Re: Weird Al Goes Political
Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:32 pm
I like how, when he decides to, Al can mix politics and humor with out going too far. He's pretty funny.
Not to be off topic, but I feel if we can get a grasp of the original song then we could figure out what Al was trying to say in Canadian Idiot.TMBJon wrote:Good point, but it's fairly well documented that the album as a whole is a reaction to George Bush's America.weird_el wrote:I'm pretty sure American Idiot's idiot isn't W., but the people in general who follow the "redneck agenda"
From Wikipedia (I know reliable source--but still
):Also this bit:Story of American Idiot wrote: The album's protagonist, Jesus of Suburbia, emerged out of Armstrong asking himself what sort of person the title of "American Idiot" referred to. Armstrong described the character as essentially an anti-hero, a powerless "everyman" desensitized by a "steady diet of soda pop and Ritalin". Jesus of Suburbia hates his town and those close to him, so he leaves for the city. As the album progresses the characters St. Jimmy and Whatsername are introduced. St. Jimmy is a punk rock freedom fighter. Whatsername, inspired by the Bikini Kill song "Rebel Girl", is a "Mother Revolution" figure that Armstrong described as "kind of St. Jimmy's nemesis in a lot of ways". Both characters illustrate the "rage vs. love" theme of the album, in that "you can go with the blind rebellion of self-destruction, where Saint Jimmy is. But there's a more love-driven side to that, which is following your beliefs and ethics. And that's where Jesus of Suburbia really wants to go", according to Armstrong. Near the end of the story, St. Jimmy apparently commits suicide. While the singer did not want to give away the details of the story's resolution, he said the intention is for the listener to ultimately realize that Jesus of Suburbia is really St. Jimmy, and Jimmy is "part of the main character that pretty much dies". In the album's final song, "Whatsername", Jesus of Suburbia loses his connection with Whatsername as well.
All from wikipedia. Hope that clears up some of the confusion.Since American Idiot is a concept album, all songs are part of the story and American Idiot is not an exception. The song is basically a summary or a little preview of the story in the album which is the story of Jesus of Suburbia, a young man who, tired of his life in his hometown, decides to escape and head for the city. It talks about the "vegetable-like" state of mind of many Americans and it criticizes the politics of the US Government, the Iraq War, the struggle for the rights of the homosexuals, the propaganda on TV and the lack of individuality in Americans as well, along with many other political and social subjects, all from the point of view of the main character of the story.
