American Idiot Song Analyze

AMERICAN IDIOT

By Green Day

Don't want to be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation under the new media.
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mind-fuck America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.

Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along to the age of paranoia.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.

Don't want to be an American idiot.
One nation controlled by the media.
Information Age of hysteria.
It's calling out to idiot America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue

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INTRODUCTION

This song was strongly opposed by some people in the US because of its controversial lyrics that express the author's attitude towards the George W. Bush administration, as well as certain relevant political and social issues. Some people believe that this song is anti-American, because of its title and harsh sarcastic comments. However, if you pay attention to the lyrics you may see that in many ways the song is highly patriotic.

The title of the song is referring to the author's opinion that these days politicians and the media are telling us what to do, what to buy, what to believe in. We are constantly being subliminally mind-fucked by commercials, campaigns and reality TV. They turn us into idiots with no individuality. In this song, the narrator is saying that he doesn't want his nation to be turned into complete idiots, he doesn't want his country to be led by a redneck president ("I'm not a part of a redneck agenda"), doesn't want people to be convinced that it's right to hate someone because of their sexual preferences ("maybe I'm the faggot America"), doesn't want the nation to be isolated and detested because of stupid decisions that the government makes ("Welcome to a new kind of tension, all across the alienation").

This song is an overview of the album's most important ideas, as well as a sort of a warning calling out to the people across the country: don't let them take away your personality, don't let them turn you into Idiot America

ELEMENTS OF AMERICAN IDIOT SONG

•         Figurative Language

There are two figurative languages involve in “American Idiot”: symbol and irony. The symbol is the character of “American Idiot” itself, which represents not only one or two persons but also a whole nation, especially they who adores the media, follows anything that the media say. The affirmation of this symbol is showed in the second line of the first stanza /Don’t want a nation under the new media/, the third lines of the second, the fourth, and the sixth stanza /Television dreams of tomorrow/, the second and the third lines of the fifth stanza /One nation controlled by the media/, / It’s calling out to idiot America/.

Irony is found in the first lines and the third lines of the second, the fourth, and the sixth stanza of the song lyric /Welcome to a new kind of tension/. The word “welcome” uses to express celebration, something new and delightful, a good companionship. But in this line, “welcome” is used to open something bad, a repressed ‘alien nation’ and is agreed by the third lines / Where everything isn’t meant to be okay/. The irony also implied in the song lyric that people celebrate the invasion of a foreign country without having certain reasons and causes (related to extrinsic elements).

On this page you will be able to find out about the different literary devices used in the song.  The different terms are listed below along with the lines of the song that go with the terms.

•         Imagery

The dominant imagery in this song lyric is vision and hearing. The new media and the sound of hysteria in the first and the fifth stanza is about to be seen and heard. Televisions and arguing in the second stanza, fourth stanza, and sixth stanza, is also something that can be seen and heard. It also happens in the third stanza, propaganda and paranoia can only be seen or heard. This is about seeing and hearing, because the author wants to tell the reader or listener that in his society, people use only these two sensation tools—eyes and ears—to translate and understand the world.

•         Musical Devices/ Rhymes

End rhymes dominate all the lines in the lyric. Contrarily with the passion of the society hysteria, the rhymes are orderly and beautifully close every lines of the song lyric.

In the first stanza, the end rhymes are a-b-b-b. The “a” is from the word idiot. The first “b” is from the word “media”, the second “b” is from the word “hysteria”, and the last “b” is from the word “America”. The “a” seems to be very close to the first “b” for its sound of consonant /d/ and its two syllables. The same scheme is repeated in the fifth stanza with the same rhymes and the same words origin.

The second stanza, the end rhymes are c-c-d-e-e-f. The first “c” is from the word “tension”, while the second one is from the word “nation”. The “d” is from the word “okay”. The first “e” is from the word “tomorrow”, and the second “e” is from the word “follow”. And finally, the “f” is taken from the word “argue”. This second schemes is also repeated in the fourth stanza and the sixth stanza, in same words origin, too.

The third stanza, has the end rhymes of b-b-b-b. It is so neat and cohesive. The first “b” is from the word “America”, the second is from “agenda”, the third is taken from “propaganda”, and the last “b” is taken from “paranoia”. See? The end rhymes are neat and beautiful. It is so different from the condition portrayed by the author, which is messed up—full of hysteria and paranoia. Sure, because his intention and goal is clear. The author refuses, he gets upset and hates the condition around him, so that he becomes what he wants to be—someone who lives normally, safely, and comfortably, not following the media trend like the ‘idiot’.

·        Tone

Partially and totally, the song lyric is light, seen from its language. It portrays the refusal and the rage of the author upon his nation, his society. The tone is uproarious, repressive, fiery, rather rough, and firm. Since the beginning of the lines, the author affirms that he does not want to be an American idiot. It continues through the next lines by explaining who actually the character is. The word hysteria, tension, propaganda, and paranoia indicate that the event involves many people, it is uproarious and fiery. The invective language makes it little rough, but indeed, the word is used to affirm the rage of the author. To make sure the reader or the listener, the author even repeats his refusal upon the character three times as chorus in the second, the fourth, and the sixth stanza of the lyric (/We’re not the ones who’re meant to follow/). All of these manners are showed to support the theme—that this lyric is about rage and refusal.

	Metaphor Personification Imagery Ryhme - End Ryhme Depending on opinion, the whole poem could be considered a Metaphor. Ex.  "Television dreams of tomorrow.." (x3) Ex.  "Well maybe I'm the faggot America." Ex.  "It's calling out to idiot America." None Ex.  "I'm not a part of a redneck agenda. Now everybody do the propaganda." Ex.  "Television dreams of tomorrow. We're not the ones who're meant to follow."  (x3)

	Symbolism Simile Alliteration Hyperbole The whole poem is a symbol of how the American people are basicly becoming idiots. None None Ex.  "One nation controlled by the media."

CONCLUSION

Genetic structuralism analysis sees a literary product from two sides: intrinsic elements and extrinsic elements. These two elements cannot be separated as literary product is created by the creator and the creator is part of a certain community or society. It means that literary product will represent not only individual ideology but also collective idea of certain society when the literary product was created.

In “American Idiot”, genetic structuralism finds the strong relation inside the intrinsic elements, also between the intrinsic elements and the extrinsic elements. The theme of the lyric, which is about rage and refusal of the author upon political and social condition in his country, is supported by other elements such as some connotative words, repressive and fiery tone, contradictory neat musical devices, vision and hearing imagery, and two figurative languages: symbol and irony.

The extrinsic elements also play the important role in “American Idiot. The years when the author wrote the lyric, are years under George Bush’s administration which often made controversial political policy, such as The War On Terror due to the 9/11 attack. The author sees that the policy was such ‘idiot’ propaganda to influence people opinion about the invaded foreign country. This was just an excuse to take advantages from the country considered as endangering the nation of United States. The author was disappointed to the regime in the country, disgusted, and expressed it in his song lyric. His rage and refusal upon the ‘hysterical’ and ‘paranoid’ nation are clearly stated in the lyric. So, this is true that a literary product cannot be separated from the author and the society where the author becomes the member. Off course, it is without neglecting the intrinsic element as the whole.