Every Green Day Album Closing Song Ranked From Worst To Best

3. The Judges Daughter - 39/Smooth

Green Day sound very different on 39/Smooth, their first ever album from the halcyon days of 1990, but even if you only know the band from the 2000s onward, there's stuff here that you'll probably like.

The Judges Daughter (which is incorrectly punctuated on the album) brings the gavel down on 39/Smooth with a tale about young Billie Joe falling in love for the first time and realising just how awful it can be.

As well as one of the best punky riffs on the whole album, The Judges Daughter also includes some of its best lyrics. Armstrong's total inability to handle his feelings is hilarious, as he questions his own sanity and even prays to God for help with his dilemma.

Add in a blistering guitar solo, which isn't something Green Day are known for, and you get a number that still holds up over 30 years on from its release.

Yes, you are that old.

Contributor
Contributor

Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.