The American Dream Is Killing Me Explained

Type:single
Artist:Green Day
Album:Saviors
B-Side:"Look Ma, No Brains!" (7" vinyl)
Genre:
  • Pop-punk
Length:3:06
Label:Reprise
Composer:
Lyricist:Billie Joe Armstrong
Producer:
Prev Title:Holy Toledo!
Prev Year:2021
Next Title:Look Ma, No Brains!
Next Year:2023

"The American Dream Is Killing Me" is a song by American rock band Green Day from their fourteenth studio album, Saviors (2024). The opening track of the album, the song was originally written during the sessions of their previous studio album as a protest song against the presidency of Donald Trump. The song was later recorded with encouragement from producer Rob Cavallo, with lyrics tweaked to reflect the "anxiety of being an American".

After three weeks of the band posting zombie-themed teasers to their social media, the song was premiered on October 19, 2023 during a secret show in Las Vegas, and released for digital download and streaming on October 24 as the album's first single. The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Brendan Walter and Ryan Baxley, features the band playing to a crowd of zombies amidst a zombie apocalypse. "The American Dream Is Killing Me" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its catchiness but criticized its "vague" lyrics. The song topped the US Rock Airplay and Canada Rock charts, and appeared on various others.

Background and recording

"The American Dream Is Killing Me" was initially written during the sessions for Father of All Motherfuckers (2020), Green Day's thirteenth studio album.[1] However, the song was ultimately shelved, as the band wished to avoid political themes on the album and deemed the song as "low-hanging fruit" for the "terrible politics and terrible division" within the United States.[2] [3]

Saviors, the band's fourteenth studio album, was later conceived when Billie Joe Armstrong reconnected with producer Rob Cavallo, who had previously worked with the band on their albums Dookie (1994) and American Idiot (2004).[4] Towards the end of the recording process for Saviors, the band showed Cavallo "The American Dream Is Killing Me" when he asked whether the band had any other material. Upon receiving Cavallo's approval, Armstrong did a "deep dive on the lyrics" and "tweaked a few things here and there" with the song. Despite being one of the final tracks recorded for Saviors, the band ultimately decided that "The American Dream Is Killing Me" should be released as the album's first single.

Composition and lyrics

"The American Dream Is Killing Me" is an "anthemic" pop-punk song,[5] which has been stylistically compared to the band's 2004 studio album American Idiot[6] [7] and their 2009 album 21st Century Breakdown.[8] The song has also been compared to those of the Clash and Thin Lizzy.[9] [10] "The American Dream Is Killing Me" begins with a "jig-like electric guitar riff", before the rest of the band joins in and the song takes on a "classic bouncy Green Day beat". The chorus of the song features a "big shout-along" of the song's title. The song's bridge contains a "string-infused" chamber pop interlude reminiscent of the Beatles, where Armstrong sings "People on the street / Unemployed and obsolete / Did you ever learn to read the ransom note?" before the song returns to its original style.[11] [12]

According to Armstrong, the lyrics of "The American Dream Is Killing Me" touch on political polarization and homelessness in the United States, the role of "the algorithm", disillusionment with the American Dream, and the "anxiety of being an American".[13] Dirnt clarified that the song was originally written in protest to the presidency of Donald Trump, however that the song is "a wider statement than Trump" and that it reflects Armstrong's upbringing. The New York Times' Jon Pareles further noted that the song's lyrics "deride" conspiracy theories, opponents to immigration, and the exploitation of real estate,[14] while the BBC's Phil Mongredien observed a sense of "weary resignation" in the song's lyrics.[15] The song's lyrics have been compared to those of the band's prior protest song "American Idiot".[16] [17] [18]

Promotion and release

On October 1, 2023, the band released a 33-second video to their social media pages in reference to their 2005 single "Wake Me Up When September Ends", containing a calendar with the date October 24 circled. The band simultaneously released the teaser on a new website titled "The American Dream Is Killing Me", which allowed users to "register for a wake-up call" and receive email updates regarding Saviors.[19] [20] The band continued promoting the single release on their social media by posting various "eerie, zombie-filled clips" throughout the month.[21] [22] The song was first released on October 21 and 22 during the When We Were Young festival, on 7-inch vinyl featuring "Look Ma, No Brains!" on the B-side.[23] On October 24, 2023, "The American Dream Is Killing Me" was made available for digital download and streaming, released as the first single off Saviors.

Music video

An accompanying music video for "The American Dream Is Killing Me", directed by Brendan Walter and Ryan Baxley, was uploaded to Green Day's YouTube channel on October 24, 2023.[24] The music video features the zombified band playing the song to a "crowd of punk rock zombies" amidst a zombie apocalypse;[25] towards the end, a group of zombie hunters begin to fight against the crowd.[26] The black-and-white music video was recorded in Los Angeles.[27] Inspired by film noir[28] and Night of the Living Dead, it was intended to serve as both entertainment and social commentary for life in the United States.[29]

Critical reception

"The American Dream Is Killing Me" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with Tom Breihan of Stereogum declaring it the "best new Green Day single in many years" upon its release.[30] The song's composition has been praised for its energy and catchiness. A.D. Amorosi of Variety called the song a "spunky gallop", praising the song's bridge as "sweet" and "swiftly rendered". Marko Djurdjić of Exclaim! similarly highlighted the song's bridge, calling it an earworm. Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the Financial Times called the song a "spry return to the power-trio days of American Idiot",[31] while Helen Brown of The Independent observed that "the energy of a trio who met in their mid-teens seems undimmed now they're in their fifties". However, Brown criticized how "relentless" noises in the song "sludges out the sound too thickly",[32] while Mark Richardson of The Wall Street Journal noted how the chorus "walks the line between catchy and irritating".[33]

The lyrics of "The American Dream Is Killing Me" received mixed reviews, with critics praising the song's "vivid" political commentary[34] while critiquing them as "surface-level".[35] Emma Swann of DIY noted how the song epitomized Armstrong's "unrivaled" ability to "incorporate biting social commentary within perfect, three-minute pop (punk) songs",[36] while Madison Walters of New Noise Magazine praised the song's "visceral" lyrics.[37] Richardson observed how, despite the song not having "particularly insightful lyrics", it was "probably not meant to be" in lieu of being cathartic. Despite complimenting the song as an "effective opening" to the album, Chris Conaton of PopMatters called the song's lyrics "vague", suggesting that they seemed "specifically designed not to alienate" listeners.[38] Luke Winstanley of Clash similarly deemed the song a "confident statement of intent", however noted it "lack[ed] real acidic bite".[39] In more critical reviews, Arielle Gordon of Pitchfork lambasted the song's lyrics as "quaint and overly broad",[40] while Lauren Murphy of The Irish Times criticized the song's reliance on "recycled tropes".[41]

Commercial performance

In its first week, "The American Dream Is Killing Me" garnered 1.1 million streams in the United States and sold 1,000 downloads. The song peaked at number one of Billboard's Rock Airplay chart on November 18, 2023, becoming the seventh song by the band to do so.[42] The song also debuted and peaked at number 22 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. Outside the United States, the song topped the Canada Rock chart and peaked at number 11 on the Japan Hot Overseas chart. The song also appeared on New Zealand's Hot Singles chart (29), the United Kingdom's Rock & Metal Singles chart (37), Germany's Download chart for singles (45), and the Finland's Radiosoittolista chart (81).

