2008 Woodie Awards
A rock opera that thrives in its turbulent political context
Green Day's latest musical endeavor stimulates both sides of the brain
Rob Celletti
Issue date: 9/23/04 Section: Entertainment
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"I'm not a part of a redneck agenda," Billie Joe Armstrong sang with conviction while his band Green Day performed on The Late Show with David Letterman two Mondays ago.
Not far from the band stood United States senator and presidential hopeful John Kerry, who had been a guest on the show earlier that evening. When the band finished its rousing "American Idiot" - the title track and first single from their first studio release in four years - Letterman shook their hands and said, "Good luck in November," which brought a smile to Armstrong's face.
Clearly, David Letterman knows what's at stake this fall, and by the lyrics on "American Idiot," it is obvious that so does Green Day. They have created their best and most socially and politically conscious album to date. What is even more impressive is that they've done it in the form of a punk-rock opera.
That's right, a punk-rock opera. This is not just an album that tells a story like The Who's "Tommy" or Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice's "Jesus Christ Superstar." It is an album that expresses disgust with the current state of America through the stories of three fictional characters: Jesus of Suburbia, St. Jimmy, and Whatsername.
These characters represent the suburban youth of America (who comprise the majority of Green Day's audience), who feel disenfranchised by the big machine that American politics has become.
Evidently, this album is not a collection of songs about teen angst. The first song, "American Idiot," sets the stage lyrically, proclaiming Green Day's current feelings about America on the listener, for the "redneck agenda" line is not the only one that takes a shot at the Bush Administration. This is the only song that does not directly contribute to the stories being told but instead serves as an opening statement, allowing lyricist Armstrong to explore the characters and the different ways they react to their surroundings, which have been affected by war, television, drugs and parents.
Not far from the band stood United States senator and presidential hopeful John Kerry, who had been a guest on the show earlier that evening. When the band finished its rousing "American Idiot" - the title track and first single from their first studio release in four years - Letterman shook their hands and said, "Good luck in November," which brought a smile to Armstrong's face.
Clearly, David Letterman knows what's at stake this fall, and by the lyrics on "American Idiot," it is obvious that so does Green Day. They have created their best and most socially and politically conscious album to date. What is even more impressive is that they've done it in the form of a punk-rock opera.
That's right, a punk-rock opera. This is not just an album that tells a story like The Who's "Tommy" or Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice's "Jesus Christ Superstar." It is an album that expresses disgust with the current state of America through the stories of three fictional characters: Jesus of Suburbia, St. Jimmy, and Whatsername.
These characters represent the suburban youth of America (who comprise the majority of Green Day's audience), who feel disenfranchised by the big machine that American politics has become.
Evidently, this album is not a collection of songs about teen angst. The first song, "American Idiot," sets the stage lyrically, proclaiming Green Day's current feelings about America on the listener, for the "redneck agenda" line is not the only one that takes a shot at the Bush Administration. This is the only song that does not directly contribute to the stories being told but instead serves as an opening statement, allowing lyricist Armstrong to explore the characters and the different ways they react to their surroundings, which have been affected by war, television, drugs and parents.