"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" - Classic or Dud?

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It's the most beautiful hit song of 1997! It was your prom theme! It's the only song your college roommate can play through all the way on his guitar! What is it?

My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

it's CRAP!

j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:26 (twenty years ago)

i thought this was about that song from dirty dancing.

which, btw, is dud.

AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:27 (twenty years ago)

Billie Joe and Bill Medley on the ageless classic...

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:27 (twenty years ago)

Its a classic because it was played during the final Seinfeld, which was a dud.

jockey, Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

Worst song Green Day ever did. The best song? I reckon it's Jesus Of Suburbia off the new album.

dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

You know what, I like that new album, especially the 7 minute "Jesus of Suburbia" endurance song.

Don Rowlando (Sam Rowlands), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:55 (twenty years ago)

what I see when I hear this song

http://www.freewebs.com/dan_dan_dan/george_costanza003.jpg

THIS MAN, pointing at a script and smiling. in slo-mo.

dud.

miccio (miccio), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

that's jason fucking alexander, btw.

miccio (miccio), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:11 (twenty years ago)

Right now, dud because it's SO overexposed. But it is a pretty song outside that context.

Lyra Jane (Lyra Jane), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

It was the beginning of The OC-type rock (back then we called it Dawson-rock), thus it earns dud status.

But I agree. Out of context, I quite like it.

Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

Even without the slo-mo hugs, I still think his voice and lyrics are wack. It's almost a parody of what a Green Day acoustic ballad would sound like.

miccio (miccio), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

I probably like a lot of horrible songs because I don't factor in the quality of the lyrics.

see: the new Weezer album.

Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

I'm so glad i graduated high school the year before this piece of shit came out, so didn;t have to hear it.

Although we got "My Heart Will Go On," so there you go.

I voted for "It's All About The Benjamins." Fascists.

Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:30 (twenty years ago)

Johnny Fever wants his musical schmaltz...damn the singer!

miccio (miccio), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:32 (twenty years ago)

Even still, you're lucky.

My class got "Winds of Change" by the Scorps. Fucking whistling people EVERYWHERE!

x-post

Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:33 (twenty years ago)

The singer's important. What he's singing isn't so much (unless it's shockingly bad like the lyrics on that Elkland album).

x-post

Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

what the fucking fuck, we had this exact same thread (with some of the SAME people saying the SAME things) less than 6 months ago. I can't find it on the search engine right now but will the Nedbot please link it and shut this shit down?

Al (sitcom), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

I can barely remember the lyrics to this one, other than some kind of faretheewell shit, I just remember Billie Joe doing his jowwy howwiday thing at full blare despite the music being mellow.

miccio (miccio), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

congratulations, anthony, you finally said something you didn't say in the other thread.

Al (sitcom), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:44 (twenty years ago)

Who are you crazy peoples who are trying to take music 'out of context'?

danski (danski), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:46 (twenty years ago)

al, switch to decaf

miccio (miccio), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:46 (twenty years ago)

You take music out of context every time you listen to the radio or make a mixtape. It's not that shocking of an idea.

Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:47 (twenty years ago)

That's the most random invocation of me in a while!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:48 (twenty years ago)

Ned you tersely shut down redundant threads all the time, do you not?

there's no decaf Mountain Dew, is there?

Al (sitcom), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:50 (twenty years ago)

Didn't think much of it then. Think ever less of it now.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

There IS decaf Mountain Dew. Comes in a gold and green can.

Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

Dud: Songs where the singer/guitarist sing some sad song on the accoustic while the rest of the band takes off for a smoke.

Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 9 June 2005 19:04 (twenty years ago)

Personally, I like it. I like the fact that it works just as well as a sweet goodbye as it does as a cynical kiss-off. I think I remember from Behind the Music that Green Day intended it as a giant fuck-you to the punk community.

My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Thursday, 9 June 2005 19:42 (twenty years ago)

The singer's important. What he's singing isn't so much (unless it's shockingly bad

B-b-but most lyrics are shockingly bad! (The again, if that's the case, why would it be shocking?)

Ian Riese-Moraine. Exposing ambitious careerists as charlatans since 1986. (East, Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

I think I remember from Behind the Music that Green Day intended it as a giant fuck-you to the punk community.

sure sounds like one

miccio (miccio), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:09 (twenty years ago)

I have no feelings about this song whatsoever.

The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:42 (twenty years ago)

http://www.usasoda.com/images/pcdew21.JPG

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:15 (twenty years ago)

al's feeling a bit feisty!

j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)

this was the thread I was thinking of: So, what's up with the Green Day guy and all these high school prom type songs?
not quite the same topic but it felt redundant to have a similiar thread just a few months later.

