Release Date: February 7, 2020
Length: 26:12
Studio: Ruby Red Studio
Label: Reprise Records
Producers: Butch Walker, Green Day
Mixing: Tchade Blake, Chris Dugan
Engineer: Butch Walker, Chris Dugan
Artwork: Chris Bilheimer (design), Billie Joe Armstrong (design), Pamala Littkey (photos)
Singles: Father Of All Motherfuckers, Fire Ready Aim (promo), Oh Yeah!, Meet Me On The Roof (promo)
RIAA Certification: N/A
Billboard 200 Peak: #4 – 3 weeks on the chart
Top Rock Albums Peak: #1 (1 week) – 3 weeks on the chart
Notes: Recording for the first time with producer Butch Walker, Green Day went into the studio to make an album that traces the history of rock and roll while leaving much of their trademark sound behind. While the result has divided some longtime fans, the album has received mostly positive reviews from the music media. The album title is typically shortened to ‘Father Of All…’ in the media. The cover artwork was made by Billie Joe Armstrong.
- Father Of All Motherfuckers
- Fire, Ready, Aim
- Oh Yeah!
- Meet Me On The Roof
- I Was A Teenage Teenager
- Stab You In The Heart
- Sugar Youth
- Junkies On A High
- Take The Money And Crawl
- Graffitia
11. Bang Bang (live)
Music Videos
Father Of All…
Oh Yeah!
Meet Me On The Roof
Track Info
1. Father Of All Motherfuckers
In relation to the general concept of the album focusing on the degradation of the world around, the author wakes up to a plenty of messages from people around him (I woke up to a message of love) but can’t see that positivity as he is too caught up with the media and general state of the government (choking up on the smoke from above). The author finds it hard to accept the positivity in the people around him (I’m obsessed with the poison) and wallows in the hopelessness off things (there’s no one to trust) as the people that can do any change are corrupt politicans.
This feeling of helplessness starts seeping into his daily life (what’s so funny, I got paranoia baby) and he hopes that other people feel the same as he does (there’s a riot living inside of us). The author secretly hopes people will start rising up (looking for a miracle) and he chalks up the act of inactivity to people enjoying their lives by being blind (we are rivals in the riot inside us).
The song continues with these themes (I’m impressed with the presence of none) and the author feels like he is utterly alone in this, perhaps even questioning his own sanity (I’m possessed by the heat of the Sun). But as a last shot, he hopes someone is listening (hurry up cause I’m making a fuss).
– Song meaning written by u/Potlah on r/GreenDay
2. Fire, Ready, Aim
“This song is about our daily outrage. Attack without thought.. hyperbole.”
– Billie Joe Armstrong
Kick the dog when the whistle blows
Well you’re a liar
Feed the creeps with a stick and bone
Well you’re a liar
Baby got the hyperbole
Baby got the hyperbole
Kick the dog when the whistle blows
Well you’re a liar
Rip it up on retribution
Turn it up sideways
Ready aim fire
Fire ready aim
Ready aim fire
Fire ready aim
Stick a hammer in your mouth
You’re a liar
Knock your teeth out to the ground
Well you’re a liar
Baby got the hyperbole
Baby got the hyperbole
Knock your teeth out to the ground
Well you’re a liar
Rip it up on retribution
Turn it up sideways
Ready aim fire
Fire ready aim
Ready aim fire
Fire ready aim
3. Oh Yeah!
I wanted to call it Bulletproof backpack but I didn’t. Jingoism scares the bejesus out of me. I got blood on my hands in my pockets; I always thought someone should sample Joan Jett’s “do you wanna touch”.. so I did it!
– Billie Joe Armstrong
I’m in a crowd full of angels and demons
I’m looking out for the jingoes and heathens
Nobody move and nobody gonna get hurt
Reach for the sky with your face in the dirt
Everybody is a star
Got my money and I’m feeling kinda low
Everybody got a scar
Ain’t it funny how we’re running out of hope?
Yeah oh yeah oh yeah
Yeah oh yeah oh yeah
I got blood on my hands in my pockets
That’s what you get turning bullets into rockets
I am a kid of a bad education
The shooting star of lowered expectation
Everybody is a star
Got my money and I’m feeling kinda low
Everybody got a scar
Ain’t it funny how we’re running out of hope?
Yeah oh yeah oh yeah Yeah oh yeah oh yeah
I’m just a face in the crowd of spectators
To the sound of the voice of a traitor
Dirty looks and I’m looking for a payback
Burning books in a bulletproof backpack
Everybody is a star
Got my money and I’m feeling kinda low
Everybody got a scar
Ain’t it funny how we’re running out of hope?
