21st Century Breakdown

It's basically a song about Billie Joe's life and the generations in which him and his kids grew up in.

Born in to Nixon I was raised in hell. He was born in 1972 when Nixon was president and did not have a good upbringing. A welfare child where the teamsters dwelled. His town was unionized and the Teamsters were one of the biggest unions back then. Last one and the first one to run. My town was blind from the refinery sun. He was the youngest of his siblings but first to move out. Also references Born to Run by Springsteen. The oil refinery was the biggest source of jobs in his town.

The chorus references John Lennon (Working Class Hero) and the Who (My generation is Zero). The 21st century breakdown stuff references the fact that many people in this century feel lost with no direction in live.

I was made of poison and blood. Condemnation is well understood. He was not brought up well and feels like he is damned to hell after death. Video games of the tower's fall. Homeland security can kill us all. This is a comment on the post 9/11 world and the fact that Homeland Security can spy on us. Also a reference of COD modern warfare and drone strike.

We are the class of the class of thirteen. The graduating class of Billie's oldest son (and me) Born in the era of humility.
We are the desperate in the decline. Kids Billie's son's age (and mine) are going into the workforce in a time will there are not a lot of job and we may suffer unemployment. Raised by the bastards of 1969. If a person was born in 1969 and had a kid in 1995 like Billie, they would be 26 years old at the time of their kids birth and kid don't always see eye-to-eye with their parents. It could also reference the sexual position or the fact that 1969 was during the "free love" era and people who had unplanned pregnancy in 1969 became grandparents. Not sure if one or both those comments is correct.

My name is no one, your long lost son Born on the fourth of July Raised in the era of heroes and cons That left me for dead or alive. This is about the current state of the country and how our government is sending people off to war to die.

I am a nation, a worker of pride My debt to the status quo The scars on my hands there a means to an end Is all that I have to show This is about the average working class man and how he has to scrap for everything he's ever got.

I swallowed my pride and choked on my faith I've given my heart and my soul I've broken my fingers and I've lied through my teeth The pillar of damage control

I've been to the edge And I've thrown the bouquet of flowers left over the grave I sat in the waiting room, wasting my time And waiting for Judgment Day These two verse could be about the contemplation of suicide by desperate people who feel stuck

I praise liberty The freedom to obey Is the song that strangles me Well don't cross the line This is about being left wing and the rights we have as Americans to speak out against the government and how they have been restricted.

Oh, dream, America, dream. The American dream I can't even sleep From the light's early dawn Shattered dreams because if you can't sleep you can't dream Oh, scream, America, scream Believe what you see From heroes and cons. The government is depicted as heroes by the media but they are both really cons who are just out to trick you. You basically have two options from Billie perspective. Stand up and scream if you feel the government in wrong or naively believe everything you see in the media.