“Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day

The iconic modern-punk band Green Day is no stranger to writing and performing mournful and nostalgic ballads. As we’ve seen before, their early song, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” has served as an inspiration to many who play it at graduations, funerals and any other celebration that serves as a turning point for life. So it’s no wonder that “Wake Me Up When September Ends” is one of their most recognized singles off of their 2005 album, American Idiot.

Just as summer turns into fall, the passing of a loved one is the passing of an era, where pleasant memories become cherished treasures.

“Wake Me Up When September Ends” arguably has the most layered symbolism on their album. The song itself was written by Billie Joe Armstrong about the father that he lost as a child in September of 1982. The mournful opening lines, “Summer has come and passed/The innocent can never last,” tell us an all-too-common story of how dark and gloomy you can feel after a loved one has passed away. Just as summer turns into fall, the passing of a loved one is the passing of an era, where pleasant memories become cherished treasures.

It can become dangerously easy to check out in times of strife and choose to let life pass you by in hopes of letting the pain subside.

The titular phrase, “Wake me up when September ends,” also harks to how grief can quickly turn into depression at the loss of a beloved friend or family member. It can become dangerously easy to check out in times of strife and choose to let life pass you by in hopes of letting the pain subside. In many cases, survivors do end up ‘checking out’ in these times of grief, until their pain can be processed and more easily managed and understood.

“Wake Me Up When September Ends” shows us that we are not alone in our grief.

While this song focuses solely on how the pain of loss can alter your life, there is an underlying unity to the song as well. Just as Armstrong’s father passed away in September, so too did many of the people in the 9/11 attacks of 2001. This song, which references the 9^th month, and holds the place of the 11^th track on the album, is an homage to the friends and families that had to deal with the pain of surviving their loved ones. In this light, “Wake Me Up When September Ends” shows us that we are not alone in our grief. Though it may be strong, others will be there with us to experience the same pain, and perhaps make us stronger for it.

Find the lyrics here.

Watch the video here: