Holiday – English Lyrics

• By: Green Day
• Album: American Idiot

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Green Day's 'Holiday,' a powerful anthem that not only ignites a rebellious spirit with its punk rock energy but also offers a vibrant linguistic journey into American social and political commentary. Through its sharp lyrics and iconic delivery, you can explore expressions of dissent, calls for action, and critical perspectives on modern society, making it an engaging way to grasp contemporary English and cultural context.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rain /reɪn/ A1	noun - water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere.
flame /fleɪm/ B1	noun - a hot glowing gas that is produced when something burns
shame /ʃeɪm/ B2	noun - a feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.
died /daɪd/ A1	verb - past tense of die: to stop living
name /neɪm/ A1	noun - a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known
dogs /dɒɡz/ A1	noun - a domesticated canid
key /kiː/ A2	noun - a thing that provides a means of gaining access to or understanding something.
faith /feɪθ/ B2	noun - complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
misery /ˈmɪzəri/ B2	noun - a state or feeling of great distress or discomfort of mind or body.
bleed /bliːd/ B1	verb - to lose blood.
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country.
dream /driːm/ A2	verb - to experience images, emotions, and sensations during sleep noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.
lies /laɪz/ B1	noun - false statements or information
drum /drʌm/ A2	noun - a percussion instrument sounded by being struck with sticks or the hands
holiday /ˈhɒlədeɪ/ A2	noun - a day of festivity or recreation when no work is done.
president /ˈprezɪdənt/ B1	noun - the elected head of a republican state.
bombs /bɒmz/ B1	noun - a container filled with explosive, incendiary, or other destructive material, designed to explode on impact or when detonated by a timing mechanism, remote control, or proximity fuse.
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke. verb - to discharge a firearm or other weapon
outlaws /ˈaʊtlɔːz/ C1	noun - a person who has broken the law and remains at large or is a fugitive.

Key Grammar Structures

• Hear the sound of the falling rain

  ➔ Present participle as adjective (falling)

  ➔ The word "falling" is a present participle acting as an adjective to describe the rain. It indicates rain that is in the process of falling.

• Coming down like an Armageddon flame

  ➔ Simile (like)

  ➔ The phrase uses "like" to compare the rain to an "Armageddon flame", highlighting the intensity and destructive nature.

• The ones who died without a name

  ➔ Relative clause (who)

  ➔ "Who died without a name" is a relative clause modifying "the ones". It provides additional information about those who died.

• I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose (to dream, to differ)

  ➔ "To dream" and "to differ" are infinitives used to express the purpose of begging. The speaker begs *in order to* dream and differ.

• This is the dawning of the rest of our lives

  ➔ Noun phrase as subject complement (the dawning...lives)

  ➔ The entire phrase "the dawning of the rest of our lives" acts as a noun phrase that complements the subject "This", describing what "This" is.

• Can I get another Amen?

  ➔ Modal verb for permission (Can)

  ➔ The modal verb "Can" is used to ask for permission, though in this context, it's used rhetorically, more of a call for agreement or approval.

• Who criticize your government

  ➔ Present simple (criticize)

  ➔ The verb "criticize" is in the present simple tense, referring to a general or habitual action. It describes those who generally criticize the government.

• Is not a way that's meant for me

  ➔ Reduced relative clause (that's meant)

  ➔ "That's meant for me" is a relative clause describing "a way". The "that is" can be implied/removed, especially in informal contexts