It’s hard to believe that for almost 40 years, Green Day has shared its music with fans all over the world with albums like Nimrod, Warning, and American Idiot. Throughout their time in the spotlight, the band, consisting of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool, have dealt with a plethora of criticism for their lyrics and especially their thoughts on figures like former President Donald Trump. With the band recently performing on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, the decision to slightly change some lyrics caused the group backlash as some considered them “Anti-American.”
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For those who might have missed ringing in the New Year with Ryan Seacrest, viewers watched as Green Day performed” American Idiot.” While the lyrics include “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda”, Armstrong decided to change the words, singing, “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda.”
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Although a quick part of the song, many shared their thoughts on Green Day online, suggesting the group was “Anti-American.” Even Elon Musk tweeted, “Green Day goes from raging against the machine to milquetoastedly raging for it.”
Discussing the decision to change the lyrics with the Los Angeles Times, Armstrong disagreed with the label as he explained, “I’m really reluctant to get in bed with any politician. Not that we’ve ever been asked. I think there’s a side of us that people might look at as being anti-American, so they hold us at arm’s length. But if we didn’t care about this country, we wouldn’t say anything.”
Not The First Time Green Day Voiced Their Disdain
While some focused on Green Day’s performance, over the last few years, the band routinely criticized Trump. Back in 2016, the band protested his hopes of winning the election while at the American Music Awards. At the time, the group chanted, “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA.”
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In August, the band, once again, poked fun at Trump when they revealed a t-shirt featuring his mugshot on it. Not only showcasing the shirt, Green Day held a limited-time sale with proceeds going towards charity.
When asked about his thoughts on the upcoming election in November, Armstrong believed Trump could win. And the reason – “I think he’ll say anything to get elected.”
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(Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)
