pasalaska Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 This past Friday the 14th marked Nimrod’s 14th birthday, so to celebrate the occasion this week’s Song of the Week is the album’s 1st track, and 4th (and final) single, Nice Guys Finish Last. The song reached number 31 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in 1998, and was nominated for the ‘Best Song in a Movie’ MTV Movie Award for its use in the 1999 film, Varsity Blues. To celebrate Nimrod's 14th birthday last Friday, this week's Song of the Week is its opening track, Nice Guys Finish Last, which was also Nimrod's 4th single, reaching number 31 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in 1998. The song also gained popularity when it was featured on the soundtrack for the 1999 movie Varsity Blues. Making my job rather easy, the basic meaning of Nice Guys Finish Last is explained in its title - the song's lyrics are all about how being the 'nice guy' will end up with you feeling "washed up" and "get you left behind". Musically, Nice Guys Finish Last can be described simply as 'kick-ass' - its pounding drum intro, which introduces the whole album is Green Day at their simple and ballsy best. The whole song is a 2-minute, 49-second wall of Green Day snottyness, snarkyness and power. It's those qualities that also make Nice Guys Finish Last great fun live - for all the complexities and subtleties of Green Day's newer material (which I love and would never go without), this song brings everything back down to the bare bones of what makes Green Day, Green Day. Finally, Nice Guys Finish Last has to have one of the best music videos Green Day have ever made. If you've never seen it before, go watch it here. And remember; there is no 'I' in band. This week's video is an awesome live performance of the song filmed in 1997 from 'Live in the Alley' in Toronto. Look at all the layers the crowd and Billie and Mike are wearing - must have been cold! Tre is obviously immune, though, in just his t-shirt. (Skip to 0:55 if you want to miss the intro) Lyrics Nice guys finish last. You're running out of gas. Your sympathy will get you left behind. Sometimes you're at your best, when you feel the worst. Do you feel washed up, like piss going down the drain? Pressure cooker pick my brain and tell me I'm insane. I'm so fucking happy I could cry. Every joke can have its truth and now the joke's on you. I never knew you were such a funny guy. Oh nice guys finish last, when you run out of gas. Don't pat yourself on the back You might break your spine. Living on command. You're shaking lots of hands. You're kissing up and bleeding all your trust, taking what you need. Bite the hand that feeds. You lose your memory and you got no shame. Pressure cooker pick my brain and tell me I'm insane. I'm so fucking happy I could cry. Every joke can have its truth and now the joke's on you. I never knew you were such a funny guy, Oh nice guys finish last, When you run out of gas, Don't pat yourself on the back, You might break your spine. Oh nice guys finish last, When you run out of gas, Don't pat yourself on the back, You might break your spine. Oh nice guys finish last, When you run out of gas, Don't pat yourself on the back, You might break your spine! ********************************************************************************************************* You can nominate songs for discussion as Song of the Week in the SotW Nominations and Archive thread, which contains links to each previous Song of the Week in its first post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJA TC MD Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Once again, excellent choice for Song of the Week. This song is one of my favorites from Nimrod. I love the vid for this song. It probably ties with Walking Contradiction as my favorite. Nice Guys Finish Last is a well chosen first track for Nimrod. So yeah, this song is just amazing and a great choice for this week, especially with Nimrod's birthday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnout98 Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 My favourite music video!!! This is my second favourite song of Nimrod, and it's a great song to start off an album! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PasalacquaBomb Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I immediately fell in love with this song when I first listened to nimrod. I love all the power that's going with it and the lyrics are just great. One of my all time favorite songs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestboundSign! Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 And once again an amazing choice for song of the week. It fits so well for this week Nice Guys Finish Last has always been one of my favorite songs off Nimrod. Its lyrics are beyond great, I fall in love with its energy everytime I start listening to it and for some reason it always cheers me up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuckWithRob Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 One of my most played Green Day songs. Completely what Green Day is all about. Great video too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary711 Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I agree, a nice choice for song of the week. Nice Guys Finish Last is one of this songs that always make you feel better in my opinion. I really like to sing along to it while driving in the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigister Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Really meaningful song, love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Likes Cam Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 This might be my favorite song on Nimrod. I love the lyrics and the music video. The first time I heard it was on Bullet In A Bible after one of the songs (so during like the interview part). I like the guitar in it, too. Such an awesome song! