In 2004, Californian act Green Day released their seminal album American Idiot, which had political leanings and proved to be the band’s saving grace. Though it did have fiery songs which went against the grain, it did have this heart-puller, a track that showed frontman Billie Joe Armstrong’s songwriting ability in a new light.
The song was Wake Me Up When September Ends, and it became this significant staple, a song that excelled in its true melancholic, lyrical verve. Armstrong included the song, as it properly exhibited his feelings and emotions, taking fans into his mindset.
The track was a nod to his father too, who died in the month of September. A loss which impacted Armstrong strongly. By using the subject, the frontman utilised his talents, creating these lyrics which resonated. Through a simple chord progression, the song quickly became a standout as well as an emotional injection of melancholia.
Armstrong sang decisively, pushing his vocal cords to the limits, letting his emotions flood out. American Idiot wouldn’t have been a record of magnitude without it. The video that had gone alongside the track was emotional indeed, as it depicted war and reckless love.
The significance of Wake Me Up September was valid, a song that truly blew away the cobwebs of Green Day’s previous efforts. It cranked up the emotions and showed the band could yet again mix it up when it mattered, eclipsing any of their sombre songs from the past.
Armstrong naturally wrote this song but didn’t know how significant it would be. He didn’t know the song would soar as a ballad for the disenfranchised and the teenage rebels, who had taken to the track instantly. American Idiot, the record, proved Green Day didn’t need to stick fully to the punk aesthetic either. Many cited the album as being too different, but truthfully, it saved the band’s career.
Wake Me Up September Ends shook the music industry, giving fans a song to be empowered by and an emotional whirlwind to cherish.