Greendays new song American idiot

Chris, that was graeme. He loves swearing and hearing swears

Of course Creepy. Confused as to why you would assume I wasn't aware. I consider media as a combination of mediums through which communication is conveyed. ATS is a medium of media where communication occurs. The biggest difference is this type of medium is that discussion occurs. When reading or watching or listening to different mediums, people aren't discussing. Its an opinion pushed out to the masses, an interpretation of something and not necessarily the facts. They are usually just believing and not questioning. You don't appear to be a follower, are you?

[edit on 11/14/2004 by infinite8]

That song does bring up alot of good points. Look at how many people shown up to vote, after M.T.V created that "Vote or Die" Catch-phrase. While that song is a hyperbole, I feel it does raise some good issues such as how people are influenced by television and hollywood too much. If it weren't for propeganda, Bush probably wouldn't have been re-elected by now.

[edit on 14-11-2004 by NWObringer]

You know regardless of the mesage, the song would be equally catchy based upon it's beat and chorus. If you were to replace all of the words with "Chicken Wings" It would still be catchy. F*ck Chicken Wings!

America F*ck Yeah!

-ADHDsux4me

New(in the uk) simpsons spoiler

New(in the uk) simpsons spoiler

New(in the uk) simpsons spoiler








On a simialr note did any one see the simpsons episode were the hole family was arested under the goverment knows best act. And you see a cartoon that shows a happy constotution last a very sick and throwing up bill of rights. And elmo was in prison lol. Any way is that not the same thing people are sugesting hear.

Pandering to the eternal restlessness and dissatisfaction of youth requires neither courage or creativity, which is fortunate, because the lyrics of "American idiot" contain neither.

Promoting an agenda while complaining about it isn't original, either, another trait which is apparently no longer applicable to Green Day.

Too bad -- they used to have some pretty good stuff. I guess thoughtfulness and insight are not longer "cool" with them, if this is what they're scraping together these days in lieu of art.

Now they are reduced to offering just another "sing along in the age of paranoia." The exact same paranoia they are pushing on their credulous fans.

There is a hell of a lot to cover here....

1. NO. You never get in the way of people's rights. Even bands that are to the extreme right of yours truely have the right to complain.

2. The part I find sad about this particular song is that the character that the lyrics belong to ASSUMES that the "redneck agenda" is the only one....lol... typical teen...which is what the character IS, lol... ANYONE who gets up on a soapbox with persuasive speech has an AGENDA (otherwise what's the poin in trying to persuade the masses???), often they form PARTIES, and the extremists (always plural, there isn't a group out there without the insane, the immoral, the self serving, those who just like to manipulate, those who thrive in chaos, and drama queens(both genders)), complaining about ANYTHING that changes or stays the same. It doesn't matter, life is NEVER fair......which brings me to....

3. This album is basically a modern style opera....scary, it's more like the Church version of an Opera (hence, Jesus of Suburbia is a rather apt name for the character who is singing this, artistically).....because there is none prancing across the stage acting out the parts.....it goes through the F* this stage to the living out a wasted life to waking up and realising that life is never going to be perfect. It's a well thought out storyline, though one that I don't agree with. Just like I don't agree with Vagner's Ring Cycle....which IS the SAME beliefs that Hitler held....having a Jew portraying Satan, making them the ulitmate evil, and that as long as you had real love, you would die saved (so much more, not covering now, go look it up, lol).... Wagner was a HUGE BIGOT, yet he is still considered one of the greatest composers of his time, and can be indirectly blamed for Hitler, It's to the point were I, as a musician have to decide if I'm going to sing ANYTHING he wrote. It's not like Greenday's music affected the outcome of the election, unless the song angered Republicans enough to get them to vote, lol...

4. They did do this type of thing in the Vietnam Era. It lost us a war because the media and people like Jane Fonda went much further (see Hanoi Jane; people have been hange for treason for less than she did.) And the diffrence between Jane and Greenday in this case is that Greenday is not getting on the airwaves DAILY, telling our troops that they are bad men for being over there in duty to their country. This is ONE song which covers dissent over ONE issue which happens to have NOTHING to do with internal or external security. If anything is done about this song other than ignoring it, it makes it's point more viable than it was beforehand.

