# I thought Green Day was supposed to be punk, not emo! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 19, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147 "2009-11-19T14:55:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/1 "2009-11-19T14:55:05Z")
OK, a little background: my car is so old, it does not have a CD player; it has a cassette tape deck, but hey, just _try_ to find anything decent on cassette these days! In the little backwater town I live in, there are lots of radio stations: you can choose Country, Christian (one of our radio stations is actually called “He’s Alive”; I gave it a listen hoping it would be music inspired by Frankenstein’s monster, or zombies, but no, it’s Jesus), or Christian Country. Or you can listen to Magic. Magic plays the older stuff I like, plus some newer stuff (some of which I like; I’m embarrassed to admit I hum along to the new Uncle Kracker song “You Make Me Smile”). So I was driving home from Maryland yesterday, was within range of Magic, so I tuned in. And this. . .song. . .starts playing, all about “I walk alone, I walk alone. . .My shadow’s the only one who walks beside me”, on and on, like really bad angsty emo teenager poetry, set to what some might call “music”. Gah. It made me want to stab my eardrums out, but at the same time, I was so fascinated with it, on a macabre level, that I couldn’t turn it off! When the DJ came on to give info, she said it was “Green Day’s _Boulevard of Broken Dreams_”. Hey! Even the title is angsty and pretentious! They followed Green Day with Harry Chapin’s _Cat’s in the Cradle_. At that point, I removed the straw from the soft drink I’d bought 25 miles back, and tried to gnaw the end into a sharp enough point to just gouge my heart out with it, but no success. 😛 I know after their first hit, Green Day fans were saying “They sold out”, but seriously, when did they go from “punk/pseudo-punk” to “I cut myself to see if I can still feel anything” emo? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/2 "2009-11-19T15:03:07Z")
Weren’t they always emo? I think the lead singer, Billy whateveritis, has always worn eyeliner. “High School Whine Rock” has been very big for a long time now and they’re one of the pioneers of it. Note how many lead singers try to sound just like that guy, with the “I’m seventeen years old, really” voice. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/3 "2009-11-19T15:08:26Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > I know after their first hit, Green Day fans were saying “They sold out”, but seriously, when did they go from “punk/pseudo-punk” to “I cut myself to see if I can still feel anything” emo? :rolleyes: Green Day has “sold out” so many times you need a scorecard to keep track of them all. Of course, like all claims of artists “selling out”, it’s hooey. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” fits within the context of the CD its on, American Idiot, but as a single it’s very uncharacteristic of Green Day. Don’t ever listen to “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” though, your head might explode. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/4 "2009-11-19T15:10:03Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Weren’t they always emo? I think the lead singer, Billy whateveritis, has always worn eyeliner. Well, hell, Adam Ant, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury _all_ wore eyeliner! They mostly didn’t whine, though! 😉 (And it looked _good_ on them; I mean, Bowie was _so punk_ that he could wear eyeliner, wingtip shoes and Zoot suits, and still _be_ the epitome of old-school punk!) > [@](#): > > “High School Whine Rock” has been very big for a long time now and they’re one of the pioneers of it. Note how many lead singers try to sound just like that guy, with the “I’m seventeen years old, really” voice. Yeah, “High School Whine Rock” just about sums it up. I wish I could just find a decent _oldies_ station around here, where at worst, they play misogynistic shit like Lou Christie! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/5 "2009-11-19T15:40:51Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Green Day has “sold out” so many times you need a scorecard to keep track of them all. Of course, like all claims of artists “selling out”, it’s hooey. Yeah, to me, when someone says a previously ‘underground’ or ‘garage’ band has ‘sold out’, it means “Hey! They made something a _lot_ of people want to listen to, so now I can’t feel special!” > [@](#): > > “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” fits within the context of the CD its on, American Idiot, but as a single it’s very uncharacteristic of Green Day. Don’t ever listen to “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” though, your head might explode. I’ve actually heard Good Riddance, in fact, heard it (after I was semi-familiar with it) in the context of some kid on _ER_ dying of cancer. See, sad songs don’t bother me. In fact, sometimes, what you need (or what _I_ need) is to really lose myself in sad songs (Well, Sad Songs Say So Much. . .😉 ), and wallow for a while. It’s the pretentious, whiny shit that bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/6 "2009-11-19T15:52:47Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > It’s the pretentious, whiny shit that bothers me. Ah. That’s kind of the point of American Idiot (and especially “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”), so I can understand your frustration. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/7 "2009-11-19T15:53:45Z")
