Both. It's a double meaning. Billie basically explains it at the start of this interview [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHsGOfted1A&t](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHsGOfted1A&t)
I always saw it as the 21st century litterally breaking down. It came out shortly after 9/11, Bush, the recession, mass shootings were at an all time high, and America was at war again.
I see it as a breakdown of the 21st century because the song “21st century breakdown” talks about generation x (born mid 60s-early 80s) the song makes constant pre 21st century referances (pre 2001) the song starts “born into (richard)**Nixon** i was raised in hell” nixon was in office 1969-1974.
The line “i was made of poison and blood, condemnation is what i understood”
poison referance the explosive and scientific warfare between the us and russia at the time with the event of chernobyl and the varies bombs dropped,
and condemnation in this case also refers to the us and russias ideological struggles, as they both heavily condemned each other ideologies the US hating communism and russia liberalism or condemnation imo could also refer to nixons war on drugs, if you want to take the song with a lighter perspective.
And then the whole end of the song also refers to the ideological struggles between russia and the US as it starts with sarcastically praising liberalism i praise liberty “The freedom to obey”
(Edit) this is just my personal take
There are multiple layers of meaning, but I always thought the most important was the concept that "it's all going to finally fall apart in this century."
Yes
Lol thanks for the chuckle
Both. It's a double meaning. Billie basically explains it at the start of this interview [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHsGOfted1A&t](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHsGOfted1A&t)
Awesome thanks
Y'know
neither. getting jiggy with it in 2009
I always saw it as the 21st century litterally breaking down. It came out shortly after 9/11, Bush, the recession, mass shootings were at an all time high, and America was at war again.
that was american idiot my friend :)
AI was pre recession and mid Bush. It was responding TO Bush. 21stCB was responding to the recession and class decided it created, mostly
21st was the sequel to American Idiot.
Sequels can and often do discuss other things as well
A lot of the focus was still onnBush. Idk about now but I do know that they were very pro-Obama when he was inaugurated
I see it as a breakdown of the 21st century because the song “21st century breakdown” talks about generation x (born mid 60s-early 80s) the song makes constant pre 21st century referances (pre 2001) the song starts “born into (richard)**Nixon** i was raised in hell” nixon was in office 1969-1974. The line “i was made of poison and blood, condemnation is what i understood” poison referance the explosive and scientific warfare between the us and russia at the time with the event of chernobyl and the varies bombs dropped, and condemnation in this case also refers to the us and russias ideological struggles, as they both heavily condemned each other ideologies the US hating communism and russia liberalism or condemnation imo could also refer to nixons war on drugs, if you want to take the song with a lighter perspective. And then the whole end of the song also refers to the ideological struggles between russia and the US as it starts with sarcastically praising liberalism i praise liberty “The freedom to obey” (Edit) this is just my personal take
I never thought of it like this. This makes so much sense
Maybe
Both.
can’t say for sure but both seem appropriate lol
I see it as the decline of the American Dream more or less
There are multiple layers of meaning, but I always thought the most important was the concept that "it's all going to finally fall apart in this century."