Green Day: Wake me Up When September Ends Meaning

Song Released: 2005

Wake me Up When September Ends Lyrics

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

Like my fathers come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when september ends

Here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Oct 13th 2005 !⃝

   This song is about Billie Joe's dad dying of throat cancer when he was 10 years old he never got over that, so he wrote the song. His father, Andy Armstrong, died on September 10th and he says "Here comes the rain again." This is saying he is crying again.
   
   The video however is how the Director Samual Bayer saw it and Billie Joe agreed it would be good to do that, as including his father would be too personal to him.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   Ollie

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 6th 2006 !⃝

   Unfortunately I see there`s an argument about the meaning of this song. This song is very important for me so I thought a lot about its meaning.
   
   In the opera of the American Idiot, this song tells about the desperate Jesus of Suburbia who lost his only friend and so a part of himself died. But I think there`s a very personal note in this song that was already mentioned.
   Surely Billie Joe wrote this song about his father`s death,
   he died 20 years ago. " 20 years have gone so fast" The rain falling from the stars might be the tears of him. The most interesting part is " As my memories rests, but never forgets what I lost"
   His father died many years ago and he was forced to live his life, he had problems and a lot of things to care about, but if he remembers the time of his father he is faced with all the pain again. This is a message to his father: I won't forget you, all my effort is a tribute for you! So it`s also a song about losing a person he really loved, you see, there's the connection to the video where the girl loses her boyfriend in war.
   
   As a third meaning I thought about peole in general. In times of prejudice and terrorism its a message to all the people to wake up, to begin feel individual. September is presented as a bad dream connected with the hope to wake up.
   
   Also I think everybody has an own meaning for this song, everybody who has lost someone he loved, who wishes for better times to come.
   
   As an personal statement, I really love this song for the hope and thoughts he gave to me.
   
   Greez, from Germany

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   EdDEE

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 17th 2005 !⃝

   This song is about Billie coping with the death of his father. When he says "seven years has gone so fast" he's referring to when he was 17 (when Dookie came out) and how his fater died when he was 10 and never got too see his rise to fame. When he also says "twenty years has gone so fast" hes referring to how he's now 30 (he wrote the song a few years ago) and his father didn't get to see what he has accompished and his children grow. Also to support this, his father died in September. This song was NOT written for Jonny Ramone, even though Billie says in concert that he's dedicating it to him, it's about his father.
4. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jun 29th 2016 !⃝

   This song is about this couple having the time of their life. Walking too the sunset and getting a romantic lunch, until this boy ( from the couple) decides something about what he wants to do better for their relationship. The girlfriend go outside and crys because the boyfriend goes to the army. The boyfriend wants to go tho the army for the best of their relationship

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

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   May 29th 2014 !⃝

   This song is said to be about Billie Joe's father who died in September when he was young. His mother called for him after the funeral and he supposedly said "wake me up when September ends". That's why it says "like my fathers come to pass" throughout. The different year numbers could be the anniversary.
6. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Sep 26th 2013 !⃝

   I felt it was about the end of summer love, that kind of love which is uusually characterized as superficial and bound to end when school starts again. Howver, it can truly be tragic. Sometimes one finds true deep love and then the lovers must separate. Although this song has many other meaniings, this is what it meant to me.
   In my case, I was grieving for my beloved husband, and every time I heard this song, I cried.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
7. Trevor Lee

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Oct 28th 2011 !⃝

   this song is about billies father who died of cancer. there are two lines that very clearly shows this. "7 years has gone so fast" (twice) and "20 years has gone so fast". the "7 years" is for when he first thought up this song, and the "20 years" is for when he officially published this song. this is an extremely emotional song and its sad to see when billie performs this song live and tries holding in his tears. i sometimes feel like crying myself when i see him perform live :'(
8. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Oct 10th 2011 !⃝

   I know exactly what the song is about and why Billie Joe wrote it. But I just wanted to explain why I have a special connection to this song.
   Last September (2010), after meeting the guy of my dreammmms... we had a small argument and before we even had the chance to really be together, another girl swooped in and grabbed him from me whilst we were mad at eachother.
   They're still together and September just ended- the month of their one year anniversary. So basically, after listening to this song all september long... it just gets to me. All of the memories and stuff. This song can totally be interpreted however you want. This is how I see it.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
9. backtodecember_3

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jun 13th 2011 !⃝

   I love this song because of the pain felt behind it. I guess it could be interpreted in a number of ways. It could be about a death, and it also could be about a lost love and wanting it all to just "blow over" and wanting to wake up from the spell it cast. But it really depends on how you look at it remembering to be sensitive to either view ... Great song <3

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

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    May 2nd 2011 !⃝

    Well if it wasnt to be about the war and everything then why would the music video be depicted of the kid joining the army...? I think they are sending the wrong message and thats why you get so many thinking its about war.

