Redundant (song)

Last updated

"Redundant"
Green Day - Redundant cover.jpg
Single by Green Day
from the album Nimrod
ReleasedApril 27, 1998 (1998-04-27) [1]
Genre
Length3:17
Label Reprise
Composer(s) Green Day
Lyricist(s) Billie Joe Armstrong
Producer(s)
Green Day singles chronology
"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"
(1997)
"Redundant"
(1998)
"Nice Guys Finish Last"
(1999)
Music video
"Redundant" on YouTube

"Redundant" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from their fifth album, Nimrod (1997), and serves as the fourth track from that album. Released in April 1998, the song failed to match the chart positions of its predecessors but did reach number two in Australia when it was reissued as a double A-side with "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", becoming the band's highest-charting solo single there.

Contents

It is one of few Green Day songs in which vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong uses an effects pedal.[ citation needed ]

Meaning

Before the Nimrod sessions, Billie Joe Armstrong's marriage had been deteriorating, with the singer arguing with his wife Adrienne Armstrong constantly. Influenced by this conflict, Armstrong reflected on the relationship from two standpoints; the first being his passion for his wife, the second being the repetitious pattern that the relationship had fallen into. The phrase "I love you" had lost its effectiveness and seemed to be said merely out of routine.

Music video

The music video for "Redundant", directed by Mark Kohr, [4] is an homage to Zbigniew Rybczyński's short film Tango . It features the three band members performing the song in the middle of a home. The camera angle remains static for the duration of the video.

In the background, several people repeat various mundane tasks for the duration of the video:

The activity peaks near the middle of the video and declines near the end. Tré and Mike leave, but Billie Joe removes his guitar, hands it offscreen, and picks up the newspaper before walking away. The woman comes out to get the paper and screams upon finding it gone.

Track listings

UK CD1 [5]
No.TitleLength
1."Redundant" (Richard Dodd Medium Wide mix)3:16
2."The Grouch" (live)2:23
3."Paper Lanterns" (live)4:54
UK CD2 [6]
No.TitleLength
1."Redundant" (Richard Dodd Medium Wide mix)3:16
2."Reject All American" (live)2:09
3."She" (live)2:28

UK single 7-inch [7]

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Redundant" (Richard Dodd Medium Wide mix)3:16
Side B
No.TitleLength
2."The Grouch" (live)3:23
Australian CD single [8]
No.TitleLength
1."Redundant" (Richard Dodd Medium Wide Mix) 
2."The Grouch" (live) 
3."Paper Lanterns" (live) 
4."Reject All American" (live) 
5."She" 
Australian CD single with "Good Riddance" [9]
No.TitleLength
1."Redundant" (LP version) 
2."Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" (LP version) 

The live tracks were recorded live at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Grouch, Paper Lanterns and She were recorded during the show proper and were later released as part of the full show for Nimrod's 25th anniversary, while Reject All American was recorded during the soundcheck for the same show (which explains the absence of any crowd noise on that particular song).

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [18] 2× Platinum140,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

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