|
|
Post by Numbuh 278 on Nov 10, 2005 1:39:06 GMT
Yeah, ditto.
|
|
|
|
Post by delightfulologist on Nov 10, 2005 1:54:44 GMT
This thing from Wikipedia may help.
American Idiot: Possibly one of Jesus of Suburbia's rebel speeches, a major nod to Pink Floyd The Wall, the song describes media coverage of the War in Iraq and the hold media has on our perception of government and world events.
Jesus of Suburbia: The second track tells the story of Jesus of Suburbia, who lives with his negligent divorcee mother in a suburb called "Jingletown, USA". His younger years were spent "on a steady diet of soda pop and Ritalin", watching television, experimenting with drugs, and loitering in front of convenience stores. He feels trapped and bored in his town and longs for escape. (I)
Disillusioned with life in Jingletown and its effect on his psyche, Jesus decides to leave Jingletown for "The City".(II - V)
Holiday: At first Jesus feels free from the rat race and political injustice he considers to plague others...
Boulevard of Broken Dreams: ...but he later finds himself alone in spite of The City's crowd.
Are We the Waiting: a transition period for "Jesus of Suburbia". After losing his way in "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", he has nearly lost his mind. This is the period where he starts to find himself, or re-invent himself as the infamous "St. Jimmy". It can also be said that this is where he completely loses it and ends up with a split personality
St. Jimmy: In doing so, he adopts a new moniker, "St. Jimmy", and lifestyle, that of an unpredictable, charismatic, and rebellious criminal to whom others (the Underbelly) gravitate.
Give Me Novacaine: During this transformation, he begins doing drugs to fit in and escape the pain of his dual lifestyles of Jesus and St. Jimmy.
She's a Rebel: Jesus meets Whatsername, a girl who fascinates him - she is a real rebel, not someone pretending to be one like he is...
Extraordinary Girl: ...and they begin dating. As he slowly metamorphosizes into St. Jimmy, he falls thoroughly in love with her, but he is unable to give her what she deserves due to his personal insecurities.
Letterbomb: In a letter to Jesus/Jimmy, Whatsername expresses her frustration towards him, and tells him she's leaving both him and The City.
Wake Me Up When September Ends: A song about Billie Joe Armstrong's father, who died of cancer when he was 10 years old (on the VH1 show Storytellers, Billie Joe mentions that this song is the only song that veers from the overall plot of the album). Seeing as it has a date in the liner notes along with the other songs, and has lines such as ring out the bells again, like we did when spring began which was a happier time in the story, the track probably has dual meanings in that Jesus/Jimmy is now alone again.
Homecoming: Eventually Jesus decides to abandon his St. Jimmy identity, which he had been using as a crutch. In order to abandon his title, Jesus symbolically "kills" St. Jimmy in a personal kind of suicide. (I)
Following St. Jimmy's death, Jesus gets arrested on East 12th St. (II) (East 12th Street is a real location of a police station in Oakland, California, where Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong had to fill out paperwork for his DUI in 2002) Jesus' personal life begins to fall apart (III). He decides to return to Jingletown to escape this trap... (V)
Whatsername: ...and is left with his memories of what could have been had he stayed with Whatsername .
|
|
|
|
Post by Shwoo on Nov 10, 2005 2:00:21 GMT
I went to Wikipedia after listening to the album the first time. When I first listened to it, I thought that the narrator, Jesus of Suburbia and St Jimmy were different people.
Can someone please explain this part in Extraordinary Girl?
He steals the image in her kiss
Of her heart's apocolypse
Of the one called Whatshername
|
|
|
|
Post by delightfulologist on Nov 10, 2005 2:04:09 GMT
I think this means that J (my nickname for Jesus, since he's also Jimmy), by falling in love with her, actually sort of ruined her life by breaking her heart after she's been hurt so much before. The 'image', I think, is her mind/soul.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shwoo on Nov 10, 2005 20:58:18 GMT
Ah, thanks.
American Idiot has a fandom. As opposed to Greenday having a fandom. And I'm working on a fanart of Jesus of Suburbia and St Jimmy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shwoo on Nov 12, 2005 2:19:03 GMT
P|-|34R  |
|
|
|
Post by delightfulologist on Nov 12, 2005 2:21:53 GMT
Awesome!
It's easy to see Jimmy's Jimmy-ness.
I'm drawing something using Paint that describes Jesus on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. I'm also doing one of both Jesus and Jimmy. And one of Whatsername.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shwoo on Nov 12, 2005 2:25:22 GMT
Thanks! I like the way St Jimmy came out. And for some reason I really want to comfort Jesus.
I can't wait to see what you're doing.
|
|
|
|
Post by delightfulologist on Nov 12, 2005 2:26:40 GMT
I don't have the slightest idea what ages J and Whatsername are. I think it's somewhere between 13 and 34 (since BJ is 34), and that leaves a lot of space in between.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shwoo on Nov 12, 2005 2:31:42 GMT
Jimmy is a teenager. From St Jimmy:
I'm a teenage assassin excuting some fun
In the cult of the life of crime
And Jesus lived with his mother before he ran away. Whatshername probably isn't much older. She could even be younger, but I don't think so.
|
|
|
|
Post by delightfulologist on Nov 12, 2005 2:36:01 GMT
Yeah, I think Whatsername seemed pretty mature to be able to just say that to J in Letterbomb.
I gotta go. G'night.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shwoo on Nov 12, 2005 2:39:23 GMT
Bye.
I agree, but just because she's more mature than J doesn't mean she has to be older.
|
|
|
|
Post by delightfulologist on Nov 12, 2005 13:04:00 GMT
And I'm sure Jesus spent a year in this album because of something he said in "Homecoming." I can't remember what it was.
This probably means that his time with Whatsername was longer and more lasting than he described.
|
|
|
|
Post by ♥Comet..Adie♥ on Nov 12, 2005 13:26:00 GMT
yea. i really wanna think of them as like early 20's or something because of what i saw in the JOS music video and swhoo i like your drawings
|
|
|
|
Post by delightfulologist on Nov 12, 2005 13:32:56 GMT
I don't care what Boob the banana says....
I mean, I think they're about 16-18.
|
|
