10 Songs With Meanings That Are Completely Misunderstood
4. Green Day's Time Of Your Life Isn't Romantic
It may seem difficult to believe, but Green Day's 1997 Time Of Your Life from the album Nimrod is frequently misinterpreted. In fact, the song which has sold millions of copies in the years since its release has become a massive hit at prom dances, with many graduating seniors interpreting the lyrics as a nostalgic musing on the high school experience.
This misinterpretation is so widespread, in fact, that Billie Joe Armstrong himself has weighed in, claiming that he slightly enjoys the fact he's often misunderstood. Nevertheless the song is actually an extremely bitter break-up song. It's not uncommon for people to mistakenly think the track is titled Time Of Your Life, but that's just the bit in brackets the primary title is Good Riddance, which is much more fitting with the lyrics.
Good Riddance was written out of frustration that Armstrong's then-girlfriend was moving to Ecuador. Throughout the song the narrator laments the loss of his love: I hope you had the time of your life isn't so much sincere as it is tinged with resent.