Homecoming

Album: American Idiot (2004)
Play Video
  • Lyrics currently unavailable Writer/s: Billie Joe Armstrong, Frank E. Wright III, Michael Pritchard
    Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Royalty Network, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Comments: 29

  • Jolene from FloridaHe sounds sick, like he has a stuffy nose, like through the whole song XD
  • Victor from Hartsdale, NyI think that the part of Rock and Roll Girlfriend where Tre sings "I've got a kid in NY/I've got a kid in the bay" refers to Jesus of Suburbia getting rid of St. Jimmy.

    In Death of St. Jimmy there's the line "He blew his brains out into the bay", and in Rock and Roll Girlfriend he might be saying that part of his past is in the Bay where St. Jimmy is, and that he's now moved on somewhere else (not specifically NY).
    That's how I interpret it.
  • Stacey from Glasgow, United Kingdomi love this song so much and this album is the best album ever made. Billie joe Armstrong is a really clever song writer and i must say, he is so hot. i know he's like 39 but he's hot for an old guy. love green day so much and anyone who says they are crap really don't know music.
  • Sean from Chicago, IlThere is a sixth part: The Death of St. Jimmy. Where exactly does that come into play.
  • Miles from West Linn, OrMy favorite songon the album. Epic :D
  • Sc from Anchorage, AkOh and I read somewhere that Mike wrote the "Nobody Likes You" part while waiting for Billie, who was late to band practice. :)
  • Sc from Anchorage, AkThe part where Tre' sings "I got a kid in New York / I got a kid in the Bay" refers to Tre's two kids.
  • Ian from Ragama, Sri Lanka (ceylon)Listening to this is like watching the ending of a movie. Awesome stuff.....
  • Jesús from Champaign, Ilthey keep using 7-11 b/c in Jesus of Suburbia they talked about 7-1 as "the 7-11 where i was taught"
  • Elizabeth from Ithaca, Nyhe sings in the rock n' roll girlfriend part
  • Marie from Budapest, Hungarytre sings in this one? which part? i kno he wrote the rock n roll girlfriend
  • Mike Fuentes from Melvindale, MiThis song is good. My favorite part is "Here they come marching down the street
    Like a desperation murmur of a heart beat
    Coming back from the edge of town
    Underneath their feet
    The time has come and it's going nowhere
    Nobody ever said that life was fair now
    Go-carts and guns are treasures they will bear
    In the summer heat
    The world is spinning
    Around and around
    Out of control again
    From the 7-11 to the fear of breaking down"
    Though I still cant understand why they keep using 7-11.
  • Adam from North Bay, OnI think part 5 is about having kids. I'm not sure at this point but what I'm thinking is after JOS matures he gets a girl pregnant (not whatsername) then his friends come out of the wood work to see him and bring gifts for the baby

    Here they come marching down the street
    Like a desperation murmur of a heart beat
    Coming back from the edge of town
    Underneath their feet

    The time has come and it's going nowhere
    Nobody ever said that life was fair now
    Go-carts and guns are treasures they will bear
    In the summer heat

    The world is spinning
    Around and around
    Out of control again
    From the 7-11 to the fear of breaking down

    The line "the time has come and it's going no where" could mean that now that he has a child who is going to be in his life forever he has to become a man finally and act like one.

    Then after this point he feels the need to tell whatsername, his ex, out of the blue that he's going to be a dad

    "So send my love a letterbomb
    And visit me in hell"

    and when he says

    "I started fn' running
    As soon as my feet touched the ground"

    In other words he hit the ground running. As soon as he found out he was going to be a dad he pulled up his socks and gave 110% to parenthood.

    The idea of "coming home" could come from the fact that he lived in a lot of places after leaving his home but none of them felt like a home and now that he has a family he has what feels like a home again. The name "homecoming" could even suggest that 'home' came to him instead of him going out and finding it on his own.
  • Morgan from Storrs, CtI don't think that "I got a kid in the bay" refers to the beginning. I think it just means that he's got kids across the country (New York (East Coast) to the Bay (West Coast))
  • Ollie from London, Englandsuch a good song. reminds me of my brother's best friend ... shes kinda psycotic. dont ask.
  • Tara from Somewhere, Flreminds me of me again...
  • Greendayfan16 from Calgary, Canadathe song gives me a video in my mind that uses the character in the video of jesus of suburbia.I think that Jos went to try to find Whatshername in the last part of the song, but he didn't findher.
  • Sam from Portsmouth, United StatesThis the only good song on the album, American Idiot
  • Ro~jo from Unknown, CaThe intro to this song before the melody of "The Death of St. Jimmy" kicks in has a timeless, classic feel. Just that opening riff and the following lines are just amazing...
  • Jeff from Sothington, Cto and "i got a kid in the bay" is a reference to St. Jimmy, because "Jimmy died today, he blew his brains out into the bay"
  • Jeff from Sothington, CtThe "Nobody Likes you" was written my Mike Dirnt (sp?) and "Rock N' Roll GF" was written and preformed by Tre Cool the drummer
  • Maranda from Houston, TxThis song is the best song on the cd.I love it.
  • Joe from Chicago, Arthis is defintly the best song on the album sure it's long but it is still great!
  • Kathryn from Portland , OrThis is my favorite song on this awesome album! Big crecendo finish.
  • Benny from Melbourne, AustraliaI love the whole story idea in American Idiot, it's a great idea and the way all the songs interlink makes the whole album better. It is also a reason to buy the entire album and not just download the songs they released on radio because this album must be listened to in it's entirety to be fully appreciated.
  • Tanya from London, United StatesMike wrote 'Nobody Likes You' when Billie Joe and Tre were late for band practice. Apparently the 'where'd you go?' is partly relating to Billie Joe at that time, like saying 'what happened to you?' At that time, Billie Joe was very depressed and was on drugs and drink etc which resulted to arguments and fights in the band. During one, Tre apparently told Billie Joe that him and his music (Cigarettes and Valentines) was sh*t and told him that 'Welcome to Paradise' was a sh*tty song. So there's some background info for you there
  • Tanya from London, EnglandI used to think it dragged alot but once I listened to it alot and saw it live, I love the ending now. The build up is great
  • Paul Taylor from Castalia, NcThis is my favorite song on the album. The part where he goes "Well nobody cares" is pretty cool. Even tough it drags alot twoards the end. Its also one of the only songs Tre sings in.
  • Tanya from London, EnglandApparently East 12th Street is the place Billie Joe had to go to when he got arrested for DUI
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Psychedelic Lyrics

Psychedelic LyricsMusic Quiz

Whoa man! Do you know which band came up with these cosmic lyrics?

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Martin Page

Martin PageSongwriter Interviews

With Bernie Taupin, Martin co-wrote the #1 hits "We Built This City" and "These Dreams." After writing the Pretty Woman song for Go West, he had his own hit with "In the House of Stone and Light."

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.

Intentionally Atrocious

Intentionally AtrociousSong Writing

A selection of songs made to be terrible - some clearly achieved that goal.