Why Green Day's music will always strike a chord

'American Idiot' once again proves its relevance in recent troubled times

KARACHI:

When I think of Green Day, I think of many firsts. These are things that feel like they happened a lifetime ago, to a former self I once saw departing in the ever-running train of life, never to return. And honestly, good for her. There are no DVD players or a carton full of 15-rupee snacks to trick that little girl into coming back.

But sometimes, I do meet her halfway. And when I do, we rewatch our favourite Disney films, rediscover our hard-earned treasure trove of Barbie dolls and Pokémon cards, and reflect on a time that's too long past to cringe about. I saw her again recently after our favourite punk-rock band headlined Coachella and, thanks to a live spin on some familiar lyrics, reminded us why we love them still.

Per usual, Green Day is in the news again for being "too political". Shocker? It is for some who seem to be confused over what punk bands stand for. But really, it's hardly something to linger on. All the frontman Billie Joe Armstrong did was change the concluding lyrics of the band's multi-part hit Jesus of Suburbia to call attention to Palestine.

The nine-minute song's lyrics are originally this: "I don't feel any shame, I won't apologise, when there ain't nowhere you can go. Running away from pain when you've been victimised. Tales from another broken home." But while live, Billie made a slight alteration: "I don't feel any shame, I won't apologise, when there ain't nowhere we can go. Running away from pain like the kids from Palestine. Tales from another broken home."

This, however, wasn't an isolated gesture. In the past, the singer has changed a certain lyric from the song American Idiot depending on the cause he was holding up. During different instances, "I'm not a part of a redneck agenda" became "I'm not a part of a MAGA agenda" and "I'm not a part of an Elon agenda" — both apt changes that fit the song's message perfectly.

'Scream, America, scream'

Even aside from Billie's live improvisations, Green Day is known for using their music and microphones as a medium to protest. So for those on the liberal side of the fandom, the viral Coachella moment hardly comes as a surprise. As an Instagram user judiciously put it for all affected parties, "All your favourite bands are probably anti-fascism. You just weren't listening."

Plus, Green Day can't exactly be blamed for the surplus of injustice that fuels their lyrics, stemming from their very own dreaming, screaming America. Given Donald Trump's rise to the office again, and the leftist showbiz's collective discontent over his second presidency, these lyrics and specifically American Idiot are arguably more relevant than ever before.

The titular album-starter, American Idiot, lands a punch with its sharp strings and no-nonsense declaration. Much like the album, it spells contempt for the changing state of the US post 9/11. While the digs at mass hysteria and brutally regulated media are still just as pertinent, the "new kind of tension" that the song describes has grown old and squalid over time, manifesting in a hundred different ways around the world.

Then there's the youth in Jesus of Suburbia, Saint Jimmy, who has become mind-numbingly disillusioned by the world's empty promises while being helplessly cooped up in his own town. His tragic circumstances plough into every aspect of his desolate life, amplifying his grudge against everything he calls 'home'.

And while I was never as daring as Jimmy, it's difficult not to resonate with this indignation as a teenager warming up to politics while experiencing all possible emotions at once.

Zeroing into nostalgia

I must confess that, while American Idiot is a startling reminder of how dismal the world can get, my nine-year-old self would feel anything but Jimmy's alienation when I'd put on these bangers. Admittedly, my brain wasn't equipped to decipher political intricacies. My comprehension skills did improve by fifteen, but something else also stuck. Something more attuned to the flesh and soul.

Full disclosure, I've grown up reserving space in my heart for a variety of bands, all drastically different from one another. And Green Day was the first and only punk band to book a spot, setting the foundation for a glorious series of firsts to come.

When I think of Jesus of Suburbia, I recall what was in a way my first Bohemian Rhapsody long before I familiarised myself with their majesties, Queen. You might think that doesn't count, but Green Day has dubbed their song the "modern Bohemian Rhapsody", so do with that what you will.

When I think of Wake Me Up When September Ends, I think of my first social media feud, as I attempted to shield the popular song from memes — which, looking back, were mild at best. But hey, a first is a first.

When I think of Boulevard of Broken Dreams, I think of what my brain has decided to preserve as the first English-language song I ever listened to — one I discovered on an unremarkable CD that belonged to no one I can remember.

When I think of American Idiot, I am reminded of hairbrush microphones, smeared black eyeshadow, edgy hoodies, an overgrown haircut that others say should be better off forgotten, and all things good. My mind seldom serves me well, but it would be a chore and a shame to leave these core memories behind.

Because again, Green Day decreed many of my firsts. I have rarely been as starry-eyed as I was exploring each song with my cousin and then some on my own. If I had any semblance of a whimsical personality until it was drained by age, then I made it by printing low-quality posters and calligraphing angsty lyrics.

If recent emotions have proved anything, traces of this lost personality can still be found. After all, if I search earnestly enough, I'll always find that little girl holding a Green Day CD and waving me over. And against the stubborn tide of adulthood, she and I will walk this empty street over and over again.

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