Green Day fans remind the internet why September memes aren’t funny
It’s Sept. 1 which means people are rolling out the September memes and jokes that reference Green Day‘s “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”
However, Green Day fans are reminding the internet about what the song truly means and are asking that the September memes stop for good.
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After American Idiot was released in 2004, “Wake Me Up When September Ends” quickly became part of the internet meme culture. Listeners have taken the song’s title and created overexaggerated memes about sleeping through the month of September. Some even troll Billie Joe Armstrong on Oct. 1 about September finally being over.
Green Day be like: pic.twitter.com/tG4HuG3vjU
— yasaman. (@itssamann) August 31, 2020
Don’t tweet the Green Day lyrics
Don’t tweet the Green Day lyrics
Don’t tweet the Green Day lyrics…. pic.twitter.com/qbvJaPairM— Jordan Schmidt (@JordanSch23) September 1, 2020
Shhh Green Day is sleeping guys
— Brace For Impact (@Craytonex) September 1, 2020
how you know it’s september every year, even when you’re not a green day fan ? pic.twitter.com/x3B6N2ndtM
— alyssa (@VivaLaAla) September 1, 2020
Wake Me Up When September Ends // Green Day pic.twitter.com/773VX5e6Yi
— Lyrics Art. (@LyricsArtPH) September 1, 2020
The calender: turns to September
Green day and twitter: pic.twitter.com/pQGxsnmlp8— Big Beautiful Disney (@DoleWhip71) September 1, 2020
nobody:
green day:
sep 30th ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ oct 1st pic.twitter.com/P0FWmVivgq
— ?????? ? (@deppsauvage) September 1, 2020
Now, since September 2020 is here, Green Day began trending on Twitter because of the September memes. However, fans are reminding everyone about why the memes aren’t actually funny.
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For those that don’t know, “Wake Me Up When September Ends” is about the death of Armstrong’s father. Armstrong recently told Howard Stern that the song title comes directly from the words he, then a young kid, told his mother when his father died.
“I think it’s something that just stayed with me; the month of September being that anniversary that always is just, I don’t know, kind of a bummer,” he said “But it’s weird. When things happen like that when you’re that young, it’s almost like life starts at year zero, or something like that.”
In the interview, Stern asked Armstrong if he ever thinks about his father when performing or hearing “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”
“I mean, yeah. I think about him every day,” Armstrong continued. “I kind of avoided writing about him for many years and then finally having a breakthrough. It felt good. It wasn’t a negative emotion so much, but just honoring him.”
As well, back in 2018, Armstrong was asked about the September memes in an interview. More specifically, he shared his thoughts on those that send him the same meme every single year.
“I don’t know. Have fun [and] get a life at the same time,” he said.
He also said he might write a song called “Shut The Fuck Up When October Comes” in response to the flood of comments he receives on Oct. 1.
Given the personal and emotional nature of the song, Green Day fans aren’t too happy that the September memes still continue to come back each year. Now, they are reminding the internet that the song isn’t really something to joke about.
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every september I wake up to green day trending so pic.twitter.com/x4nwgJUjQz
— ♫♫♫ @ 5.2 (@eIkwoods) September 1, 2020
since its September now, heres ur reminder to please not joke about the green day song “wake me up when september ends” the song is about the singers father who died of cancer when he was a kid. its just not funny. #Follow pic.twitter.com/7Ob2jd3ulS
— World Media Organization (@worldmediaorg) September 1, 2020
“wake me up when september ends” is a song billie joe armstrong wrote about his dad dying of cancer, and every september without fail a ton of people spam him with memes about it, which really fuckin sucks!!! don’t do that!!!
— Heather ⬢ Flowers (@HTHRFLWRS) September 1, 2020
I will block every person making a green day ‘wake me up when september ends’ joke no exceptions it’s not funny and it’s disrespectful. pic.twitter.com/EUGL8b9BEU
— gee? (@killjoyrev) September 1, 2020
since its September now, heres ur reminder to please not joke about the green day song “wake me up when september ends” the song is about the singers father who died of cancer when he was a kid. its just not funny.
— ??? || ??? ?? ???????? (@tamagoyami) September 1, 2020
Society has progressed passed the need to make the Green Day September joke
— QISACHAR (@fullarmoralex) September 1, 2020
UPDATE: OCTOBER 1, 2020, 10:17 A.M. ET
Every year, Green Day becomes the focus of a meme as September rolls around. Shared heavily on the first day of the month, social media leans in on using the American Idiot lyrics as a joke.
Like clockwork, as the month comes to a close, the meme resurfaces on the first day of October to ask if anyone woke the band up. This year, the band’s name started trending on Twitter as a result.
We can FINALLY wake up Green Day after the longest September on record. pic.twitter.com/GsMFf3e5PH
— Shannen Doherty (@MissSDoherty) October 1, 2020
It's that time of year again. Someone go and wake up that guy from Green Day…😀 pic.twitter.com/je179N890e
— Jesus H (Parody) Christ 😷 (@officialHJesus) October 1, 2020
pov when you wake up green day a day early pic.twitter.com/IogWvpaKLP
— steely dan 🚐🏕 (@get_raked) October 1, 2020
September: *ends*
Green Day: pic.twitter.com/bL1L6PXZJe
— bo-bevin. (@chwakie_) October 1, 2020
Billie Joe Armstrong even jumped in on it this year, sharing a Family Guy-inspired meme on Instagram.
However, just like Sept. 1, Green Day fans are reminding the internet why the jokes aren’t funny.
reminder please don’t make jokes about wake me up when september ends or green day since september ended, the song is about billie joe armstrongs father passing and it’s not really an appropriate thing to make jokes out of
— sam ✰♡✧ (@underscorewentz) October 1, 2020
Billie has said many times how much he hates what it has become as a meme on the internet, and wishes it would stop. He has tried to make light of the pain it causes him and how uncomfortable it is, by joking that he wished he'd written "Shut the F*** Up When October Begins."
— Zoe London (@zoelondondj) September 29, 2020
In general, the internet was pretty self-aware of the situation, even making memes about not making memes.
Me trying not to tweet about Green Day tonight pic.twitter.com/UsAQ0nfa3W
— Eam Impala (@EamonToThat) October 1, 2020
the green day people looking at their mentions rnpic.twitter.com/janIyaHcxR
— john (@wilddog.bsky.social) (@mexicanwilddog) October 1, 2020
green day stans: stop making wake me up when september ends jokes! its not funny!
billie joe: pic.twitter.com/WuF8UT1msT
— star ✨ (@deathwishkidx) October 1, 2020
‘1st October someone better wake up Billie Joe out of Green Day’ pic.twitter.com/RC1OiolvTL
— Nath. (@NathDerricott) October 1, 2020
The “Wake Me Up When September Ends” video is available to watch below.
What are your thoughts on the “Wake Me Up When September Ends” memes? Have you used them before? Let us know in the comments below.
