Beerjeezus Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 42 minutes ago, SnaggletoothRecords said: Could you share what line and what song that was from? It was "she reads me like a scarlet letter" from Body Bag. I was so convinced it was just a meh line that he threw in because it rhymed, but The Scarlet Letter is a novel about a person who cheated on their partner in a puritan community (a higly controlling environment like the one the song narrator's partner creates for him) and in the novel the scarlet letter itself is a symbol the cheater is made to wear for everyone to see what crime they committed, so in the song the line means that the controlling partner suspects the narrator of cheating, which also explains why she might be so controlling... The line I thought meant nothing is in fact the key to the song's storyline or it at least explains a motivation of a song character. Mind blown. It's too good to be a coincidence and it makes me think I don't give Billie enough credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacejunkie punk Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 2 minutes ago, Beerjeezus said: It was "she reads me like a scarlet letter" from Body Bag. I was so convinced it was just a meh line that he threw in because it rhymed, but The Scarlet Letter is a novel about a person who cheated on their partner in a puritan community (a higly controlling environment like the one the song narrator's partner creates for him) and in the novel the scarlet letter itself is a symbol the cheater is made to wear for everyone to see what crime they committed, so in the song the line means that the controlling partner suspects the narrator of cheating, which also explains why she might be so controlling... The line I thought meant nothing is in fact the key to the song's storyline or it at least explains a motivation of a song character. Mind blown. It's too good to be a coincidence and it makes me think I don't give Billie enough credit. The song is full of meaningful wordplay. The next line, “She holds my heart and hopes to die” can mean she’s keeping him on a short leash til death do they part like a marriage vow and also is a play on the promise, “cross my heart and hope to die” ❤️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerjeezus Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 3 minutes ago, pacejunkie punk said: The song is full of meaningful wordplay. The next line, “She holds my heart and hopes to die” can mean she’s keeping him on a short leash til death do they part like a marriage vow and also is a play on the promise, “cross my heart and hope to die” ❤️ I didn't think of the marriage vow, but it makes perfect sense. And the promise thing works really good with the cheating narrative too. At first glance the song sounds like a bunch of cool one liners thrown together, but it's a lot deeper than that. A couple days ago I was randomly remembered One Of My Lies and I thought about how Billie's writing evolved a lot - that song is existential and he used very concrete imagery and storytelling to talk about realizing his own mortality, the insignificance of individual human life in history and his doubt about the meaning of religion. It's a deep topic but he's straightforward about it. Now it seems to a lot of us that his writing lost some of its depth, but I think it just became more abstract. On RevRad he returned to the same existential questions from One Of My Lies, but from a different perspective (angsty teenager who feels like life makes no sense/a grown man reflecting on his life until this point) and he also comes to different conclusions (OOML ends with him asking why he should pray to god when life is so absurd/on RevRad it's a lot harder to interpret what the hell he's saying, but the message seems to be that he found some meaning and truth in life). It's not possible to understand every line and sometimes he does use clichés, but I don't think he's worse than 30 years ago. It's all still there but in a different form. I guess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I agree with you @Beerjeezus and I have moments too where I realize that lyrics that seemed pointless at first actually has a deeper meaning. I still think his songwriting has declined though and while there are some great lines in his newer stuff, over all I find them not as good as before. It's pretty much a matter of taste and I just prefer his style on AI/21CB and earlier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerjeezus Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 14 minutes ago, Nightlife said: I agree with you @Beerjeezus and I have moments too where I realize that lyrics that seemed pointless at first actually has a deeper meaning. I still think his songwriting has declined though and while there are some great lines in his newer stuff, over all I find them not as good as before. It's pretty much a matter of taste and I just prefer his style on AI/21CB and earlier! Yeah, I don't want to generalize and judge his work when I just might not understand it, but some of his lyrics from the last decade aren't that great, especially on Trilogy, but RevRad has its weak moments too. I liked the earlier style better too, it had humor, clearer narratives and was understandable and I loved that. On the other hand I think it's cool that he experiments with the lyrics (a lot more than with the music I'd say), even though it sometimes works and sometimes it doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacejunkie punk Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I think more recently he tries to describe feelings in a poetic form rather than write about a specific event or action like he used to. Like when he writes an abstract line like “I feel like a cello lost somewhere over the rainbow” and he was asked about it he just said it was a sad sounding instrument and described how he was feeling. He does that a lot with the Longshot songs and often to great effect: “my wheels are spinning in a ditch, that sinking feeling on a floating bridge” for one, but there are so many good examples in every song, even a line like “How unhappy is your happiness?” I just get it on a visceral level. His writing is as sharp as ever. Like you said @Beerjeezus I don’t think it’s overall better or worse than before it’s just different and often still brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe. Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 9 hours ago, Hermione said: It's definitely possible for musicians to exaggerate too Eh not trying to go off on a tangent, but Bonehead, Liam and the producer have all corroborated this and the way Noel was churning out hit after hit at the time strengthen it too But yeah, Billie could 100% get a rough demo just written in five minutes. If there's already been a chord progression or couple of lines floating around its not that much of a stretch for inspiration to hit and a song flow out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virginia Lot Lizard Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Longshot and Trilogy are fun and very clever lyric-wise and some of you are really on to something: that the lyrics mean more than meets the eye and they’re very clever and well woven together in a very intricate story if you can understand it and use interesting references to tell the story in a pretty sophisticated literary way too. Billie is a smart cookie and a great artist. Although, that being said: some of the songs on the Trilogy are not my favorite but some of them are my top favorite songs. It’s really diverse and not all of it is my cup of tea but some of it is my favorite Green Day. 21stCBD has some really crappy lyrics too haha but it didn’t seem like the band was having as much fun as they did with the Trilogy. And I ADORE Green Day! But I’m a typical picky asshole of a GD fan. Anyway. 21stCBD is like a watered down American Idiot and it’s like they put all the fun and goodness into the Foxboro Hot Tubs at that time and 21CBD was just like feeding the monster that is Green Day the stadium band selling millions of records to the masses. I hope the new Green Day record is as exciting and fresh as the band was with American Idiot (that was crazy when that record came out!) and FBHT, the Trilogy and the Longshot. I fully agree that Rev Rad was way too safe and I’m going to argue that 21CBD was playing it safe too. Really hoping for a Longshot/Trilogy/FBHT and a mix of something else on this new record. The best of the band and of course with a new twist. I want the band to have the Trilogy excitement level on this record. Does anyone remember the lead-up interviews and the documentary? They were so excited about bringing the new records to the people and sharing the stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe. Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 1 minute ago, Virginia Lot Lizard said: 21stCBD is like a watered down American Idiot and it’s like they put all the fun and goodness into the Foxboro Hot Tubs at that time and 21CBD was just like feeding the monster that is Green Day the stadium band selling millions of records to the masses. Really? Its got quite a few more tracks than AI and came out quite a while later. I also don't think the band could realistically have put out FHT as a Green Day album at that time, or ever really. Its a fun album but Id definitely be disappointed if that was a full GD album, its just not to the same quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteTim Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 People lose all credibility when you say 21st had crappy lyrics but say the trilogy had clever lyrics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 5 minutes ago, Virginia Lot Lizard said: want the band to have the Trilogy excitement level on this record. Does anyone remember the lead-up interviews and the documentary? They were so excited about bringing the new records to the people and sharing the stories. This! I never got the wish for them becoming as successful as they did with AI but I want them to be really excited again. RevRad was painfully underhyped and I hope for a long process of them hyping us up for the next album via social media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerjeezus Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 It's still a person who rhymed "time" with "time" we're talking about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redundantuserjinxboy Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 User on 4chan posted a "leak" of the next album. Saying it's got 13 songs, album is titled "Some Songs for Assholes," being produced by Butch Walker, and is going in a Fallout Boy poppy type direction. You can find a post about it on reddit green day if you care to indulge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerjeezus Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I don't know if 4chan is to be believed (also if they're going fallout boy mode it's time to admit green day exhausted their potential with 21cb lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacejunkie punk Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 17 minutes ago, Redundantuserjinxboy said: User on 4chan posted a "leak" of the next album. Saying it's got 13 songs, album is titled "Some Songs for Assholes," being produced by Butch Walker, and is going in a Fallout Boy poppy type direction. You can find a post about it on reddit green day if you care to indulge. Sounds like a bunch of made up shit based on stuff we are already speculating 🙄 As much as I would love Songs for Assholes