“Westbound Sign” questions the wisdom of a girl’s decision to seek fame and fortune far from home.
The f-word peppers this 33-minute ode to self-loathing and despair. “Armatage Shanks” states, “I must insist on being a pessimist.” The artist also confesses to being “limp with hate” (“Panic Song”) and in a “rotting existence” (“Stuart and the Ave.”). Cocaine and amphetamine use is applauded on “Geek Stink Breath.” “Tight Wad Hill” is the story of a thrill-seeking drug addict. Elsewhere, the singer selfishly waits for his parents to die in order to collect his inheritance (“Brat”).
This follow-up to the band’s 10 million-selling debut album, Dookie, landed at number 1 its first week on the charts. Anyone this introspective and devoid of peace is destined to become an insomniac. On “Geek Stink Breath,” Billie Joe Armstrong sings, “I’m on a mission/I made my decision to lead a path of self-destruction.” Pray that teens don’t follow him.
