Green Day Cover John Lennon On American Idol
After a deep fit of soul searching, we decided to forgo the big American Idol finalé last night in favor of having dinner with Man Man in Chinatown (post tk). Did we miss anything? Guess Jordin Sparxxx taking it home didn't surprise anybody, and we're hearing the best performance of the night was ... Sanjaya's? That's sad. Then again, he's more interesting and self-aware than the rest of the "Top" 12 combined.
Anyway, thanks to YouTube we do know that Green Day offered up their homage to Lennon with "Working Class Hero," and you just know Billy Joe loved singing "keep you doped with religion and sex and TV" to the vapid fame whores in that crowd. That song selection was hott, dawg.
Posted at 1:22 PM in Video
Tags: American Idol | Green Day | John Lennon
Despite the song selection, does it negate actually playing on the Idol finale?
I'm not sure.
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Next year, they need to get My Chemical Romance to cover Sonic Youth's 'I Killed Christgau with My Big Fucking Dick.'
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can't green day just die off already?
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"GREEN DAY COVER..." and not "GREEN DAY COVERS..."? Again with the pretentious English vernacular.
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stereogum, i'm so disappointed in you...surely you didn't forget about the mindf*&k that was the 2 hour season finale of LOST? Say it ain't so gum, say it ain't so???
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I'm sick of this "fourth member" bullshit, even moreso than the eyeliner. Dammit, that could've been played with three!
Anyway, it's a disgrace that Green Day would appear on American POS. Still, no matter what happens to the band, it's nice to know that Tre Cool will always look apeshit insane while drumming.
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Stayed up 'til 3 watching it, Jeff! Aside from Jack's pill-popping Nirvana scene, we're hard up for excuses to blog it. Need to watch it like three more times to have it all the insanity sink in.
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I want to hear about dinner with Man Man. I saw them open up for Modest Mouse a few weeks ago ... they were incredible.
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Can't Green Day just... die already? I mean seriously.. what the fuck.
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Not as good as the original, but still a sight better than the other Lennon (& McCartney) tunes that got trampled on that there finale, mostly from Sgt. Pepper, of course. It's the whipping boy of the Beatles' catalog.
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Evan, Greenday 2.0 is pretty popular with the kids these days. They have actually done a good job of remarketing themselves to a new genneration. My "tween" aged cousin told me that she 'loves' green day and their only album Ameican Idiot. I guess I'll have to rip her my ragged dookie cassette.
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I'm with Jeff & Amrit - all eyes were on Lost last night with the Beach Boys coding & the death of Drive Shaft. What an episode!
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Green Day on American Idol....pretty fuckin punk rock, if you think about it.
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"Aside from Jack's pill-popping Nirvana scene, we're hard up for excuses to blog it."
Hearing Scentless Apprentice in LOST was fucking awesome!
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Pretty f'n punk rock? Um...no. Not even if I think about it.
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I think that youtube clip was made with a video camera pointed at a tv. And with the autofocus on too! Is that for legal reasons or something?
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Oh, right....I forgot that irony doesn't translate that well on comment boards, unless I fucking spell it out, so then...what's the fucking point.
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Lame, lame, lame, LAME... One of the greatest songs ever written reduced from a powerful social statement to a Bob Geldof-ized, commodified piece of sheepish dissent. No one should feel good after hearing that song, much less screaming their heads off on American Idol. Fuck.
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Greg is right.
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As a long time gree day fan, I'm very conflicted with this performance. After the whole American Idiot statement, this is possibly the most hypcritical thing the band can ever do. On the other hand, they finally ditched that guyliner and started to convey their regular look. Plus the song was just boring and drab which didnt add any appeal to their stage presense. Billie even seemed bored. OH well, I do agree how its cosmic that the band can still attract a preteen audience in 2007.
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as a working class hero & old line punk, i'm quite proud of GREEN DAY...they are consistly bringing great music & message to those younger then i...
the only band today that can carry the punk banner.
critics be damned...keep hammering away E.BAY
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"the only band today that can carry the punk banner"
what??? youve got to be kidding me. im half tempted to send you a rise against cd. now THAT is punk. i can name loads of other bands still playing today that can carry the banner far more and far better than green day is doing today. i hope you correct your ignorance of the current punk scene, because there are some great punk bands out there. sadly enough they arent on warped tour anymore (for the most part) but they are still out there.
