The once-popular band Green Day is facing mockery for changing the lyrics to their hit song “American Idiot” — which ironically takes aim at a “nation controlled by the media” — to attack former President Donald Trump and his supporters.
The lyrics were changed by Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong during the band’s performance at ABC’s annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
In place of the original line, “I’m not a part of the redneck agenda,” the singer instead inserted: “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda.”
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong replaced the words from ‘American Idiot’ with “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda”
Yes, because that’s totally what everyone is begging to hear..
They have become the American Idiots
pic.twitter.com/y23G2RrC98— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) January 1, 2024
The anti-Trump change prompted a small cheer from the crowd at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, but elicited mockery on social media.
X/Twitter owner Elon Musk commented on the lyric change in response to a post from “Not The Bee,” which is satire site The Babylon Bee’s actual news site. The post read: “Green Day tried to prove they’re still cool by changing their lyrics to slam the ‘MAGA agenda’ on TV last night.”
“Green Day goes from raging against the machine to milquetoastedly raging for it,” Musk wrote on X, alongside two laughing emojis.
Green Day goes from raging against the machine to milquetoastedly raging for it 🤣🤣
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2024
“Wait, Green Day isn’t ‘part of the MAGA agenda’? Shocking,” commented Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).
Wait, Green Day isn’t “part of the MAGA agenda”?
Shocking. https://t.co/gFMM5uUaIW
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 1, 2024
“Green Day ain’t said one word all through the Obama years and not one word about Biden,” wrote Jack Posobiec, senior editor at Human Events. “Bought and sold, more like Green Payed.”
Green Day aint said one word all through the Obama years and not one word about Biden
Bought and sold, more like Green Payed
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 1, 2024
“Nothing says ‘punk rock’ like Government bootlicking, millionaire sellouts playing on ABC,” wrote popular X account Catturd.
Nothing says “punk rock” like Government bootlicking, millionaire sellouts playing on ABC.
😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/xIOq4cj9ys
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) January 1, 2024
“American Idiot” was one of the band’s most popular songs, which took aim at the masses being controlled by the establishment media. The lyrics read, in part: “Don’t wanna be an American idiot, One nation controlled by the media, Information age of hysteria, It’s calling out to idiot America.”
Due to this fact, journalist and YouTube commentator Tim Pool pointed out the irony in Green Day’s decision to target “MAGA” — as Trump supporters are clearly not the Americans that are “controlled by the media,” while Democrats like the members of Green Day are.
This is not the first time that Green Day added “MAGA” to this song, though it appears to be the first time it made national headlines. According to Fox News, the “MAGA Agenda” lyrics were first added during the 2019 iHeartRadio festival.
