Billie Joe Armstrong calls out Trump and Musk during Green Day concert
- Wonjeong Hong
- Mar 5
- 4 min read
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Article Summary
Billie Joe Armstrong called out President Trump and Elon Musk at the Greenday concert in Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on Saturday, March 1, while performing the band's 2004 hit song, "American Idiot."
During the performance, he asked the crowd, "Don't politicians want to shunt the f— up? Don't you want Elon Musk to shut the f— up?". After receiving cheers from the audience, he also added, "Don't you want Donald Trump to shut the f— up?". Then, he concluded, "Nah nah nah, I'm not going to get angry. F— that s—."
He continued his call out to the current administration by altering the lyrics from "Am I retarded, or am I just overjoyed?" to "Am I retarded, or am I just JD Vance?" while performing the next song, "Jesus of Suburbia."
The call-out was appropriate for the context, as it has not been a while since Trump failed to identify the Austrailia-UK-US security alliance during the press conference at the Oval Office on Thursday, February 27. Trump's recent fallout with Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky also raised concerns about the strength of Australia's allegiance with Ukraine.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese assured the public that the relationship between Australia and Ukraine would remain strong despite its alliance with the US. Albanese said Australia would stand with Ukraine and understand their struggle on Saturday, March 1. He also downplayed Trump's AUKUS blunder and emphasized how it was the conversation about maintaining a positive relationship between the US and Australia a day before.
This tour is not the first time Billie Joe Armstrong has called out Trump and his supporters; he has been clear about his political statement. Armstrong stated his support for Kamala Harris before the presidential election in November, and he has been vocal about his view against Trump's policy, which aligns with the band's political protest music.
Armstrong has kept switching his lyrics during the performance, dissing Trump and Elon Musk, such as swapping the lyrics of 'American Idiot' from "I'm not a part of redneck agenda" to "I'm not a part of Elon Agenda.", or "I'm not a part of the MAGA Agenda.".
Musk responded to Greenday's performance in X by posting, "Green Day goes from raging against the machine to milquetoastedly raging for it."
Reflection
Billie Joe Armstrong's action like this shows that although rock is called a dead genre, the rock spirit is still alive. What defines rock is not only the electric guitar sound, strong beat, and aggressive vocals but also the expression of discontent and rebellion against society and politics. Punk rock bands like Greenday are primarily known for their honest criticisms of culture and politics and unapologetic dissatisfaction with them.
For example, the band's most famous album 'American Idiot' contains uncensored and direct criticism and rebellion against the US government and its agenda, expressed through the lyrics such as "I'm not part of a redneck agenda." and "Now everybody, do the paranoia. Band's another song, 'Strange Days Are Here to Stay", also depicts the confusing and complicated modern society in lyrics such as "All the madmen going mental.", and "Grandma's on the fentanyl right now."
Not only through the art and music, the band's frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong, has been strongly expressing political statements or opinions publicly. For example, Armstrong recently endorsed Kamala Harris in the latest presidential election and frequently criticized and called out Elon Musk and Donald Trump by switching the lyrics.
The culture of rock artists using political lyrics can be traced back to the 1960s counterculture movement. Bob Dylan was a significant figure who shaped the politicized folk revival. He is known for his political songs, such as 'Political World' and 'The Times They Are A-Changin.' As rock reflected the voice of its target audience, usually the younger generation, it became the symbol of counterculture and anti-establishment, which led rock music to be associated with more liberalism.
One of the cases that shows rock's significant impact and influence on counterculture is how it played a role in subverting the political order of the Soviet Union through the 1950s and 1980s. In the 1960s, the rise of rock music's popularity among soviet teenagers, Beatles, led Soviet citizens to be exposed to foreign music, culture, and ideology and helped undermine propaganda during the Cold War period. Throughout the 1976 and 1980s, multiple artists such as Elton John, David Bowie, and Queen performed behind the Iron Curtain. Rock music spread the spirit of peace, freedom, and harmony, and indirectly contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall by subverting the ideology and propaganda.
The 'authenticity' of rock music that allows the authentic and honest expression of the performer's feelings toward the social situation is one feature that distinguishes rock from pop or other music genres. Rock lost its throne with the rise of hip-hop and pop music in the last decades. However, it still broadly influences various music styles and genres. Also, the contributions and achievements that rock has left in the previous history and the spread of rock's freedom, peace, and happiness will never die and will live forever.
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