Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" (or "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)") is a ballad by American rock band Green Day, released in December 1997 as the second single from their fifth studio album, Nimrod (1997). It is one of their most popular songs and has also become a staple of their concerts, usually played as the final song.

"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" became a chart hit, peaking at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and reaching the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. As of November 2022, the song had sold over five million copies and is certified quintuple platinum in the United States, sextuple platinum in Canada, triple platinum in New Zealand, and double platinum in both Australia and the United Kingdom, making it the band's most commercially successful single.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="RIAA"/><ref name="MC"/><ref name="ARIA"/><ref name="BPI"/><ref name="RMNZ"/>

Background

Billie Joe Armstrong wrote "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" in 1993 about his girlfriend named Amanda who moved to Ecuador, with him naming the song "Good Riddance" to show his anger towards her. He did not show the song to his bandmates until the Dookie recording sessions later the same year.<ref name="Spitz131">Template:Cite book</ref> During the sessions, however, the song was determined to be too different from the rest of the songs on Dookie, and producer Rob Cavallo was unsure of how to structure the recording.<ref name="Spitz131" />

An early version of the song (in a different key, with a faster tempo and sparer arrangement) simply titled "Good Riddance" appeared as a B-side to the European single for "Brain Stew/Jaded".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

When the time came to record Nimrod, Armstrong decided to record the song again, and Cavallo suggested they add strings to the track. He sent the band to play foosball in another room while he recorded the strings, which took "like fifteen, twenty minutes, maybe a half an hour at the most".<ref name="Spitz131" /> Cavallo reflected on his decision to add the strings: "I knew we had done the right thing. It was a hit the second I heard it."<ref name="Spitz131" />

Composition

In comparison to previous Green Day material, "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" features more mellow, contemplative lyrics with acoustic music. Band member Mike Dirnt said that the release of this song was probably the "most punk" thing they could have done.<ref>VH1 Top 100 Songs of the '90's: "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"</ref>

The song has been labelled alternative rock,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> folk,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="brown">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> folk punk,<ref name="cinquemani">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and acoustic rock.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Album version

The album version of the song begins with Armstrong messing up the opening chords twice, muttering "fuck" under his breath before starting over and getting it right, thus starting the song. The mistakes were deliberately kept to add a lighthearted introduction to a song with emotionally deep lyrics. Radio versions and the music video omitted Armstrong's second attempt with the expletive.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Music video

The music video was directed by Mark Kohr in Los Angeles in November 1997, and is based on a concept by Armstrong.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The video features Armstrong singing and playing an acoustic guitar in an apartment (filmed in LA's Ambassador Hotel), intercut with "pull-in" shots of various people involved in mundane activities. All of the subjects are shown seemingly staring into space absent-mindedly. Dirnt and Tré Cool make cameo appearances in the video as a person pumping gas (Dirnt), and an injured bike rider being attended by paramedics (Tré). When the video came out, the name of the song was inverted, hence the video's title is "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)". This title was also used on the single cover.

In 1998, Green Day won their first MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" and they were also nominated for Viewer's Choice.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The video can be found on their music video compilation DVD, International Supervideos!

Legacy

To the band's surprise, the song became a hit at prom dances.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Because of the song's lyrics, which many graduating seniors interpret as nostalgic and reflective of their time in high school, it has become a staple song at proms. Armstrong remarked that, in retrospect, the lyrics make sense when viewed that way. "The people that you grew up and braved the trials of high school with will always hold a special place. Through all the BS of high school, you hope that your friends had the time of their life, and that's what the song is talking about".<ref name="auto" />

The song is featured in the season nine episode of Seinfeld, titled "The Chronicle" (also known as "The Clip Show"). The song plays in the closing minutes of the episode, which feature a series of bloopers, behind-the-scenes production, and a montage. It is the second-to-last episode of Seinfeld before the show's series finale in 1998. The song was also featured in the ending credits of Deadpool & Wolverine, playing with a montage of scenes and behind-the-scenes footage of several film adaptions, most noticeably from the X-Men film series.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

The song was played on ITV in 1998, when the England National Football Team was knocked out of the France 98 tournament, losing to Argentina.Template:Cn

On May 28, 2015, Rolling Stone named "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" as one of the 20 Best Graduation Songs of the Past 20 Years (1995–2015).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

On August 14, 2024, All Elite Wrestling used the song in a video package on Dynamite, looking back on Bryan Danielson's 24+ years of wrestling (excluding WWE) ahead of his Title vs. Career match with Swerve Strickland at All In: Wembley II.Template:Cn

Personnel

Credits

• Billie Joe Armstrong – acoustic guitar, vocals
• David Campbell – string arrangement
• Conan McCallum – first violin

Additional credits

• Billie Joe Armstrong – lyrics
• Green Day – music
• Rob Cavallo and Green Day – production

Charts

Weekly charts

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1997–1998 weekly chart performance for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

Chart (1997–1998)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	35
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	5
Spain Airplay (Music & Media)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	7
UK Network Singles (Music Week)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	7

Template:Single chart

2015 weekly chart performance for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

Chart (2015)	Peak position
US Rock Digital Songs (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	30

2021 weekly chart performance for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

Chart (2021)	Peak position
Canada Digital Song Sales (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	26

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

Chart (1998)	Position
Australia (ARIA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	8
Canada Top Singles (RPM)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	51
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	39
US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	19
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	9
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)<ref name="usrockye">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	30
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	40
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)<ref name="usrockye"/>	5
US Triple-A (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	33

Decade-end charts

Decade-end chart performance for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

Chart (2010–2019)	Position
US Top Airplay Audience (Nielsen Music)<ref name="TopAirplayDecade2010-2019" />	6
US Top Airplay Spins (Nielsen Music)<ref name="TopAirplayDecade2010-2019">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	4

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Template:Abbr
United States	December 2, 1997	Contemporary hit radio	Reprise	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Japan	December 15, 1997	CD		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
United Kingdom	January 19, 1998	Template:Hlist		<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>