I've never seen the caffeine free Dew before! I wouldn't try it anyway, though. what's the point?

Al (sitcom), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:20 (twenty years ago)

I'll pay you $5 to throw similar bitchfits on any thread with the word "rockism" in them.

miccio (miccio), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:21 (twenty years ago)

oh I know it's hypocritical, or at least not a very hard and fast rule. mostly I just get tired of admins locking every redundant thread that I want to see continued and none of the ones that I think are truly useless.

Al (sitcom), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:26 (twenty years ago)

also: it's pretty rare that you'll find me anywhere near a discussion of the R word.

Al (sitcom), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:27 (twenty years ago)

that's cuz you're a rapist! What with gov names and all.

miccio (miccio), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

"Time Of Your Life" is a bland song remarkable only for its attendant punk-band-throws-curveball legend. If it was by Better Than Ezra, nobody would have noticed it.

(As I recall, BTE actually had a similar-sounding "gorgeous", "fragile" etc. ballad on their big LP, called "Porcelain").

joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:35 (twenty years ago)

ok here's a question: what exactly is the difference between diet cherry coke and diet coke with cherry? are they trying to blow my mind???

j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:35 (twenty years ago)

that's another ILM meme/joke I wouldn't mind never seeing again. (xp)

Al (sitcom), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

three years pass...

I'm sorry, I'm so full of loathing for this song I simply must bring it back up. I wish this song had a face so that I could stab it.

Steve (Not Stevie) (Stevie D), Friday, 10 October 2008 03:23 (seventeen years ago)

yep. definitely one of the worst songs ever written.

KyleKyle, Friday, 10 October 2008 03:38 (seventeen years ago)

i kinda like it.

J.D., Friday, 10 October 2008 03:40 (seventeen years ago)

I have no feelings about this song whatsoever.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, June 9, 2005 3:42 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

original dixieland jaas band (Curt1s Stephens), Friday, 10 October 2008 03:49 (seventeen years ago)

I thought I had defended this song before -- maybe on another thread. Anyway, Classic. Overplayed, probably. But that's surely a context problem, not an intrinsic problem?

Mordy, Friday, 10 October 2008 04:22 (seventeen years ago)

It's something unpredictable.

Mark G, Friday, 10 October 2008 12:51 (seventeen years ago)

It's a classic certainly. But it's a piece of crap.

rjberry, Friday, 10 October 2008 12:52 (seventeen years ago)

I am full of admiration for its unashamed, brazenly utilitarian nature.

Matt DC, Friday, 10 October 2008 12:57 (seventeen years ago)

Absolute dud, for the myriad occasions I was subjected to it at high school assemblies. Hell, it wouldn't even die during my first couple of years in university, but I guess it's my own fault for showing up at those residence meetings.

Millsner, Friday, 10 October 2008 13:02 (seventeen years ago)

I can't remember if I liked it pre-overkill. I'm not a fan, but they were better back then than they are now to be sure- "Hitchin' a Ride" and "Redundant" are pretty good still. The singles from American Idiot, which seemed to receive blanket praise, were on the other hand uniquely poor.

Freedom, Friday, 10 October 2008 13:40 (seventeen years ago)

I like this song, but it wasn't really overplayed in Finland, nor do we have proms, so that might explain it. Still, the song is pretty and simple and I've never really paid attention to the lyrics.

Tuomas, Friday, 10 October 2008 14:18 (seventeen years ago)

If you guys want this song to go away you should support grassroots football development in England so in the future, there won't be repeated ignominous tournament exits for it to soundtrack

The Slash My Father Wrote (DJ Mencap), Friday, 10 October 2008 14:23 (seventeen years ago)

Awful. Simply awful. I hope my ears are never assaulted in such a way again.

Bill Magill, Friday, 10 October 2008 14:24 (seventeen years ago)

DavidM, Friday, 10 October 2008 17:23 (seventeen years ago)

eight months pass...

Just had to hear this on local "Lite FM" station while doing my laundry (squeezed between "Father Figure" by George Michael and "Breathe" by Faith Hill). There's something so cloyingly smug about this track. Ugh. I just remember it being used on an episode of "E.R." wherein a nurse plays it for a dying patient, and it made me want to spit up all over my television.

Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 16 June 2009 16:08 (sixteen years ago)

ah it's a sweet little tune

Bitchtime Producto (M@tt He1ges0n), Tuesday, 16 June 2009 16:17 (sixteen years ago)

nine years pass...

classic, tbh

I have measured out my life in coffee shop loyalty cards (silby), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 17:51 (seven years ago)

better than that song from Dirty Dancing

sarahell, Tuesday, 22 January 2019 17:53 (seven years ago)

Over the years I've even come around to liking "Eternal Flame" but not this dud.

