Brianna Hojnacki - 12 Years Later (A Song For Billie Joe Armstrong)
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- Dear Billie Joe Armstrong and All His Devoted Fans,
As a piano player, I'm always striving to create a new piece that is invigorating and pleasing to the senses. One day I was sitting around, thinking about Green Day and how much I've grown to love them over the years. I decided to write a song for my hero Billie Joe Armstrong, who has written so many songs for his fans, and yet, I thought it would be sweet to have a fan write a song for him, for a change.
The title "12 Years Later" comes from my personal story as a Green Day fan. It's a long story, but I hope you will read it all: In 2011, I was 11 years old and discovered Green Day for the first time. It was love at first sight and sound. I quickly became obsessed with them- their pictures adorned my school locker and walls at home, and I was addicted to Green Day Rockband every night with my friends. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" was the first song I learned by an artist on the piano. I truly couldn't get enough of them and I never thought they would leave my life.
But in late 2012, I heard about the incident where Billie Joe threw a tantrum on stage over not having enough time to play. At the time, I thought this was childish and stupid, without understanding the whole story or where Billie Joe was mentally at the time. Green Day was growing stale to me too, so I decided this was it- I diched Green Day forever and never in my life listened to them again... or so I thought.
In early 2024, I randomly had a thought pop up in my head about Green Day. Prior to this, I NEVER listened to a single Green Day song in 12 years straight- not even on the radio. I was curious to hear what they currently sounded like and what Billie Joe was up to. So, interested, I googled them and found out that their new album Saviors was just about to drop. I waited patiently and when it dropped, I quickly fell in love with the album, much like how I first fell in love with the band. I decided to listen to the old songs of theirs that I used to love, and that was it- I was crazy about them again!!
But it didn't just stop there. I decided to research a lot about Billie Joe and I studied a lot of interviews of him to catch up with any information over the years that I missed. I learned that Billie Joe was struggling with drinking and medications back when he had his tantrum, and I also learned that Green Day's set time was unfairly cut short almost 20 minutes at that show- I finally understood his rant and realized that there was nothing ever wrong with the poor man. I sympathized with his visitation at the hospital, as I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 2018 and 2023. Life can be very difficult, even for the kindest of people, and not everything is fair. I honestly started to take note at what a genuine and wonderful man Billie Joe is: he's a very devoted family man, he's an icon for many who feel like an outcast, such as the LGBTQ+ community, his brilliant songs have saved the lives of millions and he remains a humble, honest gentleman throughout his incredible career- the money and fame never went to his head. And that is something so admirable to me. That's part of the reason why I wanted to dedicate a song to him.
The title of this song, "12 Years Later", derives from the fact that I actually hated Green Day for 12 long years before falling back in love with them again. To love someone, then to hate them is pretty common. But to love someone, then to wind up hating them SO severely for half of your entire life, only to fall in love with them again harder than you ever have is something that happens very rarely, even less than once in a lifetime. Sometimes hating someone is necessary in learning valuable lessons about yourself... in my case, hating Green Day showed that I was just plain naive, and being willful my whole life.
Nowadays, I relate to Billie immensely, I understand his lyrics deeper having gone through many of the feelings he sings about. I have the utmost respect for this man because he chooses to release his negative emotions into songs, which really shows his self-control and over all him NOT being immature like I initially thought. See what lack of awareness can turn you into?
I caried around this ball and chain of severe hatred for Green Day for 12 long years. Swore they were poisonous. Evidently, avoiding them for so long has had the opposite effect, eventually leading me to checking them out again and thus falling completely in love with them more than I ever have, now what I've gone through and what Billie has gone through has made us grow immensely inside, I feel like we are connected on some spiritual level. I think Billie is another soul guide for me.
This song is dedicated to you, Billie Joe Armstrong- you are love and you deserve your very own song after all you've given us- your devoted fans. I love you so much; thanks for all you do and will continue to do for the world. You are an angel.
Love, just another fan, Brianna Hojnacki
I really liked this
Great job
Thank you!
He was an influence my whole school life ❤
Mine also, since I was 11!
Simply beautiful! ❤❤❤
Niceeeeeeeeee
Thanks!
@@RetroSoulGirl
Npp👍