Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, who just completed his second stint on Broadway in his show American Idiot, sat down with Details magazine to talk about a range of topics from fatherhood, to punkness to politics. It’s when he is asked to discuss the political climate here in the US that his interview gets really interesting. He refers to the Democrats as a “bunch of pussies” and to Republican governor Mike Huckabee as “the guy that diddled you while holding the Bible”. Clearly, Armstrong is not afraid to share how he really feels about things. Read on for some of Billie Joe‘s more colorful quotes from his new Details magazine interview.
On fatherhood: “It’s hard. I’ve been playing rock and roll since I was 16 years old, and now I have a 16-year-old. There’s no better meter for knowing your age than seeing a real 16-year-old. People always think they’re so young at heart. I see my son, and I’m like, ‘Aw, fuck, I feel old.’”
On whether being “punk enough” matters: “On a certain level, but that’s always been a love-hate thing with me. And for the first time in my life, I realize how shit on we were by our own community. I get so mad that when I run into these people on the street, they’re lucky I don’t have a fucking knife in my boot. The only thing we ever did was realize our potential and push it. I did get nostalgic for the old days at one point, but now? No fucking way.”
On the risk of being too political: “It dawned on me at the end of the last tour that things had become heavy. It’s a fucking balancing act, man. And you don’t want to always write about politics just for the sake of writing about politics. I don’t want to become Rage Against the Machine. Bono is having lunch with George Bush to get money from him. I don’t operate that way. I stick to my opinions.”
On today’s political climate: “The Democrats are a bunch of fucking pussies. It was so smart for the Republicans to embrace the Tea Party: ‘We don’t believe everything you say, but we’ll listen to you.’ I get more confused every day. Then I feel like I’m not doing enough. It starts to make my head explode. Maybe I should go talk to the troops in Afghanistan.”
On Sarah Palin: “I listen to the shit that comes out of her mouth, and I’m just in awe. These are Sunday-school teachers becoming politicians. Mike Huckabee? He’s the guy that diddled you while holding the Bible. He’s so soft-spoken, so Mr. Rogers. Palin is the same—it’s this sneaky way to make Americans feel comfortable, but you know they’re rotten to the core.”
IMHO, I can’t say that I totally agree with everything that Billie Joe believes politically … but I can appreciate that he is unafraid to express his opinions. As I mentioned before, I really did not like the Green Day Broadway show American Idiot (at all) but as a band, I really do enjoy their catalog of music. Those first Green Day albums really helped shape my musical tastes in the early/mid 90′s. It’s when Green Day turns an album into a thematic opus that they lose me. I miss the albums they put out that were a collection of songs that told different stories … their thematic, usually political albums are too stifling and not interesting enough for me. But … I digress. Any Green Day fans in the hiz? What do y’all think of Billie Joe‘s political beliefs? I wonder if Mike Huckabee will want to respond.
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Why doesn’t he go crawl under a bridge, he looks like a scary troll. Does anyone care what he thinks of politics? I for one do not and think green day used to make music then they became political douches who suck.
Winner? You sound more like a Loser. First of all, with regard to his looks – you are just being mean. Second, they still do make music, and this is an interview, where, yes, he is going to share his thoughts.
I don’t agree with the things he said either. Some of the stuff is completely over the top and not necessary. No political person is perfect OBVIOUSLY, but to say such awful things about any person is wrong.
welll misses G or whatever ur name is…. i Agree with Billie joe Armstrong the Kings and future god of music he is right DEMOS are wusses..them and the goverment and also polatics and the song AMERICAN IDIOT tells it all i’m from Costa Rica but i live in America..i hate the some of the new laws and Demos work with the goverment and they made me sick with all those lies they spread about the slim flu its nothing but lies they put hard metal gas on jet plains the spread it all over the USA so people has been getting suck lately and Dying ALL thanks to them! God will make them Pay dearly
p.s Grace GREEN DAY FOREVER :D Billie Joe Armstrong is Right about this country
but i love Obama he is the cool…They are controlling him and it’s not fair he is the P of The USA……Well like we Green Day Fans Say in the end of a sentence (Don’t Wanna Be An American Idiot!)
Billy Joe is entitled to his opinion regarding the Democrats, Sarah Palin, and Mike Huckabee. But I wish he could think of some way to express his opinion without using misogynist language.
Yes
YES. I think this is just as outrageous as Kobe Bryant’s recent homophobic freak out.
Personally, I think he’s fucking brilliant.
Agreeeed.
Fucking right.
Everyone gets their panties in a wad because someone was bold enough to speak TRUTH. People are so conditioned to being “politically correct” that when someone unleashes justified anger, and happens to throw in a few insults for good measure, it is viewed as ravings and rants from a spoiled brat or worse, an uneducated fool. Billie Jo is neither of these. His roots are working class and through sacrifice and hard work he has what he does today. WHETHER YOU LEAN LEFT OR RIGHT,THE ENTIRE WORKING AND MIDDLE CLASS SHOULD BE THIS ANGRY!!!! I’ve never been screwed this hard without at least a kiss first. If his celebrity status and media coverage help to wake up a few people, I say “way to go!”
Watch Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and director Michael Mayer discuss the band, the music, and American Idiot: http://f4a.tv/e7YCcx
Billie Joe is a mother fucking genious!!!!!! i seriously think HE should be a politician! at least we’d finally have and honest one in office \m/ ^.^ \m/
HELL YEA HE IS he is the king and future god of music