21st Century Breakdown
21st Century Breakdown

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown Lyrics

Ah, the sweet sound of existential crisis wrapped in punk rock! Green Day's anthem is a dive into the disillusionment and confusion of modern life. Born in an era of political turmoil and raised among shadows of societal failures, the song’s protagonist… Read more

Alternative
May 15, 2009
151
21st Century Breakdown Music Video

21st Century Breakdown Lyrics

(Uuuh, uuuh uuuh uuh)
Born into Nixon, I was raised in hell
A welfare child where the teamsters dwelled
The last one born and the first one to run
My town was blind from refinery sun

My generation is zero
I never made it as a working class hero
21st century breakdown
I once was lost but never was found
I think I'm losing what's left of my mind
To the 20th century deadline

(Uuuh, uuuh uuuh uuh)

I was made of poison and blood
Condemnation is what I understood
Video games of the Tower's fall
Homeland security could kill us all

My generation is zero
I never made it as a working class hero
21st century breakdown
I once was lost but never was found
I think I'm losing what's left of my mind
To the 20th century deadline

We are the class of the class of thirteen
Born in the era of humility
We are the desperate in the decline
Raised by the bastards of 1969

My name is no one, the long lost son
Born on the fourth of July
Raised in the era of heroes and cons
That left me for dead or alive
I am a nation, a worker of pride (pride)
My debt to the status quo
The scars on my hands and the means to an end
It's all that I have to show

(Hey)
(Hey)
(Hey)

I swallowed my pride and I choked on my faith
I've given my heart and my soul
I've broken my fingers and lied through my teeth
The pillar of damage control

I've been to the edge and I've thrown the bouquet (hey)
Of flowers left over the grave
I sat in the waiting room, wasting my time
And waiting for judgement day

Praise liberty
The freedom to obey
It's the song that strangles me
Well, don't cross the line

Oh, dream, America, dream
I can't even sleep
From the light's early dawn
Oh, scream, America, scream
Believe what you see
From heroes and cons

Writer(s): Michael Pritchard, Frank E., Iii Wright, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tre Cool
Copyright(s): Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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What is the Meaning of 21st Century Breakdown?

Ah, the sweet sound of existential crisis wrapped in punk rock! Green Day's anthem is a dive into the disillusionment and confusion of modern life. Born in an era of political turmoil and raised among shadows of societal failures, the song’s protagonist navigates a landscape littered with broken promises and faded American dreams. It's like a love letter to chaos, questioning everything from government control to personal identity. The real kicker? Our hero finds themselves lost in the shuffle of history—never quite fitting the mold of a "working class hero," yet always feeling the sting of that 20th-century deadline breathing down their neck. So crank up this track if you're feeling rebellious or just need to scream into the void about how utterly bizarre our world has become!

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