Green Day: Wake Me Up When September Ends

Released: June 13th, 2005
Music Video
Genre: From a Modern "Punk Opera," Featuring political malcontents.

I'll go on record as saying this might be the best album (American Idiot, 2004) of the last 5 years. The songwriting, delivery and lyrical subject matter (however you lean politically) are dynamite, featuring a band that was thought to be down and way out; a 90's casualty, if you will.

The other videos that have accompanied this album have been very good. "American Idiot" grew on me, and brought back memories of You Can't Do That on Television. The "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" video was probably better than the song itself. And "Holiday" was a perfect compliment to the song on the album; frenetic, wild, and completely rock & roll.

That being said, I'd like to comment on this pile of crap that is this video, although it's one of the best songs on the record. I've seen the video three times now, attempting to reserve judgement until I could make a clear decision on its merit. Well I have. It's shit.

If I wanted to be emotionally manipulated, I would have gone to see The Passion of the Christ a couple of years ago. This video is the worst of the other side; a leftist, annoyingly sentimental scenario of a late-teens/early twentys man-boy who decides to enlist in the armed forces, despite his overly histrionic girlfriend's attempts to cry his way out of defending his country.

I don't care what you or I or anyone else thinks about the war in Iraq. It doesn't matter in this context. Even if you're against the war, it doesn't make sense to use leftist propaganda to strengthen your position. Isn't that what liberal ideas are against? If you're for the war, this video is an easy target for your argument. Take your pick on what you can make fun of.

I find it extremely disappointing when a rock & roll band tries to overstep their boundaries. Stick with what you know: power chords, thudding beats, constantly re-dyed hair, and groupies. Even though the album is brilliant, don't make it what it's not, Green Day. It's not a feature film, or an emotional memoir. It's music. Get your point across on the record, not in video format, unless you can put together a better effort than "Wake Me Up When September Ends."