"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" | ||||
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Single by Green Day | ||||
from the album Nimrod | ||||
B-side |
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Released | December 2, 1997 | |||
Studio | Conway (Hollywood, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Reprise | |||
Composer(s) | Green Day | |||
Lyricist(s) | Billie Joe Armstrong | |||
Producer(s) |
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Green Day singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" on YouTube |
"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" (or "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)") is a song by American rock band Green Day, released in December 1997 as the second single from their fifth studio album, Nimrod (1997). It is one of their most popular songs and has also become a staple of their concerts, usually played as the final song.
"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" became a chart hit, peaking at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and reaching the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. As of November 2022, the song had sold over five million copies and is certified quintuple platinum in the United States, sextuple platinum in Canada, and double platinum in Australia and the United Kingdom, making it the band's most commercially successful single. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Billie Joe Armstrong wrote "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" in 1993 about his girlfriend named Amanda who moved to Ecuador, with him naming the song "Good Riddance" to show his anger towards her. He did not show the song to his bandmates until the Dookie recording sessions later the same year. [6] During the sessions, however, the song was determined to be too different from the rest of the songs on Dookie, and producer Rob Cavallo was unsure of how to structure the recording. [6]
An early version of the song (in a different key, with a faster tempo and sparer arrangement) simply titled "Good Riddance" appeared as a B-side to the European single for "Brain Stew/Jaded". [7]
When the time came to record Nimrod , Armstrong decided to record the song again, and Cavallo suggested they add strings to the track. He sent the band to play foosball in another room while he recorded the strings, which took "like fifteen, twenty minutes, maybe a half an hour at the most." [6] Cavallo reflected on his decision to add the strings "I knew we had done the right thing. It was a hit the second I heard it." [6]
In comparison to previous Green Day material, "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" features more mellow, contemplative lyrics with acoustic music. Band member Mike Dirnt said that the release of this song was probably the "most punk" thing they could have done. [8]
The song has been labelled alternative rock, [9] [10] folk, [11] [12] folk punk, [13] and acoustic rock. [14]
The album version of the song begins with Armstrong messing up the opening chords twice, muttering "fuck" under his breath before starting over and getting it right, thus starting the song. The mistakes were deliberately kept to add a lighthearted introduction to a song with emotionally deep lyrics. Radio versions and the music video omitted Armstrong's second attempt with the expletive. [15]
The music video was directed by Mark Kohr in Los Angeles in November 1997, and is based on a concept by Armstrong. [16] The video features Armstrong singing and playing an acoustic guitar in an apartment (filmed in LA's Ambassador Hotel), intercut with "pull-in" shots of various people involved in mundane activities. All of the subjects are shown seemingly staring into space absent-mindedly. Dirnt and Tré Cool make cameo appearances in the video as a person pumping gas (Dirnt), and an injured bike rider being attended by paramedics (Tré). When the video came out, the name of the song was inverted, hence the video's title is "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)". This title was also used on the single cover.
In 1998, Green Day won their first MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" and they were also nominated for Viewer's Choice. [17]
The video can be found on their music video compilation DVD, International Supervideos!
To the band's surprise, the song became a hit at prom dances. [18] [19] [20] [21] Because of the song's lyrics, which many graduating seniors interpret as nostalgic and reflective of their time in high school, it has become a staple song at proms. Armstrong remarked that, in retrospect, the lyrics make sense when viewed that way. "The people that you grew up and braved the trials of high school with will always hold a special place. Through all the BS of high school, you hope that your friends had the time of their life, and that's what the song is talking about". [19]
The song is featured in the season nine episode of Seinfeld , entitled "The Chronicle" (also known as "The Clip Show"). The song plays in the closing minutes of the episode, which feature a series of bloopers, behind-the-scenes production, and a montage. It is the second-to-last episode of Seinfeld before the show's series finale in 1998. The song was also featured in the ending credits of Deadpool & Wolverine , playing with a montage of scenes and behind-the-scenes footage of several film adaptions, most noticeably from the X-Men film series.
The song was played on ITV in 1998, when the England National Football Team was knocked out of the France 98 tournament, losing to Argentina.
On May 28, 2015, Rolling Stone named "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" as one of the 20 Best Graduation Songs of the Past 20 Years (1995–2015). [22]
On August 14, 2024, All Elite Wrestling used the song in a video package on Dynamite, looking back on Bryan Danielson's 24+ years of wrestling (excluding WWE) ahead of his Title vs. Career match with Swerve Strickland at All In: Wembley II
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Good Riddance" (album version) | 2:34 |
2. | "Suffocate" (non-LP track) | 2:47 |
3. | "You Lied" (non-LP track) | 2:25 |
4. | "Good Riddance" (clean remix) | 2:28 |
5. | "Desensitized" (non-LP track) | 2:47 |
6. | "Rotting" (non-LP track) | 2:50 |
Total length: | 15:51 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" (clean album remix) | 2:28 |
2. | "Desensitized" (non-LP track) | 2:47 |
3. | "Rotting" (non-LP track) | 2:50 |
Total length: | 8:05 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Redundant" | 3:18 |
2. | "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" (album version) | 2:34 |
3. | "Redundant" (video) | 3:20 |
4. | "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" (video) | 2:29 |
Total length: | 11:41 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [4] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [3] | 6× Platinum | 480,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [52] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [53] | Platinum | 100,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [54] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [5] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [2] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | December 2, 1997 | Contemporary hit radio | Reprise | [55] |
Japan | December 15, 1997 | CD | [56] | |
United Kingdom | January 19, 1998 |
| [57] |
Insomniac is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on October 10, 1995, by Reprise Records. It was recorded at Hyde Street in San Francisco, and the band prioritized high-energy takes during the recording sessions. Released as the follow-up to the band's multi-platinum breakthrough Dookie, Insomniac featured a heavier, hardcore punk sound, with bleaker lyrics than its predecessor. Lyrically, the album discusses themes such as alienation, anxiety, boredom, and drug use. Insomniac also served as a reaction to many early fans who had turned their backs on the band after it achieved mainstream success with Dookie.
