Green Day

Album: 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (1990)
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Songfacts®:

  • Before they were known as Green Day, the teenaged musicians Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt were in a band called Sweet Children, which grew a small following around Berkeley, California. With the addition of drummer John Kiffmeyer, they recorded the 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours album on Lookout! Records, and changed their name to Green Day after this song. A few years later, Tre Cool took over on drums, and in 1994 their album Dookie make them superstars. They would join Black Sabbath in the ranks of wildly successful bands who named themselves after one of their songs.
  • A "Green Day" is a day off to lounge around and smoke pot. Billie Joe Armstrong explained: "It's basically about staring up at the ceiling, thinking about a girl and being stoned."

    Green Day were bona fide stoners, but they were anything but lazy: they built a following through constant touring and a do-it-yourself work ethic that found them playing for just about anyone who would listen in their early years.
  • At the beginning of the song, you can hear the sound of someone using a bong (a device used for smoking marijuana), leaving little doubt about the meaning of a "Green Day."

Comments: 12

  • Layton from Paris, TxI found both 1039 sosh and kerplunk in the discount section at a record store. Awesome stuff.
  • Riley from Peabody, Mais that how the band got it's name?
  • Alex from Planet F***, BhutanI love this song. I don't like it just because of the name, it's just so catchy and addictive.
  • Dan from Kansas City, KsWhere can i find this song?
  • Steven from West Carrollton, OhI WANT "1,039/S.O.S.H." SOOOOO BAD!!!! And Kerplunk! WHERE DO I GET THeM??!!
  • Caroline from Long Island, Nythis song is about a day of doing nothing but sitting around getting baked, and this was written when they were known as sweet children, before there name was green day
  • Rachel from A Place, MaI heard one one of their official websites that their name does have to do with being high but they actually got their name when they we're all really high one day and they were watching seseame street and on the show it was "green day". Being extremely stoned,the guys all got a kick out of it and decided later on to name their band after that.
  • Micky from Berkeley, CaThis song is about smoking weed. After he wrote this song he re-named his band, green day!
  • Zach from St. Louis, Moa green day is a day when you smoke pot all day long but don't spend any money. you go to different friends houses and see if they have some. thats what this song was written about.
  • Kay from Hamburg, Njthis song is as catchy as hell! especcially the chorus.
  • Yuya from Kyoto, JapanI love this song... I just learned to play it on my guitar. Sweet!
  • Tanya from London, EnglandI was there too sarah n it was the best night of my life. Not only will it stick in yours n my mind forever, Billie Joe said "I think I was in a state of shock for a week after playin at milton keynes. In a way it reminded me of our first gig at gilman street. It will stick in my mind forever" How cool is that?
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