Green Day

Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong penned the lyrics to this song in the aftermath of his father's death on September 10, 1982. At the funeral, Armstrong cried, ran ...

A live version of the song, recorded at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, was released on September 3 of the same year, dedicated to the hurricane’s victims. He claims the music video was an attempt to “turn the machine on itself” by acting as a commercial for “free thought of peace.” Some fans think it’s cruel that people would continually remind the singer of such a difficult time in his life, trying to cut the memes off at the pass. Among the tracklist is the somber offering, “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” written by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong as an ode to his late father. Given the song’s morose deeper meaning, many fans of the punk outfit claim the memes are insensitive – Armstrong himself wishes they would “get a life” from time to time. Some of the song’s first lines reference his late father and the time that has passed since his death.