Homecoming (Green Day song)

"Homecoming"
Song

Homecoming is the second of two "Rock opera" songs on Green Day's seventh album, American Idiot. It is a full nine minutes and eighteen seconds long, and is made up of five parts. While frontman Billie Joe Armstrong writes most of the songs, this compilation features one part written and sung by drummer Tré Cool (entitled Rock and Roll Girlfriend), and another part written by bassist Mike Dirnt (entitled Nobody Likes You).

The Death of St. Jimmy

This first section narrates the story of how Jesus of Suburbia abandoned his alter ego, St. Jimmy, through usage of the imagery of St. Jimmy "blowing his brains out into the Bay" (possibly the San Francisco bay area in California, where Green Day members grew up).

East 12th St.

The second section talks about how Jesus of Suburbia is filling out papers at the 'facility on East 12th St.'. There is a police station located here where Billie Joe Armstrong had to fill out papers for a DUI (in Oakland, California), leading us to believe Jesus of Suburbia has been arrested for some charge of his past deeds or something not mentioned in the song. The track Shoplifter is billed as a "non-album track", but it may be explaining the reason why St. Jimmy (Jesus of Suburbia) had to do that paperwork.

Nobody Likes You

Written by Mike Dirnt, this song was one of the thirty-second songs the band mates wrote to relieve stress while working on the album. Many fans believe that Mike Dirnt also sings this song, but there is little evidence to suggest either way except this live video [1]. Billie Joe Armstrong is generally credited with the vocals. It fits into the storyline by showing the mental processes of Jesus of Suburbia and the mental abuse that he inflicts upon himself. Many also believe that this has little to do with the story, and was just put in as a segue into "Rock and Roll Girlfriend". The song is a short about a man, that while staying up late into the night, watching Spike TV and drinking coffee, starts reflecting on his own social life ("nobody likes you, everyone left you, they're all without you, having fun").

Rock and Roll Girlfriend

Written and sung by Tré Cool, This song is in the form of a postcard sent to Jesus of Suburbia by an old friend, signed as "Tunny" (this postcard appears in the album art of American Idiot). The postcard seems to state that Tunny is leading his ideal life; has nothing to do with Jesus's problems; and doesn't want to hear about them (the last line is "So get off of my case!") although interpretations of the meaning of this song may vary. The guitar at the end of this section copies the guitar on "Children of the Grave" by Black Sabbath.

We're Coming Home Again

The final part of the song is a chant about how Jesus of Suburbia decides to return to his hometown after his ex-girlfriend Whatsername sends him a letter(Letterbomb). However, the mood of this song isn't depressed and angry. It sounds like Jesus of Suburbia is pleased to finally return home.