chance,they are both drug addicts..that's where the so pathetic bit comes from.

Christian and Gloria are realizing their dreams have all but died. Maybe as an allegory for how our generation feels pathetic and weak to stem all the decay of our society/nation.

i just read that this song is about the riots in oakland

Just listened to the whole album. This one's my favourite on it :]

So, sung from Gloria's point of view... This song seems to be after some kind of protest or...riot. And, Gloria seems to be kinda second guessing herself in joining this kind of revolution.

Not really...that it's wrong, but it seems like their attempts are..."useless", but the cause isn't completely hopeless or hopeless. I mean, this is their last hope? THIS is the last call?
It's kinda pathetic. She feels useless and...well, yeah..pathetic.

Maybe she doesn't feel as strongly about the whole thing as Christian does. He's balling his eyes out in a bathroom, and she doesn't wanna confront him...she just wants a cigarette, haha. And all they keep doing is getting drunk and high, and..it's pathetic.

I think I use that word too much..

I feel like singing "Mad World" to this song. Same mood.