Yeah oh yeah oh yeah Yeah oh yeah oh yeah
4. Meet Me On The Roof
The song starts off with the author losing his phone and looking for it in the club (I’m crawling on the dance floor, I think I lost my phone) whilst he gets literally trampled on in the dance floor (I beg a thousand pardons) and his friends are having fun without him (all my friends are crazy hanging from the window). Despite of this, all that’s on his mind is a girl he wants to go after (all you gotta do is jump). All this sets the difference between them, with the author constantly scrounging in his mistakes and failing to make up for them whilst he tries to chase after a perfect girl.
The author acknowledges he’s not the best guy around but he’ll do his best if she’ll come along (come meet me on the roof tonight, how high is your low gonna go girl?), hoping that maybe she’d lower her expectations for once for a guy like him. Whilst the party continues, the author strays from his friends and ends up with some guys on their ricers (I’m hanging with the cholos cruising down the strip).
He ends up falling asleep in their car and wakes up covered in his guilt and the general nasty atmosphere of these strangers (waking up in spit I’m taking drowning lessons, secret words and true confessionals). In spite of all of this, he still thinks that being turned down by a girl is a far worst feeling (the worst is yet to come).
Another way of looking at this song could also be taking it more metaphorically, with the author finding ways to describe how he’s down on his luck and everything he does seems to never work out; thus leading to his helpless situation with this girl he’s trying to chase after. No matter what, the author is too caught up in his head to take the initiative to make the leap to actually talking to her by setting up these imaginary barriers and expectations, a feeling I’m sure we’re all familiar of when approaching our crushes.
– Song meaning by u/Potlah on r/GreenDay
I’m crawling on the dance floor (Dance floor)
I think I lost my phone
Feeling like a toothache (Toothache)
My face is going numb
I beg a thousand pardons
All my friends are crazy
Hanging from a window (Window)
And all you gotta do is jump
Come meet me on the roof tonight, girl, oh-ooh-oh-oh
How high is your low gonna go, girl? Oh-ooh-oh-oh
Come meet me on the roof tonight, oh-ooh-oh-oh
How high is your low gonna go, girl?
I’m hanging with the cholos (Cholo)
Cruising down the strip
Sleeping with a pillow (Don’t wake me up, don’t wake me up)
Waking up in spit
I’m taking drowning lessons
Secret words and true confessionals (Confessional)
Now, the worst is yet to come
Come meet me on the roof tonight, girl, oh-ooh-oh-oh
How high is your low gonna go, girl? Oh-ooh-oh-oh
Come meet me on the roof tonight, oh-ooh-oh-oh
How high is your low gonna go, girl?
So meet me where the good times go, ooh
How high is your low? As far as I can go
Come meet me on the roof tonight, girl, oh-ooh-oh-oh
How high is your low gonna go, girl? Oh-ooh-oh-oh
Come meet me on the roof tonight, oh-ooh-oh-oh
How high is your low gonna go, girl?
5. I Was A Teenage Teenager
Coming Soon!
I don’t want to freak you out but I cannot lie
I don’t want to freak you out but I cannot lie
So who’s holding the drugs? Who’s holding the drugs?
I don’t want to freak you out, but I cannot lie
I was a teenage teenager full of piss and vinegar
Living like a prisoner for haters
I was a teenage teenager, I am an alien visitor
My life’s a mess and school is just for suckers
I don’t want to freak you out but I cannot lie
I don’t want to freak you out but I cannot lie
So who’s holding the drugs? Who’s holding the drugs?
I don’t want to freak you out, but I cannot lie
I was a teenage teenager full of piss and vinegar
Living like a prisoner for haters
I was a teenage teenager, I am an alien visitor
My life’s a mess and school is just for suckers
I was a teenage teenager full of piss and vinegar
Living like a prisoner for haters
I was a teenage teenager, I am an alien visitor
My life’s a mess and school is just for suckers
6. Stab You In The Heart
Coming Soon!
Baby infidel in a dirty magazine
Telling dirty lies, everybody can see
Kick it in the head and now I wanna see you dead
With a switchblade edge to the chest
I wanna stab you in the heart
I wanna stab you in the heart
Right in the bloody bloody heart
Ooh-ooh-ooh
For heaven’s sake
You’re just a fake
And you know it ain’t right
Pictures don’t lie when you’re front-page news
Dagger to the heart coming down on you
I wanna stab you in the heart
I wanna stab you in the heart
Right in the bloody bloody heart
Ooh-ooh-ooh
For heaven’s sake
You’re just a fake
And you know it ain’t right
Daggers in my eyes and rusty tambourine
Gimme my stiletto gonna do some surgery
Right to the heart
(In the bloody, oh in the bloody)
I wanna stab you in the heart
(In the bloody, oh in the bloody)
I wanna stab you in the heart
(In the bloody, oh in the bloody)
Right in the bloody bloody heart
Ooh-ooh-ooh
For heaven’s sake
You’re just a fake
And you know it ain’t right
7. Sugar Youth
Coming Soon!
