From 1997’s acoustic mega-hit Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) to American Idiot’s searing title-track in 2004, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has penned some of the most iconic songs – and lyrics – on the planet. And whether you’ve got his words tattooed on your skin, or simply love yelling them at your mates in grotty rock clubs, you’ll understand that these lines are just one of many reasons the band have gone on to become the colossal giants that they are today. Listen closely, though, and you’ll find much more than reflective break-up ballads or conceptual, political attacks. Billie Joe puts a lot of thought into his lyrics, previously describing his love of wordplay as “using the English language against itself”. So, what do some of these ideas tell us about ...
