Green Day: American Idiot Meaning

Song Released: 2004

American Idiot Lyrics

Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation under the new media.
Hey can you hear the sounds of hysteria?
The subliminal mind fuck America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't...

1. anonymous

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   May 20th 2010 !⃝

   The song is about how americans are being controlled by the media instead of standing up for what they believe in and uniting together instead of staying divided, point blank. To all of you people talking about repiblican, democrat, left wing and right wing, you really need to consider the fact that America was intended to have non-partisan politics and that we need to get rid of party lines if we want to accomplish anything.
2. anonymous

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   May 12th 2010 !⃝

   This is simply an anti-american song.
   
   Right off the bat, it's "eff America".

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
3. anonymous

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   Nov 21st 2009 !⃝

   I think it's about how Americans don't think for themselves and just believe what ever they hear on the news
4. anonymous

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   Oct 26th 2009 !⃝

   Don't want to be an American idiot.
   Don't want a nation under the new mania
   And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
   The subliminal mind fuck America.
   
   Welcome to a new kind of tension.
   All across the alien nation.
   Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
   Television dreams of tomorrow.
   We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
   For that's enough to argue.
   
   Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
   I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
   Now everybody do the propaganda.
   And sing along to the age of paranoia.
   
   Welcome to a new kind of tension.
   All across the alien nation.
   Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
   Television dreams of tomorrow.
   We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
   For that's enough to argue.
   
   Don't want to be an American idiot.
   One nation controlled by the media.
   Information age of hysteria.
   It's calling out to idiot America.
   
   Welcome to a new kind of tension.
   All across the alien nation.
   Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
   Television dreams of tomorrow.
   We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
   For that's enough to argue.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
5. brandtaylor93

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   Oct 23rd 2009 !⃝

   It's about not being apart of the stats quo. It's about how this country has too many people who aren't well educated and just follow and do as there told.
   
   "don't want a nation under the new media"
   well to many people just mindlessly watch the news and are told what to think. Especially fox news but I can write books on how fox news is evil.
   
   "Well maybe I'm the Fagot america"
   
   Well Billie joel is at the very least bi curious.
   in a interview with the advocate ( a gay magazine) he sad he believes we are all born bi but because of social norms most of us become straight.
   
   
   this song at it's core is how republicans are dumb illogical idiots who don't care about us and your a stupid redneck if you listen to them.
6. Reign_Alexander

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   Sep 25th 2009 !⃝

   Basically, this song is about rebellion! Anarchy all the way!!
7. anonymous

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   Aug 1st 2009 !⃝

   Large groups of people fail to think individually - there are too many things on our minds to worry about "what's happening over there" or even in the next town/county/state. It's idiocy to accept what the media tells you at face value - everything is filtered.
   
   But remember, so to is everything filtered on the internet - there is no such thing as independent, free thinking. We are all formed by our life events.
   
   American Idiot points out that those who fail to do exactly what the media tells, those who fail to agree with the current agenda - are seen as dangerous. Society thrives on people being sheep.
   
   Meanwhile, youtube any Green Day concert... watch the sheep of a different fold rallying in hue and cry during the concert - entertained, but really amounting to nothing.
   
   Sure, we could change the world - but what would we change it to?
8. anonymous

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   Mar 17th 2009 !⃝

   hopefully this song can be inpplied to obama on how he got elected. He had the the bias media with him and everybody just jumped on the band wagon and he got elected.
9. LOLA09

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   Jan 9th 2009 !⃝

   This song is about americans being idiots because of the way they do not believe in lepercahuns and how green day has a day which they dress in green to celebrate leperchauns.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
10. DisposableCartman

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    Aug 21st 2008 !⃝

    I'm not entirely sure that this specific song fits in with the story of the rest of the album. But, yes, this song is definitely about the reign of Bush and the post-9/11 era.
11. Gurl_E_Nerdd

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    Apr 30th 2008 !⃝

    I think that the song is about not wanting to be the average American doing whatever the country tells you to.
12. Gurl_E_Nerdd

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    Apr 19th 2008 !⃝

    This song point out a the conformity in the usa. no one seems to be unique and original anymore.
13. anonymous

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    Apr 4th 2008 !⃝

    The song is criticizing America and how the rest of the world perceives it to be, sticking to the same regime all the time and that sorta stuff
14. anonymous

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    Mar 3rd 2008 !⃝

    Its JoS rebelling against his country, letting things get out of hand before he runs away

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
15. anonymous

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    Oct 29th 2007 !⃝

    I think that this song clearly states about how media controls everybody these days and how they can easily twist someone else's mind by starting up a rumor or gossip and it shows it when the lyrics go, "Don't wanna be an American idiot, one nation controlled by the media. Information age of hysteria
    it's going out to idiot America." This also obviously talks about George Bush's re-election on 2004 when Armstrong says, "I'm not a part of a redneck agenda." It states that they are against whatever Bush is doing since he is making America look stupid by all the decisions he chooses.

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