10 Greatest Unsung Heroes In Rock And Roll

Some of the best rock songs of all time tend to come from a personal place. Not every band can just make the best song in the world out of thin air, and it's easy to tap into something emotional when you've put some miles on your soul. And as Billie Joe Armstrong was taking his first steps as a songwriter, being dumped by a girl was the key to some of Green Day's greatest songs.

While we've never learned this woman's last name, Amanda was one of Billie's girlfriends shortly before he got married to his wife Adrienne. Being a part of the same punk scene that he ran with, she ended up cutting ties with him before the days of Dookie, but she was clearly still on his mind when he went into the studio. As the years have gone on, it has been speculated that She is directly about her, with the song name coming from a piece of poetry that moved Billie when they were together.

It would be enough for just one song, but she pops up nearly everywhere, with Good Riddance being the bitter breakup song that Billie wrote for her and eventually forming the character Whatsername from American Idiot around her persona. Wherever Amanda is now, here's hoping that Billie is at least sharing a few royalties with her.