Dookie is the third studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on February 1, 1994, by Reprise Records. The band's major label debut and first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo, it was recorded in late summer 1993 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. Written mostly by the singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, the album is largely based on his personal experiences and includes themes such as boredom, anxiety, relationships, and sexuality. It was promoted with four singles: "Longview", "Basket Case", a re-recorded version of "Welcome to Paradise", and "When I Come Around".
International Superhits! is the first greatest hits compilation by American rock band Green Day, released November 13, 2001, through Reprise Records. It collects all of the band's singles released between 1994 and 2000 as well as a rerecording of "Maria", a B-side from Waiting, and a previously unreleased track, "Poprocks & Coke". A DVD and VHS titled International Supervideos! was released simultaneously, collecting fifteen of the band's music videos spanning the same period. Both releases have been certified Platinum in the United States for sales of over 1 million copies and 3× Platinum in the United Kingdom for sales of 900,000.
Nimrod is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on October 14, 1997, by Reprise Records. The band began work on the album in the wake of the cancellation of a European tour after the release of their previous album, Insomniac. Recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, the album was written with the intent of creating a set of standalone songs as opposed to a cohesive album. Retrospectively, Nimrod is noted for its musical diversity and experimentation, containing elements of folk, hardcore, surf rock, and ska. Lyrical themes discussed include maturity, personal reflection, and fatherhood.
"Ironic" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released in February 1996 by Maverick and Warner Bros. as the third single from her third studio album, Jagged Little Pill (1995). It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, and was produced by him. The lyrics present several unfortunate situations that are described as "ironic"; this has led to debate as to whether any of these match the accepted meaning of irony.
"Basket Case" is a song by rock band Green Day, released on August 1, 1994 by Reprise Records as the second single from the band's third studio album, Dookie (1994). The song spent five weeks at the top of the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart and garnered a Grammy Award nomination in the category for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. Its music video was directed by Mark Kohr and filmed in an abandoned mental institution in California. In 2001, the song appeared on their greatest hits album International Superhits!. In 2021, "Basket Case" was ranked number 150 in Rolling Stone's updated list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
"Geek Stink Breath" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released on September 25, 1995, as the lead single and fourth track from their fourth studio album, Insomniac (1995). The song, along with "Stuck with Me", appeared on the live EP Foot in Mouth that was only released in Japan. The lyrics expound the effects of methamphetamine on the human body; the word "geek" is slang for methamphetamine.
"Brain Stew" and "Jaded" are two songs released as a joint single by American rock band Green Day. They appear as the tenth and eleventh tracks and third and final single from the group's fourth studio album, Insomniac. The song was also included on Godzilla: The Album. The two songs were released as one single, as the songs are transitional – "Brain Stew" segues directly into "Jaded". After 9/11, "Brain Stew" was placed on Clear Channel's list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles. The song "Brain Stew" is about vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong dealing with insomnia. According to Armstrong himself, "Brain Stew" was originally called "Insomniac" on demo, and "Brain Stew" is a reference to Armstrong's long-time friend, James Washburn, who is nicknamed Brain Stew.
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"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a song by American rock band Green Day. The power ballad is the fourth track from their seventh studio album American Idiot (2004). Reprise Records released "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" as the second single from American Idiot on November 29, 2004. The song's lyrics were written by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, and the music was composed by the band. Production was handled by Rob Cavallo and Green Day.
"When I Come Around" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It is the 10th track on their third studio album, Dookie (1994), and was shipped to radio in December 1994 before being physically released as the fourth single from that album in January 1995 by Reprise Records. It was played live as early as 1992.
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"Hitchin' a Ride" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released in September 1997 as the first single from their fifth album, Nimrod, and is the second track on the album. The single reached number five on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number nine on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, and number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.
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The American rock band Green Day has released 14 studio albums, four live albums, four compilation albums, one soundtrack album, four video albums, 12 extended plays, 4 box sets, 48 singles, 10 promotional singles, 3 anniversaries, and 56 music videos. The band has sold over 75 million records worldwide, including more than 26.5 million in certified album sales in the United States. Green Day released their first two studio albums, 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (1991) and Kerplunk (1991), through the independent label Lookout! Records before signing to major label Reprise Records. Dookie, the band's first album on the label and third studio album overall, was released in February 1994. It was a breakout success, selling over 10 million copies in the United States and 20 million copies worldwide. Dookie spawned five singles, including the international hits "Longview", "Basket Case" and "When I Come Around". The album placed Green Day at the forefront of the 1990s punk rock revival.
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"Redundant," with its chiming, Byrds-ian guitars and soaring vocals, and "Walking Alone," with its plaintive harmonica, are persuasive midtempo pop songs, while "Good Riddance" is a surprisingly sweet folk anthem buoyed by strings.
The album's new offering, "Poprocks & Coke," dishes out more of the maturated, acoustic-filled folk-punk that began with "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" and Warning (the most notable selection from that album, "Macy's Day Parade," aptly closes Superhits!).