Warning (Green Day song)

"Warning"
Single by Green Day
from the album Warning
B-side"Suffocate" (7")
ReleasedDecember 11, 2000
Recorded2000
Genre
Length3:41
LabelReprise
Composer(s)Green Day
Lyricist(s)Billie Joe Armstrong
Producer(s)Green Day
Green Day singles chronology
"Minority"
(2000) 		"Warning"
(2000) 		"Waiting"
(2001)
Music video
"Warning" on YouTube

"Warning" is a song by the American rock band Green Day. It is the second single and title track from their sixth album of the same name.

Billie Joe Armstrong has said that the original concept was to create a song whose lyrics were made up of all signs and labels, and the idea grew from there.[citation needed]

The song was played for the first time during Bridge School Benefit played acoustic in 1999.

The song was a number three modern rock hit in the US. The song also made it into the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart in the UK. It has been noted that the song's main guitar riff bears strong resemblance to The Kinks song "Picture Book".[5]

This is the first Green Day song to feature a tremolo effect on the guitar; an effect used prominently in the 2004 single "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".

Despite being included in the band's greatest hits albums International Superhits! and God's Favorite Band as well as appearing as a playable track in their game Green Day: Rock Band, the band had not performed the song live for 21 years since 2001, until it was performed during a warm-up show before their performance in the 2022 Lollapalooza.[6]

Music video

"Warning" has two music videos. The first and main music video premiered on MTV in January 2001. It was directed by Francis Lawrence and shows the life of a rather oblivious young man who does dangerous, socially unacceptable and trivial things during his day examples being rubbing soap in his eyes, swallowing toothpaste, running into across moving traffic and crossing police tape. His punch-in card reveals his name to be John Earle.[7] The second music video features the recording and touring of the song and album edited together.[8]

Track listing

CD 1

  1. "Warning" (album version)
  2. "Scumbag"
  3. "I Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" (originally performed by Hüsker Dü)

CD 2

  1. "Warning" (album version)
  2. "Outsider" (originally performed by the Ramones)
  3. "Suffocate"

Limited edition card sleeve version

  1. "Warning" (album version)
  2. "Scumbag"

Warning/Minority AU single

  1. "Warning"
  2. "Minority"
  3. "Scumbag"
  4. "Outsider" (originally performed by the Ramones)

7" Adeline

Side A

  1. "Warning"

Side B

  1. "Scumbag"
  2. "Outsider" (originally performed by the Ramones)

7" Reprise

Side A

  1. "Warning"

Side B

  1. "Suffocate"

Charts

Chart (2000–2001) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[9] 19
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 46
Italy (FIMI)[11] 49
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 37
Poland (Polish Airplay Charts)[13] 12
Scotland (OCC)[14] 23
UK Singles (OCC)[15] 27
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[16] 1
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[17] 31
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[18] 7
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[19] 3
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[20] 24
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[21] 14

References

  1. ^ Sal Cinquemani (11 November 2001). "Green Day International Superhits! - Album Review - Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  2. ^ Connick, Tom (16 May 2018). "Green Day: their 15 best songs – ranked". NME. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  3. ^ "Green Day – Warning Review". Alternative Press. 22 June 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2022. When Warning kicks off with the title track, the straightforward acoustic rocker shows promise for the album
  4. ^ Robinson, Charlotte (October 2, 2000). "Green Day - "Warning"". PopMatters. Retrieved August 29, 2020. Green Day begin their first album of the new millennium with a sober, mid-tempo pop song
  5. ^ Fowles, Paul; Wade, Graham (2012-02-23). Concise History of Rock Music. Mel Bay Publications. p. 341. ISBN 9781619110168.
  6. ^ Shutler, Ali (2022-07-30). "Green Day perform deep cuts at Lollapalooza warm-up show". NME. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  7. ^ "Green Day - Warning [Official Music Video]". Retrieved December 9, 2020 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ "GREEN DAY-Making Of Warning". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved December 9, 2020 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ "Green Day – Warning". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  10. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Green Day". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  11. ^ "Green Day – Warning". Top Digital Download. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  12. ^ "Green Day – Warning". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  13. ^ "Poland: Airplay Chart - Lista Krajowa 04/2001" Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  14. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  16. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  17. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  18. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  19. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  20. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  21. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.