_hazy August 25th, 2005 09:06PM  

This is about the American government and society during the Iraqi War. It begins by commenting on how the thousands of dead Americans and Iraqis are nameless to the average American citizen. The song expresses resentment with the corporate greed and corruption involved in the "rebuilding" effort, and shows how the average protester realizes that the pro-war money involved has more power than they can ever have. It also points out the irony of the Christian right-wing feeling religiously justified in this war: "Can I get another 'Amen'? There's a flag wrapped around the score of men."

anonymous October 31st, 2005 08:39AM  

I think that many songs on American Idiot have double meanings. Holiday, is one of them. As Billie Joe often says in concert, "This song is a big f*** you, to George W Bush", I think it also relates to the Jesus of Suburbia (JOS) story. This song is about the JOS leaving home because he's fed up with a lot of things, so he's out on the streets, hence "here the sound of the falling rain..." the part where the JOS says, 'i beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies' shows that hes feeling a bit like a rebel.

but, this song is also very much about war and whatnot for very obvious reasons.

misterpants January 16th, 2006 07:47PM  

The title of the song refers to the amount of time President Bush spent on Holiday in the lead up to 9/11 (42% of the 8 months preceding) when he should have been looking at reports pointing towards an attack. The 'armageddon flame' and 'ones who died without a name' are from the twin towers. It later moves on to Bush speaking. 'Zeig Heil to the President Gas Man (Saddam Hussein, who gassed the Khurds), bombs away is you're ... pulverise the Eiffel Towers ...' is referring to the countries who failed to join USA and UK in the war and that they can expect revenge. It then moves on to war in Iraq etc. (I know a slightly different view but that's how it seems to me, I am English though).

why February 15th, 2006 11:14PM  

Most of the meaning of this song is pretty obvious. There is one part where people think it refers to Sadaam, but I think this is just comparing Bush to Hitler. "Zieg heil to the president gas man," could just be something the "Representative from California" says before the rest of it. "Bang, bang goes the broken glass man / Kill all the fags that (don't a-gree) / Trials by fire, set it fire," could just be referring to the German Kristallnacht, Hitler's killing of homosexuals (and Bush's homophobia), and the concentration camps. Of course, this is just my opinion.

Tsururu May 13th, 2006 03:55AM  

"Zieg heil to the president gasman
Bombs away is your punishment"

These lines compare President Bush to Hitler, in that they both wipe out opposition, regardless of whether their opinions are valid or not, but only because it disagrees with them.

"Pulverize the Eiffel towers
Who criticize your government"

This line refers to France's refusal to endorse the US plan to invade Iraq and how American media attacked France, accusing them of ferocious criticism.

"Bang bang goes the broken glass, man
Kill all the fags that don't agree"

The broken glass imply that the war is as pointless and indignant as a street fights and barroom brawls where they use any weapons they can get their hands on out of hostility. Using the term 'fags' show the intolerance and ignorance of the narrow-minded government.

"Trials by fire setting fire
Is not a way that's meant for me"

(Yes the posted lyrics are wrong; I'm getting mine straight from the album booklet.)

In these lines, the singer is saying he doesn't agree with the American government's idea of serving justice, which is exacting revenge by firing back.

anonymous January 3rd, 2007 07:29PM  

"Hear the sound of the falling rain
Coming down like an Armageddon flame."

The above two lines represent a military assault on a city. The falling rain symbolizes bullets and bombs and the Armageddon flame is the fire and destruction and loss of life it ensues. The word "Armageddon" means the end of the world and to many, it's the end of their world (their lives) and their way of life. Also note the religious the connotation of Armageddon flames coming down from the sky like rain, or coming from the heavens, the opposite of the flames coming from the ground, or hell.

"The shame, the ones who die without a name"

The ones who died without a name represent both the citizens of the attacked city or town or the soldiers who lost their lives in the attack. The lost names represent how their lives essentially mean nothing as no one even knows their name. They are mere pawns in a political conflict. They are just a number. The no-names can also represent people who have no choice, because they have no voice against the assault.

"Hear the dogs howling out of key
To a hymn called Faith and Misery"

A hymn is a song to honor God, a deity or a nation. The dogs represent the dogs of war who are howling, not singing this hymn, and how they are in the conflict for both Faith, something pure and good, and Misery, something horrible and undesirable.

"And bleed, the company lost the war today"

These dogs of war bleed in the conflict, yet the only bleeding the attacking country's government experiences is not the pity or anguish of losing its men and women in conflict, it's the bottom line of it's corporate affiliates (Halliburton). The company lost the war because of something not going right (the Iraq conflict), not the country's "liberation" of an oppressed nation.

