One of the reasons I like it so much is that it introduced me to the concept of a "rock opera." I'd never heard an entire album which played out as a story before, much less one so grandiose. For those of you who have never heard the album in its entirety (beyond "American Idiot" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends"), you're in luck! Today, I take you through each track, detailing how it makes up the story of the Jesus of Suburbia. And funnily enough, the two most popular tracks on the album - American Idiot and Wake Me Up When September Ends - don't actually really fit the story. They don't add to the narrative. For that purpose, I'm removing them.
Act 1. Jesus of Suburbia
The song introduces our hero, "Jesus" of suburbia in a town called Jingletown. It details his parents, his mom's new boyfriend, his addictions and his overall "troubled youth" persona. It then describes how he feels lost and when he tries to reach out to someone, that person fails him. And so he leaves home, in search for greener pastures.
Awesome lyricism: It says home is where your heart is but what a shame cause everyone's heart doesn't beat the same; It's beating out of time.
Act 2. Holiday
So, our hero is now travelling with his buddies. And hence, the song is called "Holiday". They leave Jingletown, in a search for something new.
Awesome lyricism: I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies; This is the dawning of the rest of our lives on holiday.
Act 3. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
This song is a lot more despondent in tone, as can be easily seen from just the title of the song. Essentially, Jesus realises that wherever he goes, everywhere's kind of just the same. And maybe the world is overall, a quite crappy place. And more than that, he's alone. He can't escape his life. He can't escape his shadow. Tough times for our hero.
Awesome lyricism: My shadow's the only one that walks beside me; My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating; Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me.
Act 4. Are We The Waiting
As our hero considers the fact that he's all alone and that life rains on the just and unjust alike (The Silk Spectre V1), he gets depressed. He believes his existence has no meaning. Truly dark times for our hero.
Awesome lyricism: This dirty town was burning down in my dreams; Lost and found city bound in my dreams.
Act 5. St. Jimmy
But in the darkness, a saviour for Jesus appears (childish chuckle). And, as you might have guessed from the title, the Jesus' saviour is some dude named St. Jimmy. Essentially, he's everything Jesus is not. He grabs life by the balls. And so, he injects our hero with a new dose of life, giving him a new friend in this new city. From the local minima (couldn't resist) in Act 4, our hero's life is turning around.
Awesome lyricism: My name is Jimmy and you better not wear it out; Suicide commando that your momma talked about; King of the forty thieves and I'm here to represent the needle in the vein of the establishment.
NB: One of my favourites - "The needle in the vein of the establishment."
Act 6. Give Me Novocaine
Problem is, if something is too good to be true, it probably is. St. Jimmy now has our hero hooked on drugs, specifically Novocaine. This song tells the sensation that Jesus feels as he begins to get addicted to the drug. And so, our hero falls into a trough once again. Can he escape?
Awesome lyricism: Out of body and out of mind, kiss the demons out of my dreams; I get the funny feeling, that's alright.
Act 7. She's a Rebel
YES HE CAN! And, our hero finds love in the form of "Whatsername", an anti-establishment heroine. Best part - she doesn't do drugs. So she's trying to drag our hero away from all that. And you know what, she succeeds. Awesome.
Awesome lyricism: She's the symbol of resistance and she's holding on my heart like a hand grenade; Is she dreaming what I'm thinking, is she the mother of all bombs gonna detonate.
Act 8. Extraordinary Girl
Alas, as you might have guessed by now, things don't go too smoothly for our hero. It's tough, especially when you have an angsty, angry, the-world-effing-hates-me mentality. What does he do? Well, he's found an Extraordinary Girl, but he's mistreating her. He can't seem to kick his drug habit. St. Jimmy is coming between the both of them. And she's now alone most of the time, crying her eyes out. He brings her to the lowest trough she could possibly be at.
Awesome lyricism: She sees the mirror of herself, an image she wants to sell to anyone willing to buy.
Act 9. Letterbomb
And so, Whatsername leaves Jesus. And she does it through a letter, hence, a letterbomb. And not only does she leave Jesus, she leaves the city altogether. AND, she gives us the twist of the story. So, that bloke, St. Jimmy, who's been feeding Jesus drugs and being an overall bad influence on Jesus? Well, turns out, he's just a figment of Jesus' imagination! GASP! He was just a character created in Jesus' head, borne out of his broken home family. Well, I'll be damned. Consider me Shyamalan-ed.
Awesome lyricism: The town bishop is an extortionist and he don't even know that you exist; Standing still when it's do or die, you better run for your fucking life.
Act 10. Homecoming
In this song, shit gets real. So, Jesus realises his entire life in the city, with the exception of Whatsername, has been a lie. And yet, the vestiges of his life in the city still remain, albeit they're fading - "The stems and seeds of the last of the dope." Also, he can't completely get rid of St. Jimmy, who is still a "spark in the night." Until one day, he convinces himself that St. Jimmy died by blowing his brains out into the bay (metaphorically). Jesus then remakes that it's his own private suicide.
He then beings a life of mediocrity. A regular 9 to 5 job filling out paperwork in the city. But soon, he gets kinda tired of it and realises he needs to bail. He can't stand falling asleep while watching the TV with cups of coffee just lying around. So, what does our hero do? Well, he goes home, back to Jingletown, completing the cycle.
Awesome lyricism: In the streets of shame where you've lost your dreams in the rain, there's no signs of hope - the stems and seeds of the last of the dope.
Act 11. Whatsername
This happens years later, when Jesus is back in suburbia Jingletown. And one day, he walks into a street, and he thinks he sees "Whatsername" but as it turns out, it was just a dream. And following this metaphorical chance encounter comes some of the most bitter lyricism I've ever come across. While it's not a happy ending overall, it's the right ending. How someone can feel so embittered at home, leave, and then find out that life's the same everywhere if you're still you. And it ends with him leading his life as he always has but with more experiences, a healthy recovery from drug addiction, and the memory of the love of his life.
Awesome lyricism: Seems that she disappeared without a trace, did she ever marry old what's his face? I made a point to burn all of the photographs; She went away and then I took a different path; I remember the face but I can't recall the name, now I wonder how whatsername has been.
And
"Remember, whatever, it seems like forever ago; The regrets are useless in my mind, she's in my head."
And
"And in the darkest night, if my memory serves me right, I'll never turn back time, forgetting you, but not the time."
All in all, it's a fantastic album. Beyond the quite poignant story about growing up in suburban America as a troubled youth, the music is great. The lyrics are memorable and highly relatable. Top, top effort all round. And I hope if Jesus (of suburbia) exists, he's doing well.
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