What are the symptoms of our happiness and Civil War?
Mano y mano in a stereo without a cure
I’ve got a fever a non-believer and it’s killing me
Like a high school loser that will never ever ever ever fuck the prom queen
I got the shakes and I’m on fire
I got a feeling and it’s dangerous
I’m gonna dance to something wild
I got a feeling and I need a rush
All hell is breaking loose and heaven only knows
I don’t wanna be a Romeo
I don’t wanna be a Romeo
I don’t wanna be a Romeo, oh no
I’m hearing voices up inside my head
(Oh what you thinkin’?)
I need a sugar fix it’s making me sick
(Oh what you drinkin’?)
I wanna drink all the poison in the water
I wanna choke like a dog that’s on a collar
I am the child of coyote and bandito
I’m drinking whiskey by the river doing yeyo
I got the shakes and I’m on fire
I got a feeling and it’s dangerous
I’m gonna dance to something wild
I got a feeling and I need a rush
All hell is breaking loose and heaven only knows
I don’t wanna be a Romeo
I don’t wanna be a Romeo
I don’t wanna be a Romeo, no
8. Junkies On A High
Coming Soon!
My mama said to me, “you’re gonna have your enemies
Don’t beg, don’t follow”
I’ve heard it all before, I smashed my fingers in the door
My downward spiral, oh yeah
Rock ‘n’ roll tragedy, I think the next one could be me
Heaven’s my rival
I sing in revelry, I got my own conspiracies
What hides in shadows? Oh yeah
Junkies on a high
Get back, lay down, go low
Subdivision smile
Drink it in, dumb it down, suck it up
As we watch the world burn
As we watch the world burn
I’m not a soldier, this ain’t no new world order
My path don’t follow
My name is nobody, my pride is my pornography
Kool-Aid’s my motto, “Oh yeah!”
Junkies on a high
Get back, lay down, go low
Subdivision smile
Drink it in, dumb it down, suck it up
As we watch the world burn (Junkies on a high)
As we watch the world burn (Junkies on a high)
Oh yeah, burn (Junkies on a high)
As we watch the world burn (Junkies on a high)
Oh yeah
9. Take The Money And Crawl
Coming Soon!
High on a low life
Hit me with a dull knife
Sweet soul sickness
Can I get a witness?
This is the wild life I’m gonna take a dive
Take the money and crawl
Do I dare say “please” when I’m on my knees?
Take the money and crawl
Illegal tender
Going on a bender
Cold-blooded killers
Of all motherfuckers
I’m a nervous wreck enough to make you sick
Take the money and crawl
Oh yeah it’s just my luck but I don’t give a fuck
Take the money and crawl
This is the wild life I’m gonna take a dive
Take the money and crawl
Do I dare say “please” when I’m on my knees?
Take the money and crawl
So you can take a walk or you can suck my cock
Take the money and crawl
Oh yeah it’s just my luck but I don’t give a fuck
Take the money and crawl
10. Graffitia
Coming Soon!
Another one down at the mining town
Breakin’ it down for the lame wager
Callin’ the shots from the capital
All that we got was the banks of hope
Are we the last forgotten?
Are we the long lost love?
Are we the last forgotten?
Are we the long lost love?
This city isn’t big enough for dreamers
We were all believers
It’s the perfect crime
(Only the lonely and wasted)
Another black kid was shot in town
A man with the badge and a daytime show
Darkness falls on Graffitia
Death of a town in the afterglow
Are we the last forgotten?
Are we the long lost love?
Are we the last forgotten?
Are we the long lost love?
All souls go to heaven in Graffitia
Singing Hallelujah
It’s the perfect crime
(Only the lonely and wasted)
If we’re goin’ down for a good time
Life during war time
It’s the perfect crime
(Only the lonely and wasted)
Are we the last forgotten?
Are we the long lost love?
Are we the last forgotten?
Are we the long lost love?
(Another one down at the mining town)
Are we the last forgotten?
(Callin’ the shots from the capital)
Are we the long lost love?
(Another one down at the mining town)
Are we the last forgotten?
(Callin’ the shots from the capital)
Are we the long lost love?
Another one down at the mining town
(Are we the last forgotten?)
Callin’ the shots from the capital
(Are we the last forgotten?)
Another one down at the mining town
(Are we the last forgotten?)
Callin’ the shots from the capital
(Are we the last forgotten?)