Live performances

Green Day debuted "The American Dream Is Killing Me" during a surprise show at the Fremont Country Club in Las Vegas on October 19, 2023.[43] [44] The band then played the song during their appearance at the When We Were Young festival on October 21 and 22.[45] On October 26, 2023, the band played "The American Dream Is Killing Me" as part of their Amazon Music Live setlist.[46] The band played the song during their halftime show performance in the 110th Grey Cup on November 19, 2023.[47] The band included "The American Dream Is Killing Me" in the setlist of their January 18, 2024 show at Irving Plaza as part of the Small Stages Series by Sirius XM.[48] [49] On April 3, 2024, the band played the song at the Fillmore during a charity concert for the United Nations Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance.[50]

"The American Dream Is Killing Me" is included in the setlist of The Saviors Tour, the ongoing concert tour in support of Saviors that began on May 30, 2024.[51]

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from iTunes.[52]

Green Day

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (2023–24)! scope="col"
Peak
position
German Download Singles (Official German Charts)[53] 45
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)[54] 11
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[55] 29
UK Singles Sales (OCC)[56] 73

Release history

Release history for "The American Dream Is Killing Me"!Region!Date!Format(s)!Label!
VariousOctober 24, 2023Reprise
ItalyRadio airplayWarner[57]
United StatesModern rock radio[58]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Zanes . Anna . December 11, 2023 . Green Day are making a commotion . July 27, 2024 . Alternative Press.
  2. Web site: Greene . Andy . January 12, 2024 . Mike Dirnt Explains Why Green Day Waited Until Now to Write About Trump . July 27, 2024 . Rolling Stone.
  3. Web site: Dunworth . Liberty . November 23, 2023 . Green Day explain why they briefly stepped away from political songwriting . July 27, 2024 . NME.
  4. Web site: Carter . Emily . January 16, 2024 . Green Day: "We’re not going anywhere… and we’re just getting better!" . July 27, 2024 . Kerrang!.
  5. Web site: Anderson . Carys . October 24, 2023 . Green Day Preview New Album Saviors with "The American Dream Is Killing Me" . July 30, 2024 . Consequence.
  6. Web site: Sacher . Andrew . October 24, 2023 . Green Day announce new album 'Saviors,' share "The American Dream Is Killing Me" video . July 30, 2024 . BrooklynVegan.
  7. Web site: Boisvert . Lauren . November 22, 2023 . Green Day Explains How New Album ‘Saviors’ "Bridges the Gap" Between ‘Dookie’ and ‘American Idiot’ . July 30, 2024 . American Songwriter.
  8. Web site: Brown . Paul . October 25, 2023 . Green Day Announce New Album Saviours with New Song 'The American Dream Is Killing Me' . October 30, 2023 . Wall of Sound.
  9. Web site: Djurdjić . Marko . January 17, 2024 . Green Day Hit a Late-Career High on 'Saviors' . July 30, 2024 . .
  10. Web site: Gerber . Brady . January 19, 2024 . Billie Joe Armstrong on Trump, Punk, and Green Day's Saviors . July 30, 2024 . Vulture.
  11. Web site: Amorosi . A.D. . January 19, 2024 . Green Day’s Sociopolitical Sarcasm Ages Well in Sharp ‘Saviors’: Album Review . July 30, 2024 . Variety.
  12. Web site: Beaumont . Mark . January 19, 2024 . "Saviors is the sound of reassuring rebellion from the midst of the 21st Century breakdown": Green Day's Saviors is part hurtling punkarama, part political rock drama . July 31, 2024 . Classic Rock.
  13. Web site: Bienstock . Richard . February 26, 2024 . "I know my limitations, but at the same time I’m really pushing myself to be a better guitar player": Billie Joe Armstrong on ripping solos like Angus Young – and what Green Day have in common with Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran . July 31, 2024 . Guitar World.
