Billie Joe Armstrong Of Green Day Originally Wrote This Massive Hit for 5 Seconds of Summer.

Billie Joe Armstrong says one of Green Day’s fan-favorite hits “Still Breathing “was almost a 5 Seconds of Summer song.

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong looked back on some of the band’s biggest songs with People this week in honor of their upcoming 14th studio album, Saviors, which is out on Friday, January 19.

He also shared the fascinating backstory of “Still Breathing,” which is featured on the 2016 album Revolution Radio.

Armstrong continued , “I was asked to write a song for a band called 5 Seconds of Summer.” “I was writing the lyrics when all of a sudden it hit me, ‘Oh my God, there’s no f—ing way I’m giving these guys this song.'” There are a lot of [lyrics] that depict someone’s final moments because they are so powerful. It is merely a song about surviving.

The song’s chorus has Armstong singing,“Cause I’m still breathing on my own / My head’s above the rain and roses / Making my way away / My way to you,” The song reached at No. 11 on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs list.

Armstrong also discussed the songs “Basket Case,” “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life),” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends” in other parts of the interview. He mentioned the song’s themes of loneliness in “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” saying, “It’s just about loneliness.” You always get a feeling of loneliness when I’m writing songs for a record.

Armstrong said, “At that time, I went to New York by myself. I was staying in an apartment, and I was there for quite some time — over a couple months — and I was just trying to focus on writing [2004’s American Idiot] with no distractions. There can be all of this chaos going on around you, but ultimately you can find yourself pretty alone in the world.”

He said in an interview that “[Our] thirty years of experience have kind of come together.” Whether it’s a line from “Dookie” or “American Idiot,” I believe we were able to go over the differences and create an album that is practically indispensable to us. Notably, the releases of “Dookie,” “American Idiot,” and “Saviors” will occur ten years apart  from each other.

“Honesty and vulnerability,” they added, noting that the album is about, “Power pop, punk, rock, indie triumph. disease, war, inequality, influencers, yoga retreats, alt right, dating apps, masks, MENTAL HEALTH, climate change, oligarchs, social media division, free weed, fentanyl, fragility.”

“Saviors” has received four stars from NME. In his review, Andrew Trendell echoed Armstrong’s assessment of the record, noting: “The band’s decision to travel in celebration of 30 years of “Dookie” and 20 years of “American Idiot” later this summer is also rather serendipitous. “Saviors” not only spiritually unites the two, but it also conveys a different message by utilizing the band’s best musical choices.

Saviors is the follow-up to 2020’s Father of All Motherf–kers and was recorded in London and Los Angeles by Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirt, and drummer Tré Cool. It also marks a reunion with veteran producer Rob Cavallo. Saviors will be released on Reprise/Warner Records. “Saviors is an invitation into Green Day’s brain, their collective spirit as a band, and an understanding of friendship, culture and legacy of the last 30 plus years. It’s raw and emotional. Funny and disturbing. It’s a laugh at the pain, weep in the happiness kind of record,” the group said in an Instagram  announcing the project.

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