Basket Case (song)

February 1994

Basket Case is a song by American punk rock band Green Day. It was released in February 1994 and was the third single from their album Dookie. It is one of the most famous Green Day pieces. The readers of Rolling Stone chose it to 5th place of the best singles of the year 1994.

Background

The song was written by Green Day guitarist and singer Billie Joe Armstrong. It is about his struggle with anxiety and emotional instability. With him a panic disorder has been diagnosed. Armstrong once said: "The only way I knew how to deal with it what to write a song about it. "

Music

The song begins with guitar and vocals, before those bass and drums. It's a pretty fast punk rock piece with melodic vocals. It begins with the words: " Do you have the time to listen to me whine about nothing and everything all at once? " ( Approximately: " Do you have time to listen to my whining about God and the world " )

Success

The song reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 55 in the UK and number 18 in Germany.

Music Video

The music video was shot with director Mike Kohr. It shows the band in an institution for the mentally ill. The band members are attracted straitjackets, at the end of the video they are taken away. The video was in 1995 nominated for nine MTV Video Music Awards: Video of the Year, Best Group Video, Best Rock Video, Best Alternative Video, Breakthrough Video, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Cinematography and the Viewer 's Choice Award.