"Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a song by American rock band Green Day, released on June 13, 2005, as the fourth single from the group's seventh studio album, American Idiot (2004). The ballad[3] was written by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong about the death of his father when he was 10 years old.
The song became a hit single, peaking at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 and receiving a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also a top-10 single in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and New Zealand and was a number-one single in the Czech Republic. In the United States, the song became symbolic after Hurricane Katrina, where it was dedicated to victims of the disaster, and also regarded as a dedication to the victims of the September 11 attacks that occurred in 2001. The song's music video depicts a couple broken apart by the Iraq War, which was intended to convey the song's central theme of loss.
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" was written by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong about his father, who died from esophageal cancer when Armstrong was 10 years old.[4][5] Armstrong at one point dubbed the song the most autobiographical he had written to that point, considering it "therapeutic" but also difficult to perform.[6]
The single peaked at number six in the United States, becoming Green Day's second top-10 single. It also peaked at number eight in Canada and the UK, while reaching number 13 in Australia. The song was certified Gold in the United Kingdom for sales of 400,000.[7] The song ended the streak of Green Day's three consecutive number-one hits on the Modern Rock Tracks chart ("American Idiot", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", and "Holiday"), but it peaked at number two on the chart, kept from number one by Gorillaz' "Feel Good Inc." The song also made it to number two on the Adult Top 40 chart and the Mainstream Top 40 chart. This was the band's most successful song in the adult contemporary market, hitting number three on the Adult Contemporary Chart and their only song to appear on that specific chart other than "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". "Wake Me Up When September Ends" had sold 1,652,000 copies as of May 2010.[8]
The song's music video was directed by Samuel Bayer, best known for his work with Nirvana and Metallica.[10] Bayer envisioned the video as a mini-movie,[11] wanting to create something unlike other music videos that he felt were predictable.[10] Bayer brought the idea of an Iraq War-themed video to the band after interviewing soldiers who had signed up to fight after being persuaded by a television advertisement. The song's music video thus attempts to "turn the machine on itself" by acting as a commercial for "free thought or peace."[12] Although it wasn't the song's literal meaning, Armstrong felt it was appropriate considering the song's theme of loss.[13] Bayer and his crew spent a month casting actors for the roles and conducted rehearsals, which was uncommon for music videos.[10] Filming took place in Los Angeles in late March 2005.[11]
The video focuses on a couple in love, played by Jamie Bell and Evan Rachel Wood.[10] The boyfriend promises never to leave his girlfriend but they later argue when the boyfriend enlists in the United States Marine Corps. The boyfriend interprets his actions as a way to show her that he loves her to the point that he would put his life on the line to keep her safe. However, the girlfriend is heartbroken, viewing this as him breaking his vow to never leave her. The video then shows the boyfriend in battle in Iraq being ambushed by insurgents. Despite the Marines fighting back, several of them fall to the ground wounded. Their fate—and the boyfriends—is left unknown. This scene is intercut with scenes of the girlfriend tearfully mourning in a quiet field.[14]
The video became one of the most requested music videos to be played on MTV,[15] reaching number one on Total Request Live.[13] In a 2005 reader poll by Rolling Stone for the best music videos of the year, the clip came in second place, losing to the video for Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl."[16]
Green Day performing in Manchester in 2024, where the Saviors Tour began[17]
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" has been included on the set lists of numerous Green Day concert tours, some of which played American Idiot in its entirety. Some of these performances were meant to promote the album, taking place in 2004.[18][19] The song was included on the set list for the Hella Mega Tour, a concert tour for Green Day as well as Fall Out Boy and Weezer that began in 2021.[20] The song was later included on the set list for the Saviors Tour, where American Idiot was played in its entirety.[21][17]
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" became closely associated with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast of the United States three days before the start of September in 2005.[22] The affiliation began after a blogger created a video pairing the song with recordings of television coverage of the disaster, which went viral.[23][22] Afterwards, Green Day performed the song for ReAct Now: Music & Relief, a benefit concert dedicated to Hurricane Katrina. A live recording of the song dedicated to the victims of the hurricane, which was performed at Gillette Stadium, was released on September 3.[23] They performed the song again during the pre-game show for a Monday Night Football game played between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons at the New Orleans Superdome, which was the first game played at the stadium after the hurricane.[23] In April 2020, Armstrong performed the song for One World: Together At Home, a charity livestream dedicated to COVID-19 relief efforts.[24]
In the years since its release, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" has seen popularity spikes on streaming platforms during the first and last days of September, as well as the first day of October.[25][26] According to Loudwire, the increase of the songs views on YouTube was as high as 135 percent on the last day of September 2019 compared to the rest of that years daily average.[27] Consequentially, the band sees increased profits during those days.[26] The resurgence in popularity around the end of the month also leads to numerous social media posts and internet memes being created, such as "someone needs to wake up [Armstrong]."[28] These memes have been criticized by many as insensitive due to the songs context;[28] in response to the memes, Armstrong jokingly stated in an 2016 interview with Vulture that he would create a new song titled "Shut The Fuck Up When October Comes."[29][30] He later referenced the memes in a promotional video released on October 1, 2023 for the song "The American Dream Is Killing Me".[31]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 39. týden 2005 in the date selector. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
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