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♪♪ 00:08
♪ Born into Nixon, I was raised in hell ♪ 00:17
♪ A welfare child where the teamsters dwelled ♪ 00:22
♪ The last one born and the first one to run ♪ 00:26
♪ My town was blind from refinery sun ♪ 00:30
♪ My generation is zero ♪ 00:34
♪ I never made it as a working class hero ♪ 00:38
♪ 21st century breakdown ♪ 00:42
♪ I once was lost but never was found ♪ 00:46
♪ I think I'm losing what's left of my mind ♪ 00:50
♪ To the 20th century deadline ♪ 00:54
♪ (Oohh) ♪ 00:59
♪ I was made of poison and blood ♪ 01:08
♪ Condemnation is what I understood ♪ 01:12
♪ Video games of the Towers’ fall ♪ 01:16
♪ Homeland security could kill us all ♪ 01:20
♪ My generation is zero ♪ 01:24
♪ I never made it as a working class hero ♪ 01:28
♪ 21st century breakdown ♪ 01:32
♪ I once was lost but never was found ♪ 01:36
♪ I think I'm losing what's left of my mind ♪ 01:40
♪ To the 20th century deadline ♪ 01:44
♪ We are the class of the class of thirteen ♪ 02:01
♪ Born in the era of humility ♪ 02:03
♪ We are the desperate in the decline ♪ 02:07
♪ Raised by the bastards of 1969 ♪ 02:09
♪ My name is no one, the long lost son ♪ 02:24
♪ Born on the fourth of July ♪ 02:27
♪ Raised in the era of heroes and cons ♪ 02:30
♪ That left me for dead or alive ♪ 02:33
♪ I am a nation, a worker of pride (pride) ♪ 02:36
♪ My debt to the status quo ♪ 02:39
♪ The scars on my hands and the means to an end ♪ 02:42
♪ It's all that I have to show ♪ 02:45
♪ (hey, hey, hey) ♪ 02:51
♪ I swallowed my pride and I choked on my faith ♪ 03:00
♪ I've given my heart and my soul ♪ 03:03
♪ I've broken my fingers and lied through my teeth ♪ 03:06
♪ The pillar of damage control ♪ 03:09
♪ I've been to the edge and I've thrown the bouquet (hey) ♪ 03:12
♪ Of flowers left over the grave ♪ 03:15
♪ I sat in the waiting room, wasting my time ♪ 03:18
♪ And waiting for judgement day ♪ 03:20
♪ Praise liberty ♪ 03:24
♪ The freedom to obey ♪ 03:27
♪ It's the song that strangles me ♪ 03:29
♪ Well, don't cross the line ♪ 03:32
♪♪ 03:35
♪ Oh, dream, America, dream ♪ 04:02
♪ I can't even sleep ♪ 04:08
♪ From the light's early dawn ♪ 04:12
♪ Oh, scream, America, scream ♪ 04:17
♪ Believe what you see ♪ 04:23
♪ From heroes and cons ♪ 04:27

21st Century Breakdown

By
Green Day
Album
21st Century Breakdown
Viewed
33,113,034
Learn this song

Lyrics:

[English]

