Song Analysis: Does America Even Care?

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Does America Even Care? Green Day is a popular punk band. In the 2000s they released their album American Idiot with political themed songs such “American Idiot,” Jesus of Suburbia,” and “Are We the Waiting.” Similar to “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen “Jesus of Suburbia” is written like a rock opera and written into five subtitled parts. The song is written as a narrative through Jesus of Suburbia’s point of view. “Jesus of Suburbia” is calling out America on no longer caring for its people because its youth are suffering. The first part of “Jesus of Suburbia” introduces the main character, Jesus of Suburbia or Jesus, with lines 1 and 2, “I’m the son of rage and love/the Jesus of Suburbia.” The song compares Jesus of Suburbia to the Jesus from…show more content…
The line “I don’t care if you don’t” is repeated over and over. Jesus is basically saying I don’t care anymore because America doesn’t care about me. Jesus says this because he is suffering from America not caring just like the other youth in America. In lines 61 and 62 Jesus says “everyone’s so full of shit/ born and raised by hypocrites”. He feels like everyone lies to him. He feels that people will say one thing and do another. This leaves Jesus confused and angry. He feels so frustrated because it’s hard for him to tell what the truth is anymore. “We are the kids of war and peace/ from Anaheim to the middle east” in lines 65 and 66 is a reference to wars that are being battled in Jesus’s lifetime. It is possible that he is talking about the war in Afghanistan or Iraq. These lines speak the horrible truth that America cares more about war than its people. More money is spent on funding the military/war than America’s people. This is why America’s youth are suffering, like Jesus, because America is not putting money or time into helping its people because America just does not…show more content…
In this part of the song Jesus calls out to his love. In line 76, he asks her “are we demented or am I disturbed”. Jesus believes that America is messed up for not caring, and he wants to know if he is messed up too for not caring about America. He wants to care but does not know if he can anymore because of all the suffering America has put him through. In line 78 Jesus asks, “Oh therapy can you please fill the void?” Jesus is feeling empty inside and hopes that he can find something to fill it. This is where Jesus feels like he is only existing rather than actually living. In line 80 Jesus says, “Nobody’s perfect and I stand accused.” Jesus is feeling like America is blaming its imperfections, such as poverty, debt, and war on him and other people in America. He is upset by this but he is not sure if can do anything to fix

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