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Minority (Green Day song)

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Blink182182 (talk | contribs) at 22:16, 23 July 2013 (Quoted sources. Plus found another genre to add, besides this is what the song genre is to me anyways. It has a lot of folk in it. But I quoted the sources). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other uses, see Minority.
"Minority"
Song
B-side"Brat", "86", "Jackass"

"Minority" is a song by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Warning. The song remained at No. 1 for five weeks in a row on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in late 2000, making it one of the most successful songs from the band in the 2000s.

Track listing

  1. "Minority" (Radio version)
  2. "Brat" (Live from Tokyo) - 1:42
  3. "86" (Live from Prague) - 2:59

AU Single

  1. "Minority" (Album version) - 2:49
  2. "Brat" (Live from Tokyo) - 1:42
  3. "86" (Live from Prague) - 2:59
  4. "Jackass" (Album version) - 2:47

7"

Side A

  1. "Minority"
  2. "Brat" (Live from Tokyo) - 1:42

Side B

  1. "Jackass"
  2. "86" (Live from Prague) - 2:59

7" vinyl box set

  1. "Minority" - 2:49
  2. "Warning" - 3:42
  3. "Hold On" - 2:56
  4. "Outsider" - 2:17

Promo Single

  1. "Minority" (Radio Edit)
  2. "Minority" (Album Version) - 2:49

Meaning

In an interview, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said that "The song is about being an individual and how you have to drift through the darkness to find where you belong."[3]

Billie Joe Armstrong commented that this was the point in which their song writing became slightly more politically based. The lyrics "I pledge allegiance to the under world, one nation under dog..." were taken from the American Pledge of Allegiance but "twisted upside down a bit."

The lyric "down with the moral majority" from the chorus refers to the now dissolved socially conservative American organization called the Moral Majority.[citation needed]

Composition

The acoustic introduction to the song launches straight into the main riff, behind which a catchy bassline adds to the feel. The upbeat jig that runs throughout the song makes "Minority" a live favorite as Green Day nearly always include it in their live sets. "When we play 'Minority', that's the point which I always think the floor's gonna cave in," commented Mike Dirnt.[citation needed]

Music video

The music video was released in September, 2000 and directed by Evan Bernard (who also directed the "Nice Guys Finish Last" video). It shows the band on a parade float, playing their instruments in the middle of San Diego (specifically Broadway) followed by a very reduced number of people. There are also computer-generated balloons made to look like each individual member. In the end they destroy the float (this is typical of a Green Day music video: destruction of instruments, props and buildings can also be seen in a number of their other videos, including "Walking Contradiction", "Basket Case", "Longview", "Hitchin' a Ride" and "American Idiot"). The video was released uncut on International Supervideos!. It was filmed in downtown San Diego. When he first sings the phrase "Fuck 'em all," Billie Joe can be seen giving the middle finger to the buildings to both the left and right. The video marks the last appearance of one of Billie Joe's replicas of his first guitar (a Fernandes), 'Blue'.

Other versions

  • A live version on Tune in, Tokyo.
  • Another live version on the CD/DVD Bullet in a Bible.

Personnel

Chart positions

Chart (2000-2001) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[4] 29
Italy (FIMI)[5] 19
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[6] 39
UK Singles (OCC)[7] 18
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 33
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 15
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 1
Preceded by Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single
September 30, 2000 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ "Green Day: Worst to Best". IGN. May 25th 2009. The songs are interesting, but the mainstream seemed less sure of what to do with them. The melodic acoustic jam, "Warning," and punk march (with harmonica), "Minority," kinda resemble earlier Green Day singles {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Green Day: Warning". Slant Magazine. January 20th 2001. The album's first single, "Minority," preserves some of the indigenous ethics of punk rock ("Down with the moral majority/'Cause I want to be the minority"). Lyrically, the song is a reminder of the youthful mentality of Green Day's early work while maintaining their newer folk sound. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ GDA | Song Meanings
  4. ^ "Green Day – Minority". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  5. ^ "Green Day – Minority". Top Digital Download.
  6. ^ "Green Day – Minority". Top 40 Singles.
  7. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
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