Guayaquil (eephus!), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 18:16 (seven years ago)

worst use of strings on a rock record EVER

Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 22 January 2019 20:29 (seven years ago)

i started liking this song more when I realized it was about Gilman.

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 20:30 (seven years ago)

What the hell did people use to score misty-eyed reminiscence montages prior to the existence of this song? Like 'Alley Cat' or some shit?

E Pluripubis Unum (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 20:35 (seven years ago)

"the freshman" by verve pipe

na (NA), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 20:36 (seven years ago)

"ooh la la" by the faces

na (NA), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 20:36 (seven years ago)

was this revive due to the most recent hollywood handbook because i saw it just as that part the episode came up

na (NA), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 20:37 (seven years ago)

I'm genuinely trying to answer my own stupid question now because I had apparently auto-planted a false memory of employing this in a tongue-in-cheek fashion during the senior graduation slideshow that me and my friend had been put in charge of but I'm realizing now that it was released two years after my graduation. What the hell have you done to my brain, Green Day?

E Pluripubis Unum (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 20:48 (seven years ago)

(FWIW, it would absolutely have been playing at my brother's graduation a couple years later, but still.)

E Pluripubis Unum (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 20:49 (seven years ago)

I can’t stand this song but it’d probably me cry if I heard it again

josh az (2011nostalgia), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 20:52 (seven years ago)

better than that song from Dirty Dancing

― sarahell,

It is not better than "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."

Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 20:55 (seven years ago)

NA: yes.

I have measured out my life in coffee shop loyalty cards (silby), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:03 (seven years ago)

Anyway Vitamin C’s “Graduation” is also a classic in the video yearbook montage genre

I have measured out my life in coffee shop loyalty cards (silby), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:04 (seven years ago)

Do schools still use the "Always Wear Sunscreen" thing?

louise ck (milo z), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:10 (seven years ago)

In this case Gilman should of went 18 plus. Since all the American Idiot kids parents bought them tickets so the real GD fans that actually followed their career could of went. These American idiot kids suck. They don't even know who Operation Ivy is or even Rancid for that matter. They know Blink 182, Good Charlotte and Simple Plan and they think that's "Punk Rock"
I on the other hand liked Green Day when my sister had a Kerplunk Cassette and I was 12 years old. I remember being excited when I seen Longview on MTV. I did not have any feelings like "they sold out" I was happy GD was making new music and I could actually go to the store and get it and my friends now knew who they were. The difference between myself a once 12 year old GD fan is I was also into Bands Like Screeching Weasel, Fifteen, The Queers and Ramones. I followed Green Day through the real popular years like Dookie and was with them when people forgot about them like when Nimrod first came out...Then Time of your life came out but for REAL Green Day fans that was not a new song...No, that was a B Side off of Brain Stew single which was on Insomniac. So when all of sudden hat song was everyones Prom song it made me sick but I would still wave the Green Day flag. Then WARNING comes out and everyone forgets about Green Day BUT NOT ME. No, WARNING to me was one of my favorite GD records but it looked dark for the bands future. When I would bring the WARNING CD to my friends house they would say "Green Day is still around?" But I loved that album... Then years went by and all of sudden these "punk" bands were flowing on MTV and the REAL Green Day did not fit in, They did not have eyeliner, they did not wear skinny jeans, Nope Billie Joe just wore his high waters. And suddenly GD was "old" BUT THEN here comes American Idiot. Green day suddenly did not look like the band I had been following for over a decade. They had a complete make over, they looked like all those "punk" bands on MTV. They suddenly hitched onto the popular thing to do at the time that caused controversy and attack The President George Bush. Suddenly now Hot Topic was carrying Green day American Idiot underwear. American Idiot was the most over the top commercial. Green Day now was not my band that I have been supporting. It was taken over by these 12-16 year old kids who would write "Punk Rock" on their arms with a sharpie. It was like the band I loved was gone and replaced by people that kind of looked like them but they had makeup on. No longer the Green Day sound. I was all for Green Day trying different things like they did on WARNING but to completely sell out for the HOT TOPIC crowd broke my heart. Green Day suddenly were cool again, I could no longer see them at a place that held 1000 people, now I had to see them at these huge arenas. One thing I also lost was the Live Green Day shows. Back before American Idiot Green Day would have really cool opening bands like The Riverdales, bands that REAL GREEN DAY FANS loved! That all ended with American Idiot know we were force fed some band that was a major label was just trying to push like My Chemical Romance...I even enjoyed when Green Day went on Tour with The Living End but no more of those kind of bands. Now it was all about the eyeliner bands..I'm 33 years old now, I watched Green day grow up and I grew up with them. I watched them become fathers as I became a father myself. Make no mistake about it Green Day was basically my entire teenage life and adult life.. Those American Idiot "punk" Yuck, kids stole a piece of myself and stole my band.. I'm hoping Green Day one day goes back to being themselves again. Because these American Idiot kids are now dwindling down. There are still a huge group still around but as time passes the numbers are falling and as time passes I'm still here with MY band Green Day..I supported them in any way possible through out the dark days but I would not give 1 dollar during the American Idiot days. Here's to hoping Green Day made enough money and they can be real again. UNO, DOS,TRE I believe had some great songs on there and showed a glimmer of hope..
One thing is certain. I'm never leaving, that would be like abandoning my life. Oh on a side note for real GREEN DAY FANS. Mr T Experience, The Queers and Screeching Weasel are touring this summer!

