Boulevard Of Broken Dreams Meaning

In 2004 Green Day came out with a hit song named “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” which was a huge addition to the punk rock music genre growth of the early 2000’s. Their song illustrates the thoughts of a teenage boy who feels alone in his mind. Throughout the song the boy mentions the empty streets that he walks on as well as his shadow which is the only one that walks beside him. The idea that his mind is split into two sections which he has names “what's fucked up” and “everything’s alright” plays a factor in his depressed mindset. The use of juxtaposition and metaphors in Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” illuminates the idea that failure leads to loss of confidence and isolation. The speaker of this song is facing both internal and external conflicts which consume his mind into nothing but sadness. The internal conflict faced involves repeated accounts of failure faced by the teenage boy that in return diminish his self confidence and lead to his isolation from society. This internal conflict increases the division between the two parts of his brain, increasing his depression. In addition the external conflict described in the song adds more weight to his loss of confidence. The speaker describes being let down by multiple people and wanted to be helped but seems to be let down and stuck in his own mind.

When the speaker of the song was describing his split mind he named them “what’s fucked up” and “everything's alright”. The normal side of his mind is what makes him fit in with people and to feel accepted. On the other hand, the second part of his mind includes all the negative thoughts and personal issues that he fights within himself on the daily.This includes the part of him that he wants to change and fix. The inability to fix his problems has diminished his self confidence and led him to become isolated from everyone around