Walking Contradiction

"Walking Contradiction"
Single by Green Day
from the album Insomniac
Released	August 20, 1996
Format	Promo CD
Recorded	1995
Genre	Punk rock
Length	2:31
Label	Reprise
Writer(s)	Billie Joe Armstrong / Green Day
Producer	Rob Cavallo, Green Day
Green Day singles chronology
"Brain Stew/Jaded" (1996) "Walking Contradiction" (1996) "Hitchin' a Ride" (1997)

"Walking Contradiction" is a song by American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the fourth and final single from their fourth album Insomniac. The song reached number 21 on the Modern Rock Tracks in August 1996.

Track listing

1. "Walking Contradiction (radio edit) " - 2:31

Music video

The video was directed by Roman Coppola. Much of it was filmed in San Pedro, CA. The main theme of the video was the line from the song "I'm a smart ass but I'm playing dumb". Therefore, the video features the three members of Green Day going about in a town casually causing accidents, explosions, and all kinds of mayhem and acting like they're completely unaware of their actions. It remains one of the most popular Green Day videos.

• Armstrong throws a stick into the spokes of a man's bike, causing him to crash. Moments later, a car runs over the bike.
• Cool makes a bread truck roll into some parked cars and a moving car.
• Dirnt presses a pedestrian crossing sign that says "Out of order, do not use!" and electrocutes an electrician (mere seconds after exchanging pleasantries with him).
• Armstrong takes a newspaper from a newspaper stand, which causes the whole stand to collapse.
• Armstrong walks into traffic (due to the malfunctioning traffic signals triggered by Mike's previously-mentioned pedestrian crossing button) causing cars to swerve to avoid him and crash.
• While looking into a mirror which fell off one of the cars (which is the same one that ran over the aforementioned bike), Billie Joe blinds a man lifting a piano.
• The man drops the piano, narrowly missing Tré.
• The truck from earlier on crashes into a fire hydrant.
• A police car coming to the scene gets launched into the air after crashing into the stalled traffic. The car spins around in air as it rolls over.
• The band drives away in a Ford Pinto, which is notorious for bursting into flames upon a crash. When they pull away in the Pinto, a building in the background collapses, probably due to the car's exhaust fume.

The members all did their own stunts, although at first, Billie Joe Armstrong refused to do the stunt work required for it. He was about to pull out until Tré Cool talked him into it.^{[citation needed]}

The song's music video is one of few music videos to have colored closed captioning, a practice that is rare in North America. The captioning appears on most modern televisions as green.

Other versions

• A live version on the album, Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking.