Before the Lobotomy Lyrics

Lyric discussion by davidecoyote 

Cover art for Before the Lobotomy lyrics by Green Day

Green Day playing with time signatures! What?!

Ha ha, I love it. My favorite off the new album so far. Incredible energy bookended by the emotional "dreaming, singing, dying, laughter" sections. Two great characters are being developed here: Gloria and Christian (patriotism and faith personified, respectively). Gloria got a lobotomy after 9/11. Christian tried to offer comfort and reasurrance because of the ordeal.

What sticks out to me is the "to cast a stone and throw a brick" line, which connects a gospel reading to the Dookie song "She" in a very interesting way. The whole Jesus and Mary Magdalene thing, yes.

"I got so high, I can't stand up." is also a stand out. There is a lot of irony in this song, and it almost demands an explanation.

I'm probably wrong.. I always think of religion when I listen to this song..

It just seems like whoever's point of view it's from...they've stopped believing in something. "Dreaming I was only dreaming Of another place and time Where my family's from

Singing I can hear them singing When the rain had washed away All these scattered dreams" and the the brutality of reality...it's like, believing something for a long time, and then you realize it's was all wrong.

Now, lobotomy..means to literally cut connections in the brain, and as a result, the "patients must...

Oops..I didn't mean to make that a reply.

I'm kinda new to this.

"Well I'm not stoned, Im just fucked up" "I got so high, I can't stand up" Sounds a bit like "Basketcase" Maybe a bit more personal than at first glance. Perhaps Billie Joe is reminiscing on his own past here