Meaning

Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong wrote this about his father, who died of cancer on September 1st, 1982. At his father's funeral, Billie cried, ran home and locked himself in his room. When his mother got home and knocked on the door to Billie's room, Billie simply said, "Wake me up when September ends," hence the title.

Lyrics

Boy:i know listen, life is short
listen if you wake up one day
and on that day
all your dreams
everything you wished for and
you wanted
gone just like that
people get old
and all things change and situations change
what i want is,
i just, i want this moment,
right now,
this day
my feelings for you,
the way you look right now,
when i look at you
i just want this to last forever

Girl:and it will,
and no matter what we always had this
and had each other
and nothing can change that
but just so you know
no matter what you always
have somebody here for you
always.
i'm never gonna leave you
i'm never gonna leave you
i love you

Boy:i know.
i know.

Girl:don't ever leave me.

Boy: i wont.

Girl:dont ever leave.

Boy:i wont,i wont.

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends

Like my father's come to pass
Seven years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends

Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are

As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends

Ring out the bells again
Like we did when spring began
Wake me up when September ends

Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are

As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends

Like my father's come to pass
Twenty years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
Wake me up when September ends
Wake me up when September ends
Play with the song, fill the gaps
Legend
  • The video player plays from the time specified
  • Chorus
  • People Talking

Vocabulary

Drenched

Completely soaked with water

wake up

stop sleeping
She woke up to the sound of the alarm clock