Say what you like about Green Day and its political messages, but the band is a force to be reckoned with in the Punk Rock genre. It's a status the group has held since the '90s, but some fans speculate the band may have borrowed a bit too much from one particular classic rock song.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The Green Day song in question is "Jesus of Suburbia," one of many bangers on the American Idiot album from September 2004. I urge you to have a listen if it's been a while. The song goes everywhere over its nine-minute runtime. If you were to listen to parts in a bubble, you could be convinced they are from different songs. One highly upvoted comment on the official song on YouTube describes "Jesus of Suburbia" as Green Day's "Bohemian Rhapsody." I don't disagree, but they aren't accused of ripping off Queen.
Did Green Day Draw Inspiration From Bryan Adams?
Instead, fans draw a likeness to "Summer of 69" by Bryan Adams. The classic rock hit tells a story about a glorious summer spent with Adam's first band. "Jesus of Suburbia" tells a more somber tale about running away to the city from a life with no prospects and trying to find meaning. Both themes are arguably similar and approach the same topic of growing up fast, although from different angles. The latter is far darker and gritty if you pay attention to the lyrics, even if the tune is upbeat.
Other listeners cite the cord structure. While Jesus of Suburbia is broken into multiple parts over its epic runtime, it's similar to "Summer of 69" with its more compact 3-minute 30.
Honestly, I'm unconvinced. Sure, the cord structure is pretty similar in parts. However, these two bangers aren't the only two songs to use it. And even the themes about youth and reminiscing about being a teenager are hardly gatekept. In fact, the I-V-vi-IV cord structure is used in dozens of incredibly popular songs. The "4 Chord Song" by Axis of Awesome is a perfect example of this, demonstrating how flexible the structure is.
I've always found covers to be problematic. For the most part, no one covers a song unless the original version was something special. But that's also what makes the cover so tricky; if you can't improve on the original, don't bother doing it. The Alein Ant Farm and Saliva both manage to offer something fresh even while following the original very closely. Both songs sound new and unique. But Evanescence? Her version sounds a little labored; her voice just isn't right for this song and the whole thing fails miserably. But even worse is Fallout Boy's version of Beat It. Seriously, this sounds like karaoke night at a sleazy dive on the outskirts of town.