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"Jesus of Suburbia"
Single by Green Day
from the album American Idiot
Released	October 25, 2005
Format	Digital download, CD single, 10" vinyl
Genre	Alternative rock, punk rock, pop punk
Length	9:08 (Album Version) 6:28 (Radio Edit)
Label	Reprise
Writer(s)	Billie Joe Armstrong / Green Day
Producer	Rob Cavallo and Green Day
Green Day singles chronology
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" (2005) "Jesus of Suburbia" (2005) "The Saints are Coming" (with U2) (2006)

"Jesus of Suburbia" is the fifth single from Green Day's seventh studio album, American Idiot, and was released on October 25, 2005. The studio version of the song, a five movement piece, runs just over 9 minutes and was considered to be unfriendly for radio appeal, so it was cut down to around 6½ minutes for the radio edit. The long version was still played on many album rock and alternative rock radio stations. At most live shows on their 21st Century Breakdown World Tour they will pick a member from the audience to play the guitar.

Track listings

Note: The promo's "radio edit" is not actually censored, merely shortened.

10" vinyl

Side A

1. "Jesus of Suburbia" - 9:09

Side B

1. "St. Jimmy" (Live from VH1 Storytellers) - 3:07

Song information

The song was co-written by Green Day (with Billie Joe Armstrong writing the lyrics), and was co-produced by Rob Cavallo. Parts I, II and III of the song are in the key of C sharp major. Part III transitions out by playing a C#5/G#5 chord progression, and ends on the G#5 chord, which changes the key to G sharp major and introduces part IV, "Dearly Beloved". In part V, "Tales of Another Broken Home", the key is changed to G#7 for most of the movement, save for the bridge near the end of the track, which is once again in G sharp major. Following the bridge, part V reverts back to its original tempo and key for the song's outro.

In this song, Green Day detail the life and times of a so-called Jesus of Suburbia, the fictional protagonist of American Idiot. His real name is Jimmy, which is revealed in the extended music video when a girl calls him that and in the cut version of the video when he writes "Saint Jimmy" on a bathroom stall (later on in the American Idiot album, he forms an alter-ego called Saint Jimmy and believes that it is not himself but a whole different person. He still refers to himself as the Jesus of Suburbia and is called that by Whatsername in "Letterbomb"). The name "Jesus of Suburbia" may just mean he is the savior of the rebels in suburbia. He is a resident of Jingletown, USA, and the son of a divorced mother. His younger years were spent on a "steady diet of soda pop and Ritalin", watching television, using drugs, and loitering in front of convenience stores. Although everything seems alright at first, Jimmy feels trapped and bored in Jingletown and longs for escape, as he narrates in "City of the Damned".

In a coming of age move, Jimmy leaves Jingletown by the end of the song to explore The City. His exploits in The City are not described in this song, but are described in greater detail in the rest of the album, especially in "Holiday" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". Nevertheless, to describe the essence of the personality of Jimmy, Green Day proclaims, "I'm the son of rage and love. The Jesus of Suburbia, from the bible of none of the above, on a steady diet of soda pop and ritalin..."

"Jesus of Suburbia" has five movements:

• I. "Jesus of Suburbia"
• II. "City of the Damned"
• III. "I Don't Care"
• IV. "Dearly Beloved"
• V. "Tales of Another Broken Home"

The song was also featured on their live album, Bullet in a Bible.

The guitar/bass line from 4:22-4:55 follows the main riff of Black Sabbath's classic song "Children of the Grave".^{[citation needed]}

Music videos

Two versions of the "Jesus of Suburbia" music video exist, directed by Samuel Bayer (who also directed the music videos for the first four singles released from the American Idiot album). The official music video premiered on October 14, 2005 in the UK and on October 25, 2005 on the MTV network for viewers in the US. One version is a 12-minute edit, complete with a plot and dialogue; the other is a six and a half-minute director's cut, inclusive solely of the music itself and devoid of additives. The six-minute version is censored, whereas the twelve-minute version is not. The video starred Lou Taylor Pucci as St. Jimmy. Jimmy's love interest (Whatsername) was played by Kelli Garner. Jimmy's mother was portrayed by Canadian actress Deborah Kara Unger. Although Billie Joe was originally tipped to provide the acting role of the main character, this was altered during pre-filming.

The plot of the video essentially follows that of the song. The video pays homage to "1979" by Smashing Pumpkins--it also made use of the snorricam which created the videos' notable up close shots in the convenience store and party scenes.

Backup guitarist Jason White appears briefly on St. Jimmy's TV during Dearly Beloved.

Live performances

It has been played at most of their concerts since its release. At many concerts on the 21st Century Breakdown World Tour they pick up a fan from the crowd to play guitar on the song, the most signifigant of which being the July 13, 2009 show in Chicago where a 12-year old boy played the song.

Critical reception

People Magazine called the song "epic" and a "magnificent nine-minute rock opera." It is often recognized as one of Green Day's greatest songs.^[2] It was recently voted the greatest Green Day song of all time in a Rolling Stone readers poll.^[3]

External links

• Green Day plan ambitious video for next single
• Think Green Day's "September" Clip Is Epic? Just Wait For "Jesus Of Suburbia"
• Jesus of Suburbia at The Internet Music Database

References