Album: Dookie (1994)

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Songfacts®:

• "She" is a love song that Billie Joe Armstrong penned for a University of California student girlfriend he has identified only as "Amanda." They first met at the 924 Gilman Street music club shortly after Armstrong dropped out of high school. Amanda was an ardent feminist, which enthralled the young punk rock singer. He explained to Rolling Stone.
  
  "She gave me an education that I think was very timely for me. I was just a dumb kid, high school dropout. She was telling me about the way women have been objectified for so many years, and I was just listening."
• While Armstrong wrote "She" as a love song for Amanda, it is also about her activism.
  
  Scream at me until my ears bleed
  I'm taking heed just for you.
  
  Armstrong explained that the "Scream at me until my ears bleed" lyric is him telling her he's here to listen. "With any kind of activism, the first thing you need to do is be a good listener," he said. "The song becomes about an understanding."
• This is one of Billie Joe Armstrong's favorite songs, and one he makes sure is included in every Green Day show. "I will play 'She' for the rest of my life," he told Rolling Stone in 2014. "It has aged well with me."
• The Dookie album cover contains images of many Green Day inspirations and characters from their life. Says Armstrong: "There's one guy with his camera up in the air taking a picture with a beard. He's this guy Murray that's been around the scene for a long time. He took pictures of bands every weekend at Gilman's. The robed character that looks like Ozzy Osbourne is the woman on the cover of the first Ozzy album. Angus Young is in there somewhere too. The graffiti reading 'Twisted Dog Sisters' refers to these two girls from Berkeley. They're punk rock girls that have been around for years." >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Bertrand - Paris, France

Comments: 17

• AnonymousThis song is so real like where are my people pleasers and my girls with eldest daughter syndrome?? Can yall relate
• Stephen H from San Antonio, TxOk, this is all just a little crazy, but wtf, why does all of this seem to be about my life too? I'm quite perplexed!
• Abigail from San Diego This song was actually written for Amanda, his ex gf who moved away and she is my aunt.
• Caroline from Long Island, NyOk, I have a theory, and you can tell me I'm wrong, that I am stupid, or any variation that strikes your fancy, but, I believe that, Maria, She, SHE's a rebel, and whatsername are all the same person, now thats just my two cents, until next time, good night and good luck
• Sam from Christchurch, New Zealandmaddy from germany, the song she wasn't written for or about adrienne it was written about his gf before he married adrienne
  billie joe said this in an interview for Vh1:
  
  Vh1-How much of Dookie is a love letter to your wife Adrienne?
  
  Billie Joe: There really weren't any songs about her at that time. A lot of the songs are about this girl from San Diego, who went to Cal Berkeley. Adrienne and I weren't going out at the time. We lost contact with each other for about a year. She got engaged to a guy in Minneapolis. Then I got involved with this other girl. I lived in the basement in Berkeley with all these guys from the East Bay and she lived upstairs in the apartment. We ended up having this year-long relationship. The song "She" was about her.
  
• Eileen from San Diego, Cathis is a GREAT song, but it didn't become that popular as any of the other songs by green day. But they r still the best band out there..
  rock on!!!!!!!! ^^
• Tanya from London, EnglandYou can download the naked 'she' off www.greendayauthority.com now by the way
• Amanda from Dub, Irelandwere are u ppl getting theses pics i cant get them anywhere
• Jade from LondonI can't seem 2 gt on the site wil hav 2 tri gain sn!!!
• Jade from LondonAh thnku Tanya, wil jus go wtch it!!!
• Tanya from London, EnglandJade my mate sed theres only one she. i didnt look coz i cant watch it anyway
• Jade from LondonWot vid is it on, there's quite a few???
• Tanya from London, Englandamazin song live. And i can relate to it. As everyone can i guess. Everyones had someone tryin 2 rule their life. Thanks to a quote of billie joes I've stopped all the people trying 2 rule me :-) F*ck em all, you are your own sight. ah yes minority. another great song
• Liz from Massapequa, Nyi read that this was written in response to a letter given to billie joe by an ex-girlfriend
• Marianne from Vancouver, CanadaThis song is the best that Green Day have ever written. The lyrics are genius (kudos to Billie) and it's relevant to almost every teenager out there.
• Mady from Rs, GermanyBJ wrote this song for and about his wife adrienne!
  i love this song... amazing!
• Bundy from Houston, TxI, too, particularly enjoy the lyrics. And although the 90's are over steph, I continue to feel like a social tool without a use. I am still waiting for a sign to smash the silence with a brick of self control.

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