5. There is no such thing as just a song. Multiple things are erroneous with this line of thinking.

a. This is one of the few tecniques that WORKS in education. Students who can put lessons to music learn the music much faster....ever notive how much easier it is to sing a verse of a song than to memorise a poem? even if you can't sing?

b. music is a natural subliminal messaging system. Subliminal messages are those that only your subconscious is listening to/seeing, right? Every time you put music on in the background so you can do other things, the subconscious listens while your consciousness figures out a math problem, washes dishes, whatever. (you ever notice when a whole cd or track goes by and it suprises you?) God, there needs to be some major testing done in this area....

c. there's even further problems, specific types of music, and specific changes in music are mood enhancers...(get ANY of your really good horror flims out and listen ONLY to the sounds that lead up to when the boogeyman jumps out......I'm extemely sensitive to this part of movies, suspense music leaves me a wreck...Dragonfly killed me, and I liked the plotline and admit there was nothing frightening about the movie....find Threnody For Hiroshima by Penderecki, it is emotionally disturbing for most people because you can hear the bombs drop and hear the people dying like cockroaches when you bomb a home) If you want someone to agree with the political content of your music, you have a better chance by writing something catchy, in a genere they like, with the correct emotional ties to the music. This song does that and does it well.

d. there are WORDS in songs (otherwise it is a pice, NOT a song...technical diffrence, I know...but still important) This work is biased. The words have a strong political leaning. For example: the word idiot
is a negitive connotation...and in the context it's used in is halarious because an idiot is someone not capable of holding a public office (someone who is not capable of intelligent work because of retardation) ...while I think some Democrats on here would agree with this usage as in all Republicans are unfit to hold office due to a lack of sufficient brainpower . Exteraneous cursing, which always adds negative emotions. Example: Fouscore and seven years ago our F*****g forefathers brought us to this A**wipe nation. First, rather offensive, second, changes the nobility of the forefathers and the beauty of the ideals for this country into utter rot. It totally destroys the direction Abraham Lincoln was going for...you know, peace and unity? The lyrics are completely biased so as to portray a specific character's opinions and beliefs, not outright fact.

6. The media is controlled by the general population? Newscasters are against gays (majority of them are democrats, fund the democratic party, and often use leading questions as if they were lawyers, lol...and often is is VERY left wing biased)? Come on, I'd love for someone to post some information about a redneck news anchor in the major networks. Hell, how about one who is openly a redneck on a minor/local network? Several states put to vote gay marriages practically AS SOON as most sides started up debates....and most of them refused gays the right to marry....and no one can say that gays didn't do their part in being heard at this point because you are insulting their political influence (they have a lot), their capacity to be seen on TV FOR their sexual orientation (Ellen Degeneres was NEVER that funny, nor Rue Paul (sp??) that sexy, lol...), nor the fact that I know of sooo many gay rednecks....*hears banjos playing in the distance*. True rednecks, theones that give the rest of us rednecks their bad reputiation have little to no moral class, lol...(and I'm a Coonass(i.e. Cajun/subspecies of Redneck, lol)) Someone please put up the actual number of votes and for whom in the last 10 presidential elections......or better yet, for the gay rights votes...and look at the numbers. Most of those who vote are educated. Most of those who vote are older than 25. Most people vote for their OWN agenda. Mon Dieu, this is something else........lmao.

Why would that songwriters be fined for the song?

The name 'american idiot' can be taken to mean 'dur, all 'mericans is idiots' but if the band is saying that, well, er, they're idiots. THe other way to take it, and I think this is more likely, is that the are talking about a particular kind of idiot, and the song descrbies as being an american who finds all the stuff in the song acceptable and whatnot.

Talk about songs bashing the masses - this one is a bit more subtle

Incubus - "Talk Shows on Mute"

Take a bow
Pack on powder
Wash 'em out with buzzing lights
Pay an audience to care
Impress me personality

Still and transfixed
The electric sheep,
Are dreaming of your face
Enjoy you from the chemical
Comfort of America

Come one
Come all
Into 1984
Yeah, three, two, one
Lights, camera, transaction

Quick, your time is almost up
Make all forget that they're the moth
Edging in, towards the flame
Burn into obscurity

Still and transfixed
the electric sheep
are dreaming up your fate
And judge you from
the card castle
comfort of America

Come one
Come all
Into 1984
Yeah, three, two, one
Lights, camera...yeah
come one
come all
into 1984
Yeah, three, two one
Lights, camera, transaction

Lights, camera, transaction

Come one
Come all
To 1984
Yeah, three, two, one
Lights, camera, transaction

The foundation is canyoning
Fault lines should be worn with pride
I hate to say it
You're so much more
You're so much more
Endearing with the sound turned off.

As far as the lyrics of "American Idiot" go, it lacks any insight, other than young people complaining because they are not seen as moral authorities by the rest of society.

A much better song with much better lyrics was "American Woman." That song had subtlety, a great riff, and painted word-pictures of what the Guess Who thought was wrong with the nation that was buying all their records. In addition, the chord progression is more developed, and shows some artistry.

For a band with as much experience as Green Day has had, I wish their song had some kind of "angle," other than "we don't like people who suck."

Who knows tho. There were some pretty corny songs in the 60's that succeeded in getting the lefty fringe to put down the bongs and pick up protest signs.