  14. Web site: Pareles . Jon . January 22, 2024 . Green Day Gets Loud Again . July 31, 2024 . The New York Times.
  15. Web site: Mongredien . Phil . January 21, 2024 . Green Day: Saviors review – laboured and world-weary . July 31, 2024 . BBC.
  16. Web site: Greene . Andy . January 19, 2024 . Green Day Kickstart ‘Saviors’ Era With Thrilling New York Club Concert . July 31, 2024 . Rolling Stone . "...“The American Dream Is Killing Me,” which is essentially “American Idiot” updated for the age of Trump and misinformation.".
  17. Web site: Suter . Tara . November 24, 2023 . Green Day explains why it withheld release of ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’ . July 31, 2024 . The Hill.
  18. Web site: Poland . Dana . January 14, 2024 . Green Day 'Saviors' Review: Pop-Punk’s Great Redeemers Get Personal . July 31, 2024 . Slant.
  19. Web site: Carter . Emily . October 1, 2023 . Green Day are teasing something with new video and website . July 28, 2024 . Kerrang!.
  20. Web site: Liebig . Lorie . October 1, 2023 . Green Day Mark September’s End by Teasing a New Project . July 28, 2024 . American Songwriter.
  21. Web site: Bell . Sadie . October 20, 2023 . Green Day Announce Massive 2024 Tour, Plays New Song at Surprise Club Show . July 29, 2024 . People.
  22. Web site: Carter . Emily . October 17, 2023 . Green Day share 21st Century Breakdown-esque snippet of new music . July 29, 2024 . Kerrang!.
  23. Web site: Brannigan . Paul . October 23, 2023 . Watch Green Day debut new loser anthem Look Ma, No Brains at When We Were Young festival . July 28, 2024 . Louder.
  24. Web site: Kaufman . Gil . October 24, 2023 . Green Day Announce ‘Raw and Emotional’ Album ‘Saviors,’ Drop ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’ Zombie Video . July 29, 2024 . Billboard.
  25. Web site: Paul . Larisha . October 24, 2023 . Green Day Can’t Save Anyone on Apocalyptic Single ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’ . July 29, 2024 . Rolling Stone.
  26. Web site: Lane . Lexi . October 24, 2023 . Green Day Announced Their New Album, ‘Saviors,’ And Dropped A Seasonally Appropriate Video For The Lead Single . July 31, 2024 . Uproxx.
  27. Web site: Benitez-Eves . Tina . October 24, 2023 . Green Day Reveals 14th Album ‘Saviors,’ Zombified Video for Lead Single "The American Dream is Killing Me" . July 29, 2024 . American Songwriter.
  28. Web site: October 24, 2023 . GREEN DAY RELEASE "THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME" + NEW ALBUM COMING! . July 29, 2024 . Warner Music Ireland.
  29. Web site: Čížek . Ondřej . March 20, 2024 . The American Dream Is Killing Me. Interview with Director Ryan Baxley . live . https://archive.today/20240805154954/https://www.wired.cz/clanky/the-american-dream-is-killing-me-interview-with-director-ryan-baxley . August 5, 2024 . August 3, 2024 . Wired CZ.
  30. Web site: Breihan . Tom . October 24, 2023 . Green Day – "The American Dream Is Killing Me" . July 29, 2024 . Stereogum.
  31. Web site: Hunter-Tilney . Ludovic . January 19, 2024 . Green Day revive rock-and-roll stupidity in Saviors — album review . July 30, 2024 . Financial Times.
  32. Web site: Brown . Helen . January 19, 2024 . Green Day review, Savior: Stroppy chant-alongs about the State of Things . July 30, 2024 . The Independent.
  33. Web site: Richardson . Mark . January 16, 2024 . ‘Saviors’ by Green Day Review: Perennial Punks . July 29, 2024 . The Wall Street Journal.
  34. Web site: Scanlon . Kelly . January 18, 2024 . Green Day – ‘Saviors’ album review: authentic post-punk anthems for a broken world . July 30, 2024 . Far Out.