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenRanger Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Yknow, sometimes I'm hard pressed to think of a really well known single from nimrod that isn't Good Riddance. Redundant is the most accessible, and Hitchin' a Ride, while more well known, isn't the most exciting either. Nice Guys Finish Last, however, fills the hole that is left in nimrod's singles for an upbeat, fast paced "fuck you" style song. And on top of all that, I think the lyrics are a great subversion of the title. You'd expect a song like this to be a self-loathing, oh man "I always finish last" kind of thing, but no, sounds more like Billie is loathing on someone parading themselves as such. It's an interesting prospect...normally we'd like there to be a few more "nice people" in the world, but not the overbearing ones who need to try and be a saint. Yeah, I hate those goody two shoes types too. And the music video...I can't think of anything good enough to say about it. If I think about it for more than 3 seconds, I can come to no other conclusion than "this is the best thing ever." A parody of football mania? With Green Day? Hell yeah. One of the funniest and most entertaining music videos they've made, and it (okay, its exposure on the Varsity Blues soundtrack then) gave this awesome song the attention it deserved. Oh yeah, and I just remembered that Mike kicking that bottle in the video started this craze within my band where we'd take a water bottle outside every so often and beat the living hell out of it until it broke. Seriously, be glad pinatas aren't made out of that plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klytaemnestra Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 i remember when they played this at wembley, and i screamed "i'm so fucking happy i could cry" so loud, it was as if my life depended on it. ever since that day, this has been one of my favourite old school songs, if only for that line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoothed Out Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 The music video has to be one of my all time favourites, I just love it. "There's no I in band!!!" Always reminds me of those Billie Joe for President spoofs, never fails to cheer me up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schlappy Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 i never knew this song had a video until way after i heard it... fail on my part. but quite the welcome surprise when i stumbled upon it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prisca Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I love how this is the opening song for Nimrod and I love the music video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie, get your gun Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 A song that has one of the greatest videos I really enjoy it, to me is very playful. One of my favorite parts of the vid is when that guy from the crowd fell over Billie and nobody stopped him I almost cried the first time I saw it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pasalaska Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 Guys, I need a good describing word for NGFL for my GDA post. I'm going with 'kick-ass' if I can't think of anything more deep by tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjrules Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Great choice for song of the week! probably one of my favourite Nimrod songs, though definitely one that I never really put much thought into with regards to the meaning. I honestly never thought anything about the 'bad guy' of the song, so I've actually found out something new from this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PasalacquaBomb Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Guys, I need a good describing word for NGFL for my GDA post. I'm going with 'kick-ass' if I can't think of anything more deep by tomorrow. I think 'kick-ass' describes the song pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltrbmb17 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 i don't think i will remember NGFL if someone asks me about my fav song from nimrod. But when it sounds in my earphones i'm happy to listen to it with this wonderful waking-up drum intro and its biting lyrics. And the NGFL video is SOOOO CRAZY! Love it very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wobbie Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 this was the first Green Day song I ever heard, bar Good Riddance, but everyone heard that at some random point in their life before they knew who GD were. Also the first song I ever heard them play live when they opened with it at The M.E.N arena back in 2000. This song changed my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SophiaAndTheAve. Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 This is a wonderful choice for the song of the week. i love all the power in it, actually it was the first song i could sing along with with that song, my day always gets better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juicebox Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 One of my Nimrod. favorites And I really love the music video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcalgreendayfan Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 One of my Favourite songs from Green Day and I especially love the Video. I remember always watching it on MTV when it came on back when MTV played mostly music videos. Watching this video also makes me want to go to the next Green Day show when they tour wearing an oversize foam cowboy hat so I can wave it around yelling LET'S GO BILLIE JOE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenRule Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I can't believe I hadn't seen the video for this song before today (thanks so much for posting it). It was a great video, as I'm a football fan and... of course... a huge Green Day fan. For that reason alone it was a great choice of song. It may not be my favorite, but if it wasn't for that choice I'd go on longer having never seen the video. And that would have been a travesty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KilljoyFromDetroit Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Love the music video, love the lyrics, love the song. Great choice and description (like always) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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