The song “Holiday” by Green Day is a critiquing the Bush administration on how they portrayed their entry into Iraq in 2003. The song also critiques the disagreement of how to disarm Iraq, as many of Bush’s allies wanted the disarmament to occur with a peaceful resolution.

In a joint declaration by Russia, Germany, and France in 2003, French president Jacques Chirac made a statement that “There is still an alternative to war,” and “the use of force could be only a last resort.” This critique could be seen in the bridge as the lyrics are:

Sieg Heil to the president gasman
Bombs away is your punishment
Pulverize the Eiffel towers
Who criticize your government
Bang bang goes the broken glass and
Kill all the fags that don’t agree
Trials by fire setting fire
Is not a way that’s meant for me
These lyrics from the song critiques the Bush pro-war approach, and for basically stating “it is my way  or the highway” despite many allies going against the Chief of Washington DC. Rather, Kofi Annan, the secretary general of the United Nations were one the prominent figures that scorned President Bush’s action to act in Iraq. Another commentary against Bush’s involvement in Iraq can be found in the opening verse of the song:
Hear the sound of the falling rain
Coming down like an Armageddon flame (hey!)
A shame
The ones who died without a name
This commentary gives note that the “falling rain” are the bombs that are being called by Bush to strike Iraq. This could be clearly stated in the opening scene of the music video when the band’s logo is on a bomb that is being sent to land in Iraq.
This song’s refrain gives a harsh wake up call to the American citizens as the Bush administration is using news propaganda to control the media and to advance the war’s agenda. It wasn’t really the weapons of mass destruction that Bush and his cabinet were targeting, but more-or-less their political strength and agenda that they wanted to advance.
I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
On holiday

The genre of “punk rock” is a sub-genre of rock and roll that has quick and sudden instrumentation that gives a fast-paced feel to the music. Matched with mostly anti-establishment lyrics that calls for a change within the status quo, most punk rock bands usually speak about social and political issues that need change. But also punk rock, is a ” D.I.Y. attitude, to step forward without any restraint,” and to “fight like a warrior until you achieve what you’ve aimed for.” as said by Calva Louise band member Jess Allanic.

Billie Joel Armstrong isn’t really speaking about a solution to the issue at-hand (which is against war & political propaganda), but is calling for Americans to wake up and to see the reality that the Bush administration, and American media are hiding from the people.

 

Wikipedia Links Used for surface research:

Iraq War Invasion

Punk Rock