Personally, I believe the effect of Leftist dissent upon the prosecution of the Vietnam war was actually much less profound than college kids today are told. Of course they hear the edited version that it was "all nixon's fault." Funny how the ivyed halls of academe have managed to spackle over the fact that it was a Democrat named Johnson who sent all the troops in, in the first place. If nixon did anything it was to cave in to china and get our troops out of the theater.

From an international perspective this song and the work of people like Micheal Moore proves that Americans aren't all idiots, that you guys do have a social concience, and like the rest of the world, your leaders and corporations don't always speak for everyone.

I like the new Greenday disc, it's way more mature than earlier songs about teen angst and masturbation. If Greenday were to be arrested for these lyrics it would send a clear message to the rest of the world that America had abandoned all it's constitutional values and didn't stand for anything but corporate greed.

why the heck are you trying to get Greenday Banned???

DUDE
Get Britney Spears , Jessica Simpson, Ashley Simpson, Christina Aguilera
Get THEM banned FIrst ok

if you ban The pop fake-frauds
ill let you ban everything else

heck ill let you hang me
if only you will get rid of britney jessica ashley an christina

i almost hang myself with them existing in first place

LoL
im joking
but actually im sorta not joking at the same time

i know all of you Understand Exactly what Im Saying
LOL

After 9/11, someone came up with a list of pollitically incorrect songs that they wanted banned, then someone said ClearChannel Communications made the list, then snopes.com proved it wrong. Here's the list:

www.snopes.com...

The funniest part was how they wanted "all Rage Against the Machine songs" banned.

Some idiot will do the same thing and say that American Idiot needs to be banned.

You mean the songs that question the motivations of our government?

Yeah, I can see how questioning our government could be considered insensitive

If an artist were to make a pro-american song with a catchy jingle, do you think it would be as popular? Sure green day had it's moments as a band, especially as a no name punk band in san fran, but ever since, they did only one thing, and that was target the masses for monetary benefits. Same thing as this song, it targets the audience in order to increase sales.

You want great pop-punk songs? Go back to Green Day's really old stuff..."Kerplunk!" and "Slappy Hours". Catchy tunes that were expressive but nothing to do with anything that really matters. And Dookie was indeedd a masterpiece.

There's been a lot of big hits celebrating America (Born in the USA,Aint that America,American Pie), and even more about California, and other songs about practically every state...

I don't see the occasional criticism reversing the trend...

these green day traitors should be thrown in guantanamo for this dangerous song...we can't have this kind of garbage playing on the airways

Green Day say they are heavily influenced by Stiff Little Fingers. Stiff Little Fingers are miles better than Green Day. Here are some SLF Lyrics and I urge people to find a copy of these Stiff Little Fingers songs.

WASTED LIFE

i could be a soldier, go out there and fight to save this land
be a people's soldier, paramilitary gun in hand
i won't be a soldier, i won't take no orders from no-one
stuff their #ing armies, killing isn't my idea of fun

(chorus
they wanna waste my life
they wanna waste my time
they wanna waste my life
and they've stolen it away

i could be a hero live and die for their 'important' cause
a united nation or an independent state with laws
and rules and regulations that merely cause disturbances and wars
that is what i've got now all thanks to the freedom-seeking hordes

(chorus)

i'm not gonna be taken in
they said if i don't join i just can't win
i've heard that story many times before
and every time i threw it out the door

still they come up to me with a different name but same old face
i can see the connection with another time and a different place
they ain't blonde-haired or blueeyed but they think that they're the master race
they're nothing but blind fascists brought up to hate and given lives to waste (chorus; repeat)

TIN SOLDIER

he joined up to get a job and show he wasn't scared
swapped boy scout hat for army cap, he thought he'd be prepared
at the age of 17 he was forced to choose
at the age of 21 he's in catch 22

he joined up for just three years, it seemed a small amount
but they didn't tell him that the first two didn't count
at the age of 17 how was he to know
that at the age of 21 he'd still have one to go?

(chorus
tin soldier, he signed away his name
tin soldier, no chance for cash or fame
tin soldier, now he know the truth
tin soldier, he signed away his youth


he joined up cos dad knew best, to do right by his son
and now he hates and counts the dates that mark time on square one
at the age of 17 he did as he was told
now at the age of 21 tin still won't turn to gold

(chorus)

if at the age of 17 you fall in line too soon
then at the age of 21 you'll still march to their tune

tin soldier, you signed away your name
tin soldier, no chance for cash or fame
tin soldier, you never see the truth
tin soldier, you sign away your youth
tin soldier, you go and join the queue
tin soldier, do what they want you to
tin soldier, they take away your name
tin soldier, they treat you all the same

sign away your life



[edit on 31-1-2005 by tommyc]

personally, i hate Greenday