I can’t seem to locate it but I remember a thread about this song where the OP was asking if this song is supposed to ironical or mockulatory, or whatever, because the lyrics are so cliched. I don’t recall what the general consensus was, but yeah, I’d say they’re taking a piss. Kind of making fun of the titular American Idiot maybe? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/8 "2009-11-19T16:58:58Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I can’t seem to locate it but I remember a thread about this song where the OP was asking if this song is supposed to ironical or mockulatory, or whatever, because the lyrics are so cliched. I don’t recall what the general consensus was, but yeah, I’d say they’re taking a piss. Kind of making fun of the titular American Idiot maybe? I _would_ feel better about the song if I believed they were being sarcastic or ironic, yes. Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/9 "2009-11-19T17:02:22Z")
Good Charlotte are _definitely_ a punk band, though. Right? Right? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/10 "2009-11-19T17:52:20Z")
Never really followed GD, tho enjoyed what I was turned on to by my kids. Have long been a big fan of punk, tho, and sure never thought of GD as such. Guess I need to listen to more or them - especially their early stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/11 "2009-11-19T18:06:03Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > OK, a little background: my car is so old, All together now: **How old is it?** > [@](#): > > it does not have a CD player; it has a cassette tape deck, Heck, mine’s a 2007 with a cassette deck! > [@](#): > > but hey, just _try_ to find anything decent on cassette these days! If you got desperate, you could make your own copies or mix tapes. > [@](#): > > In the little backwater town I live in, there are lots of radio stations: you can choose Country, Christian (one of our radio stations is actually called “He’s Alive”; I gave it a listen hoping it would be music inspired by Frankenstein’s monster, or zombies, but no, it’s Jesus) 😃 > [@](#): > > , or Christian Country. "We got both kinds! We got Country _and_ Christian! Um, I guess I don’t have anything to say that’s relevant to the actual point of the thread. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/12 "2009-11-19T19:30:31Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Good Charlotte are _definitely_ a punk band, though. > Right? Chris Rock: “Good Charlotte? More like mediocre Greenday!” ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/13 "2009-11-19T19:55:36Z")
Dude, buy a cassette adapter from amazon and use your MP3 player like I do. It’s actually better than having a CD player only, because there’s no special adapter you can buy for an MP3 player to hook up to a CD player. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/14 "2009-11-19T20:02:25Z")
A lot of “real” emo is actually loud, screaming, shittily recorded lo-fi sounding stuff. The term has been bastardized to the point where I am glad I don’t like real emo cause I’d be pissed people were calling Green Day emo. Green Day is more radio/ass rock nowadays - boring music for the masses. Dookie was a fun album back in the day but Green Day to me, gets more and more boring and blah over time. And I second buying a cassette adapter. I used to have one in my last car and it was awesome. Newer car does not have a tape deck nor a aux plug so I am stuck to making mix CDs. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/15 "2009-11-19T20:29:24Z")
> [@c\_goat](#): > > Dude, buy a cassette adapter from amazon and use your MP3 player like I do. It’s actually better than having a CD player only, because there’s no special adapter you can buy for an MP3 player to hook up to a CD player. I wonder why they don’t just make a CD with a cord coming out of it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/16 "2009-11-19T20:41:16Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Well, hell, Adam Ant, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury _all_ wore eyeliner! They mostly didn’t whine, though! 😉 (And it looked _good_ on them; I mean, Bowie was _so punk_ that he could wear eyeliner, wingtip shoes and Zoot suits, and still _be_ the epitome of old-school punk! And while we are looking at scope creep in music genre names, Bowie was Glam Rock and New Wave but _never_ Punk. ---
**Author:** ![Jorge\_Burrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Jorge\_Burrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge_Burrito)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/17 "2009-11-19T20:59:14Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > And I second buying a cassette adapter. I used to have one in my last car and it was awesome. Newer car does not have a tape deck nor a aux plug so I am stuck to making mix CDs. You can buy adapters that work via the FM radio. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/18 "2009-11-19T21:17:02Z")
> [@Jorge\_Burrito](#): > > You can buy adapters that work via the FM radio. I know, I used to have one. Sold it cause it didn’t work well. Not enough free radio space around here. Friend in college bought it for her dorm room radio in a smaller town. This was 5 years ago so they may be better now, but now I’m broke so it doesn’t matter anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/19 "2009-11-19T21:19:41Z")
> [@Jorge\_Burrito](#): > > You can buy adapters that work via the FM radio. My sister tried one of those. It didn’t seem to be strong enough to get picked up by her car’s radio. Maybe the car’s antenna was in the wrong location? Not sure, but it didn’t work for her car. Worked great in her husband’s car though. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147/20 "2009-11-20T00:15:13Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > And while we are looking at scope creep in music genre names, Bowie was Glam Rock and New Wave but _never_ Punk. Well, point taken, but Bowie _could_ have been called ‘punk’ if he’d wanted to because he was _just that cool_. 🆒😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-green-day-was-supposed-to-be-punk-not-emo/518147.md?page=2)