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

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Apr 30th 2011 !⃝

    Ok, amazing son, and i totally understand its about Billie's dad and everything, but i don't get the video...
    So, its this young couple that love each other to pieces, but what did the guy do that upset the girl so much? And if the song isn't about war, why is war in the video?
    The way i see it, is that the song a video have a completely different meaning.
    Oh, and AMERICAN IDIOT CHANGED MY LIFE <3<3<3

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

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Feb 24th 2011 !⃝

    The thing I got from this song is relation the seasons Summer standing for when his dad was alive. A time filled with joy and hope. Setpember resembels death and how his dad died on that month. Leaves falling,raining. Him crying even tho its been a while since his dad have died.if you think bout it in a poetic view you would see what he means.
13. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Aug 31st 2009 !⃝

    The song is talking about the death of Billie Joe's dad on September 10. When he sings Like my father's come to pass, twenty years has gone so fast, is talking about how fast have pass the years since that terrible day, that he never recovered, and since that day he has lost his innocence, also they mention the summer and spring he is meaning that winter vacation ends and the really shit happens. 'ring out the bells again, like we did when spring began' he wants to go back to the innocence of earlier times, before all the mess and horror, a time when he was happy and there was something to celebrate..
    also he refers to the war, seeing all the people dying because of honour
14. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Aug 30th 2009 !⃝

    The song is not about 9/11. It is about Billie Joe Armstrong's father. He died to cancer several years ago thus the words "like my fathers come to pass seven years haw gone so fast". This was confirmed by Billie Joe Armstrong. The video is about someone going to was because many people die in war. Its a battle that's hard to win just like cancer and shoes people dying.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
15. greendayfreak90

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Aug 6th 2009 !⃝

    Okay, just to clear things up, this is not about 9/11 okay?
    
    It's about Billie Joe's dad, and how he lost him when he was 10 due to cancer. "As my memory rests, but never forgets what I lost" means that he will never forget losing his dad, but he will let what happen rest in his mind. "Like my father's come to pass, seven/twenty years has gone so fast" says that the years since his death have come and gone quickly,and he can't believe it. "Summer has come and passed, the innocent can never last" His dad was innocent, he didn't do anything, and the phrase "the good die young" sadly comes to mind.
16. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    May 10th 2009 !⃝

    Yes, i know it's about billie's father, but it can be interpretated in so many ways. It reminds me of my grandmother's passing, which I still cry about.
17. somedude1

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    May 6th 2009 !⃝

    Billie Joe Armstrong is singing about his father who died of cancer in September. At his dads funeral he ran home and locked himself in his room. When his mother came and knocked on his door to get out he cried "Wake Me Up When September Ends" hence the title. "Like my fathers come to pass 7 years gone so fast". Billie joe started green day 7 years after his father's death. "Like my fathers come to pass 20 years has gone so fast". Billie joe wrote this song 20 year after his father's death
18. Skate41

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    May 4th 2009 !⃝

    Hey you guys... did you know that Billie Joe's dad died when he was 11, not 10. This song isn't about 9/11. If it was it would be talking about war... It wasn't. His father died of cancer when he was 11 years old. It's about how dealt with the pain then and how he deals with it now.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

Latest Articles

• 
  A new era for Millennial favorite, Linkin Park
• 
  Anime to watch for the soundtracks… and other reasons you’re undateable
• 
  Dolly, we need you
• 
  The Stranger Things Effect: How new media is drawing Gen Z and Alpha's attention to aging media
• 
  The most underrated soundtrack of the early 2000s
• 
  Buy the Soundtrack, Skip the Movie: Brainscan (1994)