"I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives"

The song then shifts to first person, symbolizing the individual and pointing out that the speaker is not a no-name, and refuses to believe the hollow, or empty lies the government and media portray about the war. The line "This is the dawning of the rest of our lives" emphasizes the urgency for Americans to vote as the election is the dawning of the rest of everyone's lives.

"On Holiday."

Holiday represents how everyone just sits back, on vacation, and lets it happen. Those who don't vote or care about what's going on around them are those on Holiday, or those who vacation from reality.

"here the drum pounding out of time
Another protester has crossed the line (Hey!)
To find, the money's on the other side"

The drum pounding out of time represents the drums of war and by them pounding out of time it symbolizes how unnecessary the conflict (war) is. The drums of war are not synchronized because they are unnecessarily beating. The protester crossing the line symbolize the people speaking out against the conflict only to realize that the money, the fuel for the war, favors those who support it and are on the other side of the picket fence. Those on the other side are the government and the rich.

"Can I get another Amen (Amen)
There's a flag wrapped around a score of men"


The line "Can I get another Amen" represents the role religion plays in the conflict and how it is a fuel and motivation for the conflict and often times an excuse for it. The flag wrapped around the score of men represents the flag draped coffins of our soldiers in whos bodies come back to the US for burial in the name of Old Glory.

"A gag, A plastic bag on a monument"

A gag, represents the silence of the war and how no one speaks out against its atrocities. The plastic bag represents how the good of America is suffocating and unable to speak against it's government. The word monument symbolizes the good of America which is being suppressed. The plastic bag is also symbolic for a body bag, which the good of America is being placed inside of.



"The representative from [California] has the floor."

The above line is what the speaker of the US House of Representatives would say when the said representative makes a motion. This line points out that the attacking country is the United States as this government's representatives make motions to continue the conflict.

"Zieg heil to the president gasman"

"Zieg heil" is German for "We Will Win." A once popular belief in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. A gasman is someone who produces, distributes, or sells gas for industrial or commercial use. The president, or in this case George W. Bush, is considered a gasman, someone who seeks oil. Zieg heil is also an allusion to Nazi Germany and it's quest for global domination. Green Day is comparing Hitler and Germany to present day United States and George W. Bush.

"Bombs away is your punishment
Pulverize the Eiffel towers
who criticize your government"

Bombs away, or military conflict, is the US response to those who "criticize" our government or way of life. Pulverizing the Eiffel towers would be an allusion to the US citizen's response (boycott, Freedom Fries, etc.) to France for not aiding in the Iraq or Afghan conflict.


"Bang bang goes the broken glass"

The broken glass is the shattered government of Iraq and essentially our own government as well. The glass representes stability.

"Kill all the fags that don't agree"

The word "fags" is used to represent bigotry and how being anti-war, or anti-military can leave you branded as a "fag" or homosexual. It's commonly used in the military and society to represent those who aren't considered strong or masculine.


"Trails by fire setting fire
Is not a way that's meant for me"

A trial by fire is a state of pain or anguish that tests patience, endurance, or beliefs. The trial by fire symbolizes the American will and tolerance of it's government's wrong doings and how what it is doing is "setting fire," or causing more pain, violence and conflict. The following line "Is not a way that's meant for me" emphasizes the speaker's rebellion toward just sitting back and enduring the pain and anguish and is wholeheartedly questioning his government and is voicing his own beliefs.

"Just cause

Just 'cause we're outlaws yeah"

The "Just Cause" would be the justice of liberating the nation of Iraq, one of the original purposes of the Iraq war. The speaker than alludes the Just Cause to a slang in modern English or emphasizing an accent to the word "because" shortening it to "'cause." The just 'cause we're outlaws" is an allusion to George W. Bush's cowboy diplomacy and how the United States being "outlaws" violates the law and order of war and peace set forth by the United Nations.

"This is our lives on Holiday."

The final line in the song further emphasizes how our lives are all on vacation from reality and how we just sit back and allow the media to feed us the "hollow lies" of the war and how we don't vote for change. The line also symbolizes what happens when everyone becomes apathetic toward their government and doesn't force it to be accountable for it's actions.

lgcallahan July 10th, 2009 07:19PM  

Just Cause, Just Cause.... is a play on "just because" we can and this is a "just cause" worth killing for. It also is likely a reference to Operation Just Cause in Panama under the previous Bush administration which ousted "our friend" Manuel Noriega

greendayfreak90 August 6th, 2009 01:37PM  

Holiday points to the Iraq war obviously "Hear the sound of the falling rain, coming down like an Armageddon flame, the shame, the ones who died without a name"...The soldiers in Iraq are "the ones who died without a name" "Hear the drum pounding out of time, another protester has crossed the line"...There are people who protest against the war, and get a little out of hand "Pulverize the Eiffel Towers, who critize your (government)"...other countrys critize us (Russia, North Korea) and we say "get off of our case, we will run our country the way we want to" ...Again, this is what I think...