See the Light

21st Century Breakdown is about the great American conflict; the battle between the political "Left" and "Right;" the battle between Liberalism and Conservatism. The album creates a feeling like the future looking back at the past. It seems like a life story an old man tells his kids.

The album follows the story of Christian and Gloria, of the class of '13. (The class that are high school freshmen at the time the album was released.) Christian is first introduced in the song “21st Century Breakdown.” Christian is growing up and realizing the government in his world is corrupt. He and his classmates were raised by the “Bastards of 1969.” He rejects society because the few and powerful misguide the hardworking citizens. Christian left high school, but never made it as a “working class hero,” he decided instead to go to the streets and preach his story. “Know Your Enemy” follows Christian's quest. Ironically, Billy Joe himself is reflected in Christian's character. They both become “punks” who reject popular culture.

Gloria is introduced in the next track, “Viva la Gloria!” On his quest, Christian meets a girl unlike anyone he'd ever met. Gloria is an idealistic youth, who unlike Christian, accepts society and covets its ideas like religion. In the second half of the song, Gloria abandons her life for her new love. However, Christian will eventually change Gloria. The song “Before the Lobotomy” contrasts her lives. The “Lobotomy” represents Christian's process of Liberalizing Gloria. Now, Gloria is no longer an innocent youth. She sprays graffiti and doing drugs. She's completely lost the connection with her old life. She no longer feels in touch with God. To Christian's dismay, Gloria is deeply disturbed by her changes. “Christian's Inferno” is Gloria's predicament. She loves Christian, but she has to be a sinner to be with him.

During “Last Night On Earth,” Gloria decides to stay with Christian, living her life like it's the last day on earth. “East Jesus Nowhere” thickens the plot. Christian's war has escalated. He asks Gloria to fully devote to his way of thinking. The puppy love stage of their relationship is over. “Peacemaker” is from the viewpoint of the class of '69. They accuse of being Christian a non-believer and an infidel. They beg Gloria to leave him. The story has mirrored that of Romeo and Juliet. Juliet/Gloria's “family” have formed a violent mob chanting “death to the ones at the end of the serenade!” “Last of the American Girls” is Gloria's reaction. She has decided to stand up for what she believes and leave Christian. She is special, not because she holds true to her values, but because she recognizes the faults in society and still holds her values.

“Murder City” and “Restless Heart Syndrome” are about their break-up. Christian has turned alcohol to cope. Gloria is better off, she just wants a cigarette, haha. Gloria, on the other hand, has no where to go now that she has left Christian. Her old family will no longer accept her now that she has been tainted by Christian. “Horseshoes and Handgrenades” is Christian's “fuck you” to Gloria. His situation has escalated to self destruction. He blames the old age for all of his problems.

“The Static Age” eludes that Christian has died, presumably from his own self-destructive spiral and motivation to destroy the establishment. The song doubles as a reference that mass media has lost all meaning and also a symbol that Christian's war has ended. There is “static” in the radio because Christian's war has no leader, or perhaps that Christian has martyred himself to destroy the old age. “21 Guns” Shows the tragedy of his death. Gloria blames herself for leaving him.

The last two tracks, “American Eulogy” and “See the Light” seem to be a shift from Christian and Gloria's story to the bigger picture. Either Christian's war for Liberalism or the Old Age's Conservatism has won. Either way, Gloria doesn't want to live in the modern world. If Liberalism has won, Gloria is the last rebel sinking into the underground, hoping for salvation from her sins. If the Old Age has won, Gloria is the last rebel hoping for a one day free society. She has taken higher ground. She realizes this isn't her fight, because it's not worth fighting for. She recognizes that the “ever after” is “in the hands of fate.”