♪♪

♪ Born into Nixon, I was raised in hell ♪

♪ A welfare child where the teamsters dwelled ♪

♪ The last one born and the first one to run ♪

♪ My town was blind from refinery sun ♪

♪ My generation is zero ♪

♪ I never made it as a working class hero ♪

♪ 21st century breakdown ♪

♪ I once was lost but never was found ♪

♪ I think I'm losing what's left of my mind ♪

♪ To the 20th century deadline ♪

♪ (Oohh) ♪

♪ I was made of poison and blood ♪

♪ Condemnation is what I understood ♪

♪ Video games of the Towers’ fall ♪

♪ Homeland security could kill us all ♪

♪ My generation is zero ♪

♪ I never made it as a working class hero ♪

♪ 21st century breakdown ♪

♪ I once was lost but never was found ♪

♪ I think I'm losing what's left of my mind ♪

♪ To the 20th century deadline ♪

♪ We are the class of the class of thirteen ♪

♪ Born in the era of humility ♪

♪ We are the desperate in the decline ♪

♪ Raised by the bastards of 1969 ♪

♪ My name is no one, the long lost son ♪

♪ Born on the fourth of July ♪

♪ Raised in the era of heroes and cons ♪

♪ That left me for dead or alive ♪

♪ I am a nation, a worker of pride (pride) ♪

♪ My debt to the status quo ♪

♪ The scars on my hands and the means to an end ♪

♪ It's all that I have to show ♪

♪ (hey, hey, hey) ♪

♪ I swallowed my pride and I choked on my faith ♪

♪ I've given my heart and my soul ♪

♪ I've broken my fingers and lied through my teeth ♪

♪ The pillar of damage control ♪

♪ I've been to the edge and I've thrown the bouquet (hey) ♪

♪ Of flowers left over the grave ♪

♪ I sat in the waiting room, wasting my time ♪

♪ And waiting for judgement day ♪

♪ Praise liberty ♪

♪ The freedom to obey ♪

♪ It's the song that strangles me ♪

♪ Well, don't cross the line ♪

♪♪

♪ Oh, dream, America, dream ♪

♪ I can't even sleep ♪

♪ From the light's early dawn ♪

♪ Oh, scream, America, scream ♪

♪ Believe what you see ♪

♪ From heroes and cons ♪

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary Meanings

run

/rʌn/

A1
  • verb
  • - to move quickly on foot

blind

/blaɪnd/

B1
  • adjective
  • - unable to see

breakdown

/ˈbreɪkdaʊn/

B2
  • noun
  • - a failure

mind

/maɪnd/

A2
  • noun
  • - the part of a person that thinks, feels, and reasons

poison

/ˈpɔɪzən/

B2
  • noun
  • - a substance that causes death or injury when swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed

blood

/blʌd/

A1
  • noun
  • - the red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and other vertebrate animals

security

/sɪˈkjʊərəti/

B1
  • noun
  • - the state of being free from danger or threat

desperate

/ˈdɛspərət/

B2
  • adjective
  • - feeling, showing, or involving a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with

decline

/dɪˈklaɪn/

B2
  • noun
  • - a gradual and continuous loss of strength, numbers, quality, or value

pride

/praɪd/

B1
  • noun
  • - a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of one's close associates, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired

scars

/skɑːr/

B1
  • noun
  • - a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not completely healed and fibrous connective tissue has developed

faith

/feɪθ/

B1
  • noun
  • - complete trust or confidence in someone or something

heart

/hɑːrt/

A1
  • noun
  • - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.

soul

/soʊl/

B1
  • noun
  • - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal

damage

/ˈdæmɪdʒ/

A2
  • noun
  • - physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something

freedom

/ˈfriːdəm/

A2
  • noun
  • - the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance.

dream

/driːm/

A2
  • noun
  • - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.

Grammar:

  • Born into Nixon, I was raised in hell.

    ➔ Passive voice

    ➔ The phrase "I was raised" uses the passive voice to indicate that the subject received the action.

  • My generation is zero.

    ➔ Simple present tense

    ➔ The phrase "My generation is" uses the simple present tense to express a general truth.

  • I think I'm losing what's left of my mind.

    ➔ Present continuous tense

    ➔ The phrase "I'm losing" uses the present continuous tense to indicate an ongoing action.

  • I was made of poison and blood.

    ➔ Passive voice

    ➔ The phrase "I was made" uses the passive voice to indicate that the subject was created by an external force.

  • Praise liberty.

    ➔ Imperative mood

    ➔ The phrase "Praise liberty" uses the imperative mood to give a command or request.

  • We are the desperate in the decline.

    ➔ Present simple tense

    ➔ The phrase "We are the desperate" uses the present simple tense to describe a state of being.

  • I sat in the waiting room, wasting my time.

    ➔ Past continuous tense

    ➔ The phrase "wasting my time" uses the past continuous tense to indicate an action that was ongoing in the past.