Citation: Brittany Spanos, BS, 2/1/2019, “Green Day’s ‘Dookie’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know, RollingStone”, https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/green-day-dookie-anniversary-things-you-didnt-know-785326/
Years after the Sex Pistols disbanded a new band called Green Day popped up. The members of this band were Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer, and guitarist. Mike Dirnt (Michael Ryan Pritchard) the bassist and backup vocalist. And Tre Cool (Frank Edwin Wright III) the drummer.
Formally known as Sweet Children, before Tre Cool. They were known around San Francisco Bay. The band had come out with an album in 1989 entitled “39/Smooth” after partnering with Lookout Records. Soon after that the drummer John Kiffmeyer was replaced by Tre Cool. At that point, Green Day had a mass following. They released another record called “Kerplunk” in 1992. Releasing that they were such a big success they signed with another company, Reprise. They released the album that would change Green Day forever. The album was called “Dookie” in 1994. It sold over 15 million copies across the world.
“Dookie” is all about Billie Joe Armstrong's life experiences. It talks about boredom, sexuality, relationships, and mental illness. Talking about these topics was not as common as they are today. And having an entire album dedicated to it was a courageous move.
Although their next three albums did not do as well as “Dookie” they still sold. But when Green Day released “American Idiot” in 2004 things changed once again. This album was a rock opera and it had a very political theme. The album follows the story of Jesus of Suburbia, who is a lower-middle-class American, much like the band members themselves. Billie Joe Amstrong wanted to tell people not to become an “American Idiot” (a person who loves the government)
Citation: Brittany Spanos, BS, 2/1/2019, “Green Day’s ‘Dookie’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know, RollingStone”, https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/green-day-dookie-anniversary-things-you-didnt-know-785326/
Green Day communicates through song about how much they hate certain things. Whether it be the government or a popular craze. They understand how it is to be silenced and they want people to stop being shut down and start fighting for what they believe in no matter your class or your social status.
Citation: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f6/b8/32/f6b83244b1fc8a5ad84283d3223abe3b.png
Most of Green Day's songs are about breaking the social norms and not caring about what other people think about them. In the music video of “Holiday” Tre Cool is seen cross-dressing, again showing that they could care less about what society thinks is right and wrong.
Another one of their very political albums is “Revolution Radio” this is all about being a teenager and testing the rules. Again, encouraging people to step out outside the boundaries and see how far you can stretch the rules.