Redundant (song) explained

Redundant
Cover:	Green Day - Redundant cover.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Green Day
Album:	Nimrod
Released:	^[1]
Genre:	Pop punk^[2] alternative rock^[3] pop
Length:	3:17
Label:	Reprise
Lyricist:	Billie Joe Armstrong
Composer:	Green Day
Producer:	Rob Cavallo Green Day
Prev Title:	Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
Prev Year:	1997
Next Title:	Nice Guys Finish Last
Next Year:	1999

"Redundant" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from their fifth album, Nimrod (1997), and serves as the fourth track from that album. Released in April 1998, the song failed to match the chart positions of its predecessors but did reach number two in Australia when it was reissued as a double A-side with "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", becoming the band's highest-charting solo single there.

It is one of few Green Day songs in which vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong uses an effects pedal.

Meaning

Before the Nimrod sessions, Billie Joe Armstrong's marriage had been deteriorating, with the singer arguing with his wife Adrienne Armstrong constantly. Influenced by this conflict, Armstrong reflected on the relationship from two standpoints; the first being his passion for his wife, the second being the repetitious pattern that the relationship had fallen into. The phrase "I love you" had lost its effectiveness and seemed to be said merely out of routine.

Music video

The music video for "Redundant", directed by Mark Kohr,^[4] is an homage to Zbigniew Rybczyński's short film Tango. It features the three band members performing the song in the middle of a home. The camera angle remains static for the duration of the video.

In the background, several people repeat various mundane tasks for the duration of the video:

• A newspaper is thrown from offscreen.
• A woman stretches her arms and yawns, and then collects the paper and leaves.
• Someone takes a painting off of a wall and replaces it with a new one; then someone else comes in and replaces that painting with the one that has just been replaced.
• An old lady walks in and tries to find her way out.
• A young girl walks from the left side of the screen, places a box on the coffee table next to the couch, and then climbs out of a window.
• A man in a green suit jacket walks around, picks up the box from the coffee table and leaves.
• A man in a cowboy hat comes in through a door and walks around.
• A woman in a bright red dress (Dita Von Teese) removes her dress and then walks away in her bra and shorts.
• A balding man comes in, puts on a pair of trousers, then leaves.
• An obese man walks in from behind, bringing a plant and putting it on a table by the wall.
• A woman with a large pot picks up the plant and walks around.
• A couple walks towards a couch and begins making out, then leave while they continue kissing.
• A man is vacuuming.
• A young boy wearing red boxer shorts and long black socks comes in through a window, looks around, and leaves.

The activity peaks near the middle of the video and declines near the end. Tré and Mike leave, but Billie Joe removes his guitar, hands it offscreen, and picks up the newspaper before walking away. The woman comes out to get the paper and screams upon finding it gone.

Track listings

UK single 7-inch^[5]

The live tracks were recorded live at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the exception of "Reject All American" which is listed as live, however following the entire Electric Factory show being released as part of the Nimrod 25th anniversary, it was confirmed that the track is a studio recording with added crowd noise.

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1998)	Position
Australia (ARIA)^[6]	8
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)^[7]	74

Notes and References

1. April 25, 1998 . New Releases: Singles . . 27.
2. Web site: Best Green Day Songs: 20 Blazing Pop-Punk Anthems For Misfits.
3. Web site: The 88 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1998 . February 14, 2023 . . October 25, 2018 . February 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230215004400/https://www.spin.com/2018/10/best-alternative-rock-songs-1998/3/ . live .
4. http://www.mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Green%20Day mvdbase.com - Green Day
5. Redundant . Green Day . 1998 . UK 7-inch single sleeve . Reprise Records . WO438, 5439-17212-7.
6. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1998 . April 12, 2021 . . November 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211129100809/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1998/singles-chart . live .
7. December 25, 1998 . Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 1998 . . 6 . 52 . 36.