21st Century Breakdown



"They're playing the song of the century

Of panic and promise and prosperity

Tell me a story into that goodnight

Sing us a song for me"

21st Century Breakdown is a Rock Opera by the rock band Green Day released as a follow-up to their popular album American Idiot. The plot follows two lovers named Christian and Gloria, who are followed in the story as they witness the many new trials faced by the common man in the recent years of America (Mainly told in first-person from the point of Christian).

Several of the themes looked at by Christian (Who is most definitely not a terrorist) include religion, politics, and vengeance, along with being heavily involved in his relationship with Gloria. He is very cynical about most large organizations, and feels he and Gloria must stand up for The Everyman. Gloria, meanwhile, is trying to hold onto her original beliefs while trying to help Christian as well.

Several tracks, including "Know Your Enemy" and "21 Guns", are used in the Broadway production of American Idiot.

The Album is Seperated into three acts.

Track list:

"1. Song of the Century

Act I: Heros and Cons-

2. 21st Century Breakdown

3. Know Your Enemy

4. ¡Viva la Gloria!

5. Before the Lobotomy

6. Christian's Inferno

7. Last Night on Earth

Act II: Saints and Charlatans-

8. East Jesus Nowhere

9. Peacemaker

10. Last of the American Girls

11. Murder City

12. ¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl)

13. Restless Heart Syndrome

Act III: Horseshoes and Handgrenades-

14. Horseshoes and Handgrenades

15. The Static Age

16. 21 Guns

17. American Eulogy

A. Mass Hysteria

B. Modern World

18. See the Light"

--

This Rock Opera provides examples of:
"I want to take a walk to the great divide
 * Action Girlfriend
 * All Girls Want Bad Boys: In Last of The American Girls - "She's a sucker for all the criminals breaking the laws"
 * Author Avatar: Word of God has confirmed that both Christian and Gloria are author avatars.
 * Bittersweet Ending
 * Book Ends: Pulled off excellently.
 * Broken Bird: Gloria, possibly. She certainly sounds like one in "¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl)".
 * Cool People Rebel Against Authority
 * Dark Reprise: "¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)" is obviously one on "¡Viva La Gloria!"
 * Epic Rocking: "American Eulogy"
 * Expies: Christian and Gloria can be seen as either these or Suspiciously Similar Substitutes for Jesus of Suburbia and Whatsername, although there are shades of difference: Christian is smarter and more insane; Gloria is more world-weary.
 * "I Am" Song: Several, most obvious being the title track.
 * Ironic Echo: "Know Your Enemy," echoed near the end of "Restless Heart Syndrome."
 * Loudness War: As with American Idiot, it's really badly clipped.
 * Meaningless Meaningful Words: Tons. "American Eulogy" is nothing but this.

Beyond the up-to-date and the neo-gentrified

The high-definition for the low resident

Where the value of your mind is not held in contempt"

"Well, violence is an energy, oh ay, oh ay
 * Metal Scream: "Know Your Enemy" has one:

Well, from here to eternity, oh ay, oh ay

Well, violence is an energy, oh ay, oh ay

Well, silence is the enemy

So gimme, gimme REVOLUTION!"

"I'm not stoned
 * Used more so during "Horseshoes and Handgrenades."
 * New Media Are Evil: "The Static Age"
 * Precision F-Strike: See Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll.
 * Protest Song: Pretty much everything that's not a love song or a BSOD Song.
 * Rebellious Spirit
 * Recurring Riff: Several, being one of the main differences between this and American Idiot (Along with the fact that several songs were written for piano). The "Song of the Century" parts, along with the guitar pattern at the beginning of "21st Century Breakdown" and "See the Light."
 * The tune to the "Restless Heart Syndrome" chorus is also played at the beginning of "¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl)", which is the song before it.
 * Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll: Many references to "pills and alcohol," along with the following part in "Before the Lobotomy"

I'm just fucked-up

I got so high

I can't stand up"


 * Shout-Out: As listed in the Homage trope-page, the line "I once was lost, but never was found" is a shout-out to "Amazing Grace".
 * "Last of the American Girls" could be a shout-out to the Tom Petty song "American Girl".
 * And let's not forget the several mentions to John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" (which the guys happened to do a cover of themselves, so this one was more obvious).
 * The line "Last one born and the first one to run" is a shout-out to Bruce Springsteen.
 * Perhaps in 21 Guns, the line "when it's time to live and let die" is a shout out to Paul McCartney's song from the James Bond movie.
 * Also "My Generation is zero" that precedes "Never made it as a Working Class Hero" may be a shout out to the Who's My Generation, which they covered in their Kerplunk album.
 * Step Up to the Microphone: Bassist Mike Dirnt sings most of "Modern World".
 * Subdued Section: The two "Song of the Century" sections, "21 Guns," "Last Night on Earth," the beginnings of "Restless Hearts Syndrome", "¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl)", and "Before the Lobotomy."
 * Three Chords and the Truth: It's Green Day. You should expect this by this point. However, not as much as previous works.
 * Troubled but Cute
 * Wham! Line: "Restless Heart Syndrome" changes Gloria's entire image with the line: "Know your enemy."
 * Normal chorus for "Last Night on Earth": "My beating heart belongs to you/I walked for miles 'til I found you/I'm here to honor you/If I lose everything in the fire/I'm sending all my love to you" Final chorus: "...I'm here to honor you/If I lose everything in the fire/Did I ever make it through?"
 * Write Who You Know: Mike Dirnt has speculated that Armstrong wrote "The Last of the American Girls" about his wife, Adrienne.