louise ck (milo z), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:10 (seven years ago)

"End of the Road"

We were never Breeting Borting (President Keyes), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:14 (seven years ago)

The ‘90s were awful.

Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:31 (seven years ago)

i saw green day twice around this era. (97-99) and know they must have played this but have no recollection.

it's bad

real bad

( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:33 (seven years ago)

my first slow dance, s/o to allie sanders what up hope you had the time of yr life

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:37 (seven years ago)

Slow dance?!

I have measured out my life in coffee shop loyalty cards (silby), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:39 (seven years ago)

in THIS economy?!?

na (NA), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:40 (seven years ago)

truly a different time, back when we had the time. nowadays if a man had five minutes to himself he'd have to explain the gap in his resume

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:43 (seven years ago)

If kids today recorded this today it would be called "Cancelled (I hope you die in a fire)"

We were never Breeting Borting (President Keyes), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 21:49 (seven years ago)

i graduated from high school in 1997 and I think they played "In My Life" over the year-end tear-jerking slideshow thing ...

tylerw, Tuesday, 22 January 2019 22:01 (seven years ago)

my first slow dance

Lucky, mine was to "Brick."

louise ck (milo z), Tuesday, 22 January 2019 22:18 (seven years ago)

my first slow dance was Chris De Burgh

fuck the NRA (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 23 January 2019 00:22 (seven years ago)

Mine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN2RnjFHmNY

Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 23 January 2019 00:39 (seven years ago)

So weird, I was just recalling all ten excruciating minutes of my first slow dance this morning when 'November Rain' popped up on shuffle.

E Pluripubis Unum (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 23 January 2019 00:49 (seven years ago)

yes but Axl never smiled as smugly as Kenny G in that freeze frame

Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 23 January 2019 00:50 (seven years ago)

it's better than that "wake me when December ends" thing

brimstead, Wednesday, 23 January 2019 01:16 (seven years ago)

What the hell did people use to score misty-eyed reminiscence montages prior to the existence of this song? Like 'Alley Cat' or some shit?

"These Are The Days"

Infidels, Like Dylan In The Eighties (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 23 January 2019 01:24 (seven years ago)

FULL DISCLOSURE: My HS Theatre Dept. farewell video used "TATD" and "Good Riddance".

Infidels, Like Dylan In The Eighties (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 23 January 2019 01:25 (seven years ago)

When I think about it, this is actually one of my least favourite tracks on Nimrod. I understand that it's always had its fans but I've never really thought that much of it.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Friday, 25 January 2019 22:59 (seven years ago)

It's better than "Hitchin A Ride" at least

louise ck (milo z), Saturday, 26 January 2019 02:44 (seven years ago)

and the ska song from that album

louise ck (milo z), Saturday, 26 January 2019 02:45 (seven years ago)

Nah, I like both of those songs! Nimrod, Kerplunk and Insomniac are the three I mostly tend to listen to these days.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Saturday, 26 January 2019 21:04 (seven years ago)

Having said that, it would seem that I like American Idiot more than most on here too.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Saturday, 26 January 2019 21:05 (seven years ago)

Green Day is a bit too Grohl-y for me to be completely down with, but I like a few of their big hits. Not this one so much. It's doesn't come close to the glory of the song I had my first slow dance to in late summer 1986...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQHhqDRn4_c

omar little, Saturday, 26 January 2019 21:19 (seven years ago)

warning >>>>

jolene club remix (BradNelson), Saturday, 26 January 2019 21:50 (seven years ago)

idk why i'm struggling to remember what my first slow dance was

dyl, Saturday, 26 January 2019 21:54 (seven years ago)


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