  35. Web site: Sacher . Andrew . January 18, 2024 . Green Day return to form on new album 'Saviors' (review) . July 29, 2024 . BrooklynVegan . "Post-American Idiot Green Day is bound to have some surface-level political sloganeering and Saviors is not immune (“The American Dream Is Killing Me,” “Living in the ’20s”), but at least their hearts are in the right places, and better to piss off Trump supporters even if their songs are barely saying anything.".
  36. Web site: Swann . Emma . January 19, 2024 . Green Day - Saviors review . July 29, 2024 . DIY.
  37. Web site: Walters . Madison . January 19, 2024 . Album Review: Green Day – Saviors . July 29, 2024 . New Noise Magazine.
  38. Web site: Conaton . Chris . January 30, 2024 . Back-to-Basics 'Saviors' Is Green Day's Strongest LP in Years . July 29, 2024 . PopMatters.
  39. Web site: Winstanley . Luke . January 19, 2024 . Green Day – Saviors . July 31, 2024 . Clash.
  40. Web site: Gordon . Arielle . January 23, 2024 . Green Day: Saviors Album Review . July 29, 2024 . Pitchfork.
  41. Web site: Murphy . Lauren . January 11, 2024 . Green Day: Saviors review - Pop-punk survivors in dire need of rejuvenation . July 29, 2024 . . "...but among the listenable fare is the usual proliferation of toe-tappy filler; songs with both recycled tropes (The American Dream Is Killing Me) and familiar chord progressions (lingering traces of Holiday and When I Come Around) drift across the tracklist at various points.".
  42. Web site: Rutherford . Kevin . November 10, 2023 . Green Day’s ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’ Tops Rock & Alternative Airplay Chart . July 31, 2024 . Billboard.
  43. Web site: Skinner . Tom . October 20, 2023 . Green Day debut new song ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’ at Las Vegas club show . July 28, 2024 . NME.
  44. Web site: Childers . Chad . October 20, 2023 . Green Day Reveal 2024 Stadium Tour Bands, Debut New Song, Play ‘Dookie’ in Full at Surprise Show . July 28, 2024 . Loudwire.
  45. Web site: Sacher . Andrew . October 22, 2023 . Watch blink-182 and Green Day play new songs at When We Were Young + Lil Wayne, Tony Hawk & more . July 28, 2024 . BrooklynVegan.
  46. Web site: October 27, 2023 . GREEN DAY ROCKS AMAZON MUSIC LIVE . July 28, 2024 . Hits Daily Double.
  47. Web site: November 20, 2023 . Green Day doesn't disappoint during Grey Cup halftime show in Hamilton . July 28, 2024 . CBC.
  48. Web site: January 19, 2024 . Green Day celebrated 'Saviors' at intimate NYC Irving Plaza show (pics, review) . August 21, 2024 . BrooklynVegan.
  49. Web site: Shanfeld . Ethan . January 19, 2024 . Green Day Previews New Album ‘Saviors’ at Intimate, Hit-Filled Irving Plaza Show . July 28, 2024 . Variety.
  50. Web site: Ruskin . Zack . April 3, 2024 . Green Day riles up S.F. crowd for a cause . July 28, 2024 . San Francisco Chronicle.
  51. Web site: Carter . Emily . May 31, 2024 . Green Day: Here’s the setlist from the first night of The Saviors Tour . July 28, 2024 . Kerrang!.
  52. Web site: The American Dream Is Killing Me — Song by Green Day — Apple Music . July 28, 2024.
  53. Web site: Deutsche Download Singles Charts Category: Single . Deutsche Download Singles Charts . November 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231106171759/https://www.mtv.de/info/b45gik/download-charts-single . November 6, 2023 . bot: unknown .
  54. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of November 8, 2023. Billboard Japan. ja. November 8, 2023.
  55. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. November 6, 2023. November 4, 2023.
  56. Web site: Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100. Official Charts Company. November 8, 2023. November 15, 2023.
  57. Web site: Tenaglia . Raffaella . Green Day – The American Dream Is Killing Me (Radio Date: 24/10/2023) . July 31, 2024 . Italy: Airplay Control . it . Press release.
  58. Web site: October 24, 2023 . A Recap of Radio Add Recaps . July 31, 2024 . Hits.

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