"Holiday" is an anti-warprotest song[4] by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from the group's seventh studio album American Idiot,and is also the third track. The song is in the key of F minor. Though the song is a prelude to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams","Holiday" was later released as a single on March 14,2005.
The song achieved considerable popularity across the world and performed moderately well on the charts. It reached number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks and Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. It debuted at number 11 in the United Kingdom and reached the top 20 in Canada,Denmark,Ireland,New Zealand,and Norway.
Background
One of two explicitly political songs on the album (the other being fellow single "American Idiot"),[5] "Holiday" took two months to finish writing,because Armstrong continually felt his lyrics were not good enough. Aided by the encouragement of Rob Cavallo,he completed the song.[6] "Holiday" was inspired by the music of Bob Dylan.[7] Armstrong wanted to write something stronger than "American Idiot",with harsh language to illustrate his points. The song takes aim at American conservatism. Armstrong felt that Republican politicians were "strategic" in alienating one group of people—for example,the gay community—in order to buy the votes of another.[8] He later characterized the song as an outspoken "fuck you" to then-President George W. Bush.[9] Armstrong for the first time imagined how he would perform the songs he was writing,and envisioned an audience responding to his lyric "Can I get another Amen?"[10] The song's bridge,which Armstrong hoped to be as "twisted as possible," was designed as a "politician's worst nightmare."[7]
The chorus's refrain—"This is our lives on holiday"—was intended to reflect the average American's apathy on the issues of the day.[11] Armstrong characterized the song as "not anti-American,it's anti-war."[12]
Music video
The first half of the video takes place in a car (a 1968 Mercury Monterey convertible),where Billie Joe Armstrong,Mike Dirnt and TréCool are partying around in Las Vegas. In the second half,they are cavorting in a bar where each of the band members portrays several different characters. Billie Joe Armstrong plays the mentioned Representative of California,two fighting clients,a punk rocker and a nerd. TréCool plays a drunken priest,an arrested patron,and a female prostitute. Mike Dirnt plays the barman,another punk,and a policeman. There are also scenes featuring seemingly worn-down can-can dancers. At the end of the video,the car smokes to a halt in the field that "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" begins in. Like the video for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams",this video was directed by Samuel Bayer.
The band arrived at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards in the same car,this time "pimped out" by James Washburn,a friend of the band.
Live performances
"Holiday" has been included on the set lists of numerous Green Day concert tours,some of which played American Idiot in its entirety to promote the album.[13][14] The song was included on the set list for the Revolution Radio Tour in 2016,where the songs lyrics were adjusted to protest against Donald Trump's presidential campaign.[15] It was later included on the set list for the Hella Mega Tour,a concert tour for Green Day,Fall Out Boy,and Weezer that began in 2021.[16] The song was later included on the set list for the Saviors Tour,alongside every other song from American Idiot.[17][18]
↑ Carter, Emily (July 22, 2020). "Green Day: Every album ranked from worst to best". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022. It resulted in songs like the epic Jesus Of Suburbia and Homecoming, fired-up punk rock classics like Holiday, St. Jimmy and Letterbomb, and heart-wrenching emotion of Wake Me Up When September Ends and Whatsername.
↑ Connick, Tom (May 16, 2018). "Green Day: their 15 best songs - ranked". NME. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022. A flawless fusion of angst, anger and a massive fuck-you to the political establishment, with a ripping solo and chant-along middle-eight to boot, 'Holiday' is punk-rock perfection.
↑ Holiday (European CD single liner notes). Green Day. Reprise Records, WEA International. 2005. 5439 16096 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ Holiday (UK CD2 liner notes). Green Day. Reprise Records, WEA International. 2005. W664CD2, 9362 42786 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ Holiday (Australian CD single liner notes). Green Day. Reprise Records, WEA International. 2005. 9362427862.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ Holiday (UK 7-inch picture disc sleeve). Green Day. Reprise Records, WEA International. 2005. W664, 54391-6097-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ "RR Canada Rock Top 30"(PDF). Radio & Records. No.1603. April 22, 2005. p.58. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 15. týden 2006 in the date selector.
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