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"GEORGE BUSH SUCKS!! OIL IS BAD!! GLOBAL WARMING!! THERE WERE NO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION!!"
HEY ARE OUR RECORDS SELLING YET? NO? MAYBE WE SHOULD GO ON AMERICAN IDOL! OH! AND COVER JOHN LENNON! THAT WILL GIVE US STREET CRED! HEY DO YOU THINK AVRIL MIGHT WANT TO DO A DUET AND WE COULD SING "KNOCKING ON HEAVEN'S DOOR" TOGETHER?
Through shitty cover songs and fake empathy, we can help change the world.
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"Through shitty cover songs and fake empathy, we can help change the world."
Now that's a slogan Bob Geldof could put his name to.
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Oh, bullshit. It seemed pretty clear that the band wasn't all that stoked to be there, and that it was a promo gig for the "Instant Karma" album thing--not a "sell out" manuever.
Plus, that song is completely overrated in the first place--not Green Day's fault they couldn't inject life into a fairly terrible melody.
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Here's a better version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_93XKmZwdY
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""Through shitty cover songs and fake empathy, we can help change the world."
Now that's a slogan Bob Geldof could put his name to."
Tru that.
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Oh Im sorry...does Green Day have the foggiest notion what being a "working class hero" is, unless they live vicariously through there retarded, blind fan base? I think not. The performance was totally "punk". Whered lil Billys eye liner go? I find it appalling that at the age of 33 of whatever age Billy Boy is, he finally decided to start wearing eye liner. Such an honest, hard working band. Such an incredible talent they are. pssh. They have most certainly remained true to their roots. John Lennon would be so proud. Taking a true, political song and
using it as a lame marketing tool on the show that truly embodies just how pathetic american culture has become.
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I fail to see anything wrong with Green Day doing Working Class Hero and playing it on American Idol. First off, it sure as hell isn't as good as the original, but how many covers are? Let them bring a great song to a generation that won't otherwise be exposed to it and work their way into Lennon and the Beatles. Then they play it on American Idol. Big deal. They pretty much sacrificed whatever punk cred they might have had with Warning. (And what's wrong with being a great rock bandanyway, even if it isn't punk?) If anything Green Day was playing the song on American Idol to bring attention to the new CD whose profits benefit African relief. How terrible of them, you know, to have a social conscience and all.
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I fail to see anything wrong with Green Day doing Working Class Hero and playing it on American Idol. First off, it sure as hell isn't as good as the original, but how many covers are? Let them bring a great song to a generation that won't otherwise be exposed to it and work their way into Lennon and the Beatles. Then they play it on American Idol. Big deal. They pretty much gave up on whatever punk cred they might have had with Warning. (And what's wrong with being a great rock band anyway, even if it isn't punk?) If anything Green Day was playing the song on American Idol to bring attention to the new CD whose profits benefit African relief. How terrible of them, you know, to have a social conscience and all.
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Hate "Idol", love Green Day. However, whether you like the band, or used to like the band, or never liked the band, way too many of these postings sound like those guys who flamed the quarterback, because they didn't make the football team.
Give me a break! What better way to stick it to the Man than to take the Man's money and become a fucking millionaire doing what you love?
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Oh, such silly criticts.
First off, Green Day covered 'Working Class Hero' for a compilation album, called 'Instant Karma: Campaign to Save Darfur'. Them being on American Idol was just to spread the word to a wider crowd than just music stations. And they did an absolute brilliant cover! John Lennon would be HONORED! They even left the last few seconds of the original song in it. John Lennon ENCOURAGED others to chant his songs; spread the word, and you people are knocking what he set out to do. Tut tut.
Secondly, Green Day are punks no matter what anyone else says. Punk does not apply ONLY to the music. In otherwords; they can be punk and not play overtly "punk" music. They've paied their dues in plenty, and they work very hard. They have not by any stetch of the imagination has easy lives. I'VE had it easier; YOU'VE had it easier. They didn't have any of the lecheries that any of us have. Now they make money, yes, lots of money because they're sucessful, wonderful musicians and people. Give it a rest!
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