In a recent Song Exploder Podcast interview, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong discussed the one song he wrote while on meth.
During his recent appearance, Armstrong discussed how the song came about and even shared the music from his initial 4-track demo, which included the original lyrics.
It was one of the worst songs he’d ever written while high on meth. Regarding their hit ‘Basket Case,’ the frontman admitted, “The true confession is that I was on crystal meth when I wrote the lyrics. I thought I was writing the best song ever. As you are aware, drugs eventually wear off. And then I felt as if I had written the worst song ever.”
Billie Joe Armstrong then confessed that he had previously written songs about drugs, later comparing them to ‘Basket Case’. “I thought the lyrics were embarrassingly bad.” I’d written a few songs about drugs before, but this one made me feel the worst afterward.”
‘Basket Case’ Initially Had Different Lyrics
As the frontman stated during the podcast episode, the original lyrics were supposed to be for a ‘love song.’ While sharing the original 4-track demo of the track, the original lyrics for his ‘love song’ were as follows:
Swanky is her name / She’s got the best of him / And he’s got the best of her in the palm of their hands
And they could care less what’s coming up / Sometimes the future doesn’t have much luck / This wigged-out thing called love / It may get kinda rough / And they don’t mind / They’re on their own
They said this has been / Motionless orbit flight / Around each other intoxicating their minds
Dancing in the street / Under suburban lights / They stumbled to the concrete without a hurt
They’re on their own, own.”
How ‘Basket Case’ Came Together
According to Armstrong’s account, he earned some money during the Kerplunk! tour and decided to put it towards a new amp and a 4-track recorder. He intended to teach himself how to record demos. The band’s lyrics may have changed over time, but the melody remained constant.
Armstrong explains, “This melody had been on my mind for a while, and I wanted to write a grand song about a love story. I wrote the song in early 1993.
He added, “I envisioned the song having an introduction resembling a ballad that would seamlessly transition into the full band, giving it a more rocking vibe. To achieve the drum sound, I even used a beatbox effect with my mouth.”
