- published: 11 Nov 2009
- views: 18398392
21st Century Breakdown is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It is the band's second rock opera, following American Idiot (2004), and their first album to be produced by Butch Vig. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006 and forty-five songs were written by vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong by October 2007, but the band members did not enter studio work until January 2008.
The album was released May 15, 2009 through Reprise Records. Armstrong has described the album as a "snapshot of the era in which we live as we question and try to make sense of the selfish manipulation going on around us, whether it be the government, religion, media or frankly any form of authority". The singles "Know Your Enemy" and "21 Guns" exemplify the themes of alienation and politically motivated anger present in the record.
Critical response to 21st Century Breakdown was generally positive. The record achieved Green Day's best chart performance to date, reaching number one on the album charts of various countries, including the United States Billboard 200, the European Top 100 Albums, and the United Kingdom Albums Chart. It was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards held on January 31, 2010. As of December 2010, 21st Century Breakdown has sold 1,005,000 copies in the United States and more than 4 million worldwide.
The 21st century is the current century of the Anno Domini era or the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It began on January 1, 2001, and will end on December 31, 2100. It is the first century of the 3rd millennium. It is distinct from the century known as the 2000s, which began on January 1, 2000 and will end on December 31, 2099.
The first years of the 21st century have thus far been marked by the rise of a global economy and Third World consumerism, mistrust in government, deepening global concern over terrorism and an increase in the power of private enterprise. The longterm effects of increased globalization are not known, but there are many who are concerned about its implications. The Arab Spring of the early 2010s led to mixed outcomes in the Arab world. The Digital Revolution which began around the 1980s also continues into the present. The Millennials (born c. 1981-2000) having been born before the turn of the century give way to the rise of Generation Y & Generation Z in Western countries.
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 am losing what's left of my mind
To the 20th century deadline
I was made of poison and blood
Condemnation is what I understood
Video games to 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 am losing what's left of my mind
To the 20th century deadline
We are the class of, the class of 13
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 4th 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
My debt to the status quo
The scars on my hands
And the means to an end
Is all that I have to show
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
Of flowers left over from the grave
I sat in the waiting room
Wasting my time
And waiting for Judgment Day
I praise liberty
The "freedom to obey"
Is 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