Release Date: August 1990
Length: 8:12
Studio: 6 Ft Under
Label: Skene Records
Producers: Green Day
Mixing: Tim Mac
Engineer: Tim Mac
Artwork: Jeff Spiegel (cover photo)
Additional Musicians:
Notes: Green Day’s third and final EP of original material. Recorded on July 5, 1990, during a stop in Minnesota on the band’s summer tour. The EP would later be added to the CD/cassette version of Kerplunk. The EP is named after the band’s original moniker and is often confused as their debut release.
- Sweet Children
- Best Thing In Town
- Strangeland
- My Generation
Track Info
1. Sweet Children
The song depicts two characters (sweet young girl and Johnny Ray) who slowly turn from good kids to bad kids. The song kicks off with the sweet young girl going off and finding a boyfriend. She disregards her parents’ words (does exactly what she’s been warned) and ends up finding a douche for a boyfriend who plays with her brain. The boy clearly only wants to only fuck her (he takes away her innocence) but she fails to see through her bullshit and play boyish lies (believing all his faith through lies). She reaches a point of no return as the chorus hits, saying how the days of being a sweet child are far gone (remember when).
Johnny Ray is introduced to the story. As to how the real-life person is irrelevant, I am not so sure but in the context of the song, Johnny Ray is a character who has already soiled his hands with crime. It is possible he is the guy who took the girl’s virginity from the first verse. It seems as though he has murdered someone or robbed a store with a gun (he’s got his trigger on his gun) and is running away from the cops (running from the light of day). He has gotten away successfully multiple times in the past (as he hits the floor again, lie and celebrate) but it seems this time he won’t get away (final sin and now he runs).
The song ends looking back at how rotten the two characters have gotten as they got older (sweet children, remember when?)
– song meaning written by u/potlah on r/GreenDay
Sweet young girl so soft and blonde
Does exactly what she’s been warned
Intoxications in her veins
Sweet young boy plays with her brain
Believing all his faith through lies
Putting his hand on her thigh
Impurity has now been gripped
He takes away her innocence
Sweet children, sweet children, sweet children
Remember when
Johnny Ray is running again
As he hits the floor again
Running from the light of day,
or maybe lie and celebrate
The slightest urge goes from his hand
Follow me if you understand
He’s got the trigger on his gun
The final sin and now he runs
Sweet children, sweet children, sweet children
Remember when
2. Best Thing In Town
The lyrics are exaggeratedly abstract – the narrator is trying to show that this person he considers the best thing in town makes him almost lose his mind. He’s describing his confusing state of mind (“all I see are sounds”, “…I can’t find a missing piece of a thought that’s in my mind”), yet admits that he’s willing to do crazy things and eagerly accept all the weirdness of this relationship, because he’s convinced that this person is worth it, since they are “the best thing around”.
– song meaning courtesy of GreekStinkBreath.net
Follow me to the other side
As I sit around and watch you poutCause I know that you’re the
Best thing in town
Best thing around
Running wild and always running free
Exploring things that I have never seen
Eerie colors and all I see are sounds
Best thing in town
I’m seeing faces
Of mysteries of the earth
I am not one
To the aggressions of my birth
Or go to stance
Of houllinations, I can’t find
A missing piece
Of a thought that’s in my mind
Come with me and let’s go for a ride
Follow me to the other side
As I sit around and watch you pout
Best thing in town
Running wild and always running free
Exploring things that I have never seen
Eerie colors and all I see are sounds
Best thing in town
3. Strangeland
Strangeland is a highly abstract song in which the narrator is describing a mysterious place that his mind created. He describes the “floating image in his mind” and the “strange beings”. Some people believe this song might be based on a book or movie, but this theory is not confirmed. The song might just be a dream or a fantasy. However, there is a possibility that the song is about imaginary worlds that people create to make themselves feel wanted when their life in the real world makes them feel unhappy and worthless. They dream of a strange land that might be weird and unpredictable, but where they feel important because it is their world.
– song meaning courtesy of GreekStinkBreath.net
Looking at the clouds in the sky
Floating image in my mind
Land of beauty and land of peace
Now I wonder where this place is from
The evidence is everywhere
I start to run, now I’m scared
Strange beings all around
Come everyone to this place I’ve found
I’m feeling psyched to be walking
I wonder why
All my joys could be open
No more cries
My eyes are clear and now I’m cured
Don’t you wanna be for sure?
I know my rights I’m allowed to die
So I’d rather swap your different guise
It’s in my head if you will find
Mother love from all mankind
You look above and then you shout
No other way to say your head is alright
Feeling psyched to be walking
I wonder why
All my joys could be open
No more cries
4. My Generation
The song starts off with the author saying how the elderly people around him are always disapproving the things he does (people try to put us down, just because we get around) because they think that the things that they do are much better despite how crude they are (things they do look awful cold). The author then states how he doesn’t want to grow up to be like them (I hope I die before I get old) and rebels against them by stating that the things he does are from his own generation.
The author gets sick and tired of being told around and begins to shove them away (Why don’t you all fade away) and telling them that they shouldn’t butt into the things he and his friends do (And don’t try to dig what we all say). The author tells them he’s not telling others to do as he does (I’m not trying to cause a big sensation) and he’s just trying to do what feels fun and right (just talking about my generation).
– song meaning written by u/potlahﾠon r/GreenDay
Well, people try to put us down
Talkin’ bout my generation
Just because we get around
Talkin’ bout my generation
The things they do look awful cold
Talkin’ bout my generation
I hope I die before I get old
Talkin’ bout my generation
My generation
Why don’t you all just fade away
Talkin’ bout my generation
And don’t try to dig what we all say
Talkin’ bout my generation
I’m not trying to cause a big sensation
Talkin’ bout my generation
I’m just talkin’ bout my generation
Talkin’ bout my generation
My generation
Why don’t you all just fade away
Talkin’ bout my generation
And don’t try to dig what we all say
Talkin’ bout my generation
I’m not trying to cause a big sensation
Talkin’ bout my generation
I’m just talkin’ bout my generation
Talkin’ bout my generation
My generation
Talkin’ bout my generation
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby