Green Day's "Jesus of Suburbia"

[BrooklynBoy200]

Is Green Day’s song Jesus of Suburbia anti-christian in some way? I think it’s a good song but i always get a bit uncomfortable when a band says the name Jesus and i don’t know what they mean.

 

[Kevin42]

I’m the son of rage and love
The Jesus of Suburbia
From the bible of none of the above
On a steady diet of soda pop and Ritalin
No one ever died for my sins in hell
As far as I can tell
At least the ones I got away with

And there’s nothing wrong with me
This is how I’m supposed to be
In a land of make believe
That don’t believe in me

Get my television fix sitting on my crucifix
The living room or my private womb
While the moms and brads are away
To fall in love and fall in debt
To alcohol and cigarettes and Mary Jane
To keep me insane and doing someone else’s cocaine

And there’s nothing wrong with me
This is how I’m supposed to be
In a land of make believe
That don’t believe in me

The first few verses.

I agree, when I got the CD, I was very uncomfortable listening to this song because of the part that I bolded. I listened to it for a while, but I decided there were plenty of other songs I could listen to without this one, so I decided to stop. I suggest that we don’t listen to this song at all.

 

[Damascus]

I am surprised this got posted by a Catholic. Brooklyn Boy, you really have some threads that sorta make me wonder sometimes.
I hope you dont live too close to the WBTS headquarters in Brooklyn.

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

I usually skip through the “Jesus of Suburbia” part of the song anyway, i was just wondering.

 

[lak611]

I think the song is about a person who does not know any better. There are many young people who were never raised in any faith or religion. It is up to us who are Catholic to evangelize those folks. What they do not understand is not necessarily any fault of their own if their parents and/or godparents never taught them the faith. We need to show them what it means to be Catholic Christians, by the examples of how we live our lives, using the Bible and the catechism as references if necessary.

 

[CathCentrist]

I think the song is about a person who does not know any better. There are many young people who were never raised in any faith or religion. It is up to us who are Catholic to evangelize those folks. What they do not understand is not necessarily any fault of their own if their parents and/or godparents never taught them the faith. We need to show them what it means to be Catholic Christians, by the examples of how we live our lives, using the Bible and the catechism as references if necessary.

Agreed. There are mahy ways to interpret this song and thats how I look at it. Not my favorite GD song, but it doesnt bother me due to how you explained this outlook which I have

 

[ribozyme]

I personally love that Green Day song. I am do not believe in anything supernatural though.

I love “Wake me up when September Ends” as my favorite Green Day song. It is so sad, sometimes I tear up when I hear it.

 

[katiemonster]

It’s teenage angst…from a bunch of 30-year-olds. :shrugs:

It rhymes, it’s interesting…Teens like it.

We don’t really go around comparing the suburbs to hell on earth. None of us think we’re the modern day Jesus. It’s poetry and its applicable to everyone when taken out of religious context. Suffering, redemption, etc. occurs in daily life outside of religion.

It’s point isn’t to dramatize or compare our lives to the passion of Jesus. It’s a sooooooong, and anything in the universe can be made into a sooooooooooong, even microwaves and mustard.

I don’t see that a lesson needs to be taught about this song, at least from a teenage point of view. We don’t take it too seriously, and neither should any older adult.

-K

 

[havemercy]

I’ve never liked Green Day. I don’t “get” them.

 

[Damascus]

I’ve never liked Green Day. I don’t “get” them.

You and me both. I am not worried about them having teenage angst as middle aged persons, my concern is the mention of Our Risen Lord in such a disrespectful way.

Let them come up with someone else to pick on, I think what Jesus did on the Cross for them ought to be enough.

Apparently not. How sad they torture him again and again this way.

Not Prudent.