Wake Me Up When This Semester Ends

Satire, parody, and the general criticism of society are seen throughout all forms of media, and music is no exception. Besides being one of my favorite albums of all time, (amidst Metallica’s black album, Led Zeppelin IV, and Nirvana’s Nevermind) American Idiot by Green Day chronicles the epic story of Jesus of Suburbia, an anti-hero that expresses sharp criticism of American society and politics during the Bush administration. The opening track, “American Idiot”  establishes a discontent and harshly sardonic tone. With lyrics like “subliminal mind fuck America” and “maybe I’m the faggot, America. I’m not a part of a redneck agenda,” a strong dissatisfaction with the state of the country is made clear. This track, with its somewhat offensive language, criticizes the nation run by the media and hysteria during the protests against the Iraq War and urges the American public to change.

Then, Jesus of Suburbia is introduced. He is a kid from lower middle-class suburbia that hates his life and those around him. The obvious connection to Jesus Christ is ironic, but fitting in some ways as well. Jesus of Suburbia leaves home to go the city, meets up with the rebellious freedom-fighter, St. Jimmy, and with his drug abuse as an example, he is quite sinful.  Also, using a religiously associated name to satirize the political society draws attention to the line between church and state, creating more irony. Jesus of Suburbia attempts to start a new life and be reborn from his unsatisfactory suburban youth. But, his journey can be seen as a failure, as he kills off St. Jimmy, loses his love for Whatsername and returns back home in “Homecoming”, accepting the life he wished to leave behind. The lines, “I read the graffiti in the bathroom stall like the holy scriptures of a shopping mall” further develop the ironic connection between Jesus of Suburbia and religion. However, as his story progresses throughout the album, he almost becomes a spiritual leader for all jaded youth, “from Anaheim to the Middle East”, calling them to action. In the sense that both Jesus Christ and Jesus of Suburbia had disciples like these, the reference is somewhat appropriate.

The arrival of Jesus of Suburbia and his followers to the city, in “Holiday” is especially politically charged, with a parody of American government. This uptempo track represents their initial excitement for entering the city, but this enthusiasm quickly dies off in the following track, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” The attack on Bush’s invasion of Iraq is seen in the lines, “The representative from California has the floor” and the subsequent proclamations “Sieg Heil’ to the president Gasman. Bombs away is your punishment” and “kill all the fags that don’t agree.” This imitation of political leaders is an extreme exaggeration of their beliefs at the time, but this form of parody definitely shows strong resentment. Although the criticisms of the Bush administration are not at all subtle, this album satirizes the attitudes of American society at the time and hopes to make changes in the nation.