to be the title, I somehow doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redundantuserjinxboy Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 3 minutes ago, Beerjeezus said: I don't know if 4chan is to be believed (also if they're going fallout boy mode it's time to admit green day exhausted their potential with 21cb lol) Nah 4chan is usually like 99.999% unreliable but I find it fun to humor the idea without getting to hyped obviously Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacejunkie punk Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Here’s the link just for fun. http://boards.4channel.org/mu/thread/87757605/new-green-day-album-leak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerjeezus Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I want the part about singles in June to be true and the rest a lie isn't it fun to read what the 4chan users have to say about Green Day? I can say a lot of shit about Billie's politics, but it's always satisfying to see Trump supporters are pissed off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DookieLukie Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 While I don't believe 4chan often, weird that they'd fake leak something about a band so out of the spotlight as Green Day. Usually fake leaks are to drum up attention. With Green Day, no one cares but us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacejunkie punk Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 Reading that 4chan thread just reminds me of when they did Mean Tweets 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian's Inferno! Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 20 minutes ago, DookieLukie said: While I don't believe 4chan often, weird that they'd fake leak something about a band so out of the spotlight as Green Day. Usually fake leaks are to drum up attention. With Green Day, no one cares but us. I suppose it's possible. I do remember when the RevRad tracklisting was leaked, we were all sure it was fake so we can't rule anything out just yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DookieLukie Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 Is this why the Insider is off GDC for a month? He'll return in June, which is the time frame of the new single according to this leak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenny Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 4 hours ago, Beerjeezus said: It was "she reads me like a scarlet letter" from Body Bag. I was so convinced it was just a meh line that he threw in because it rhymed, but The Scarlet Letter is a novel about a person who cheated on their partner in a puritan community (a higly controlling environment like the one the song narrator's partner creates for him) and in the novel the scarlet letter itself is a symbol the cheater is made to wear for everyone to see what crime they committed, so in the song the line means that the controlling partner suspects the narrator of cheating, which also explains why she might be so controlling... The line I thought meant nothing is in fact the key to the song's storyline or it at least explains a motivation of a song character. Mind blown. It's too good to be a coincidence and it makes me think I don't give Billie enough credit. 2 hours ago, pacejunkie punk said: I think more recently he tries to describe feelings in a poetic form rather than write about a specific event or action like he used to. Like when he writes an abstract line like “I feel like a cello lost somewhere over the rainbow” and he was asked about it he just said it was a sad sounding instrument and described how he was feeling. He does that a lot with the Longshot songs and often to great effect: “my wheels are spinning in a ditch, that sinking feeling on a floating bridge” for one, but there are so many good examples in every song, even a line like “How unhappy is your happiness?” I just get it on a visceral level. His writing is as sharp as ever. Like you said @Beerjeezus I don’t think it’s overall better or worse than before it’s just different and often still brilliant. So I found both of these posts quite interesting as they both break down what some may consider "sub-par" lyrics and whatnot. Lyrically I enjoyed Too Dumb To Die but always found that line quite odd so I'm glad to have that cleared up and it makes quite a lot of sense to me now. As it was said there's definitely some abstract and personal lines that may be read as cliches by us. I also think we could be unable to relate in some situations as the majority of the fan base is significantly younger than the band. For example, I'm 20 years younger than Billie and that means he's had way more experiences than myself and the way he feels is probably entirely different. I may simply enjoy the earlier lyrics because they may be more relevant to my own life at this time. I also think these odd lines were used in Rev Rad specifically for this exact reason - to create confusion. Billie mentioned a lot of the anxieties and confusion that were seen across the world during the time he wrote the album. Things move so fast these days and with our current world politics there's so much to digest at once. At times we can feel lost and maybe even unsure what to believe in. It can get you inside your mind so far and when you try to explain it to an audience it almost seems like a riddle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legendary Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 Family reunion? Suspicious.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxs Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 On 4chan, one person also says he's listened 6 songs and none from start to finish. Sounds suspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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