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Green Day Take Aim at Elon Musk With Altered ‘American Idiot’ Lyrics

Green Day's long-awaited South African debut on Jan. 19 was anything but ordinary.

Green Day
Green Day
Alice Baxley

Green Day delivered a politically charged performance during their Jan. 19 concert at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium, marking their debut in South Africa.

While performing their iconic 2004 hit “American Idiot,” frontman Billie Joe Armstrong swapped the lyric “I’m not a part of the redneck agenda” with “I’m not a part of the Elon agenda,” a direct jab at billionaire Elon Musk, who was born in Pretoria.


The show in South Africa, part of the Calabash 2025 festival, saw Green Day headlining alongside The Offspring and local punk heroes Fokofpolisiekar.

The jab at Musk comes amidst controversy surrounding the billionaire’s behavior at Trump’s second inauguration.

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During his speech at the celebration, Musk made a hand gesture that sparked widespread online comparisons to a Nazi salute. Critics lambasted the gesture, while Musk dismissed the criticism, calling it a “tired” attack. The Anti-Defamation League ultimately described the gesture as an “awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm” rather than malicious intent, but the incident added to the polarizing figure’s contentious reputation.

This isn’t the first time Green Day has called out Musk; after their 2023 New Year’s Rockin’ Eve performance, where they altered the lyrics of “American Idiot” to say “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda,” Musk criticized the band on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Green Day goes from raging against the machine to milquetoastedly raging for it.”

In response, bassist Mike Dirnt quipped as per The Independent, “Elon Musk actually is the machine. I can’t take anything else from that. He’s not shy about saying stupid s**t on the internet. Whatever. The song’s twenty years old, and we’re Green Day. What did you expect?”

Musk is yet to comment on their latest jab.

Green Day has a long history of challenging political figures through their music. The band famously chanted “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA” during their performance at the 2016 American Music Awards. In 2023, they released the “Ultimate Nimrod” t-shirt, featuring Trump’s mugshot styled after their Nimrod album cover, with proceeds supporting Maui wildfire relief efforts.

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“Good Riddance. The ultimate Nimrod shirt is available for 72 hours only,” Green Day posted at the time. “Limited edition shirt proceeds will be donated to…[Greater Good Music], a charity which is bringing food to those affected by the Maui wildfires.”

Armstrong has also been vocal in urging fans to vote for progressive candidates, recently endorsing Kamala Harris for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

As Green Day continues their tradition of blending music and activism, they’ve also maintained their stature as one of the most influential punk bands on the Billboard charts.

Their Grammy-winning album American Idiot debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2004 and has sold over seven million copies in the U.S. alone. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” one of the band’s most enduring hits, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, while “Wake Me Up When September Ends” reached No. 6. Their follow-up album, 21st Century Breakdown, also debuted at No. 1 in 2009, continuing their legacy of chart dominance.

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This article was first published by Billboard U.S.

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Kesha at "Featured Session Fighting Loneliness in Our Digital World" at Austin Convention Center on March 12, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Travis P. Ball

Kesha at "Featured Session Fighting Loneliness in Our Digital World" at Austin Convention Center on March 12, 2025 in Austin, Texas.

Music News

Kesha Shows Support for Cassie Ventura Following Diddy Trial Verdict: ‘I Believe You’

Though convicted on prostitution charges, the mogul was found not guilty of sex-trafficking his ex-girlfriend.

After Sean “Diddy” Combs was found not guilty of sex-trafficking, despite days of Cassie Ventura testifying to the contrary, the singer has received support from someone who knows what it’s like to have their sexual assault claims play out in court: Kesha.

Just hours after the Bad Boy Records founder was acquitted on sex-trafficking and racketeering charges Wednesday (July 2) — with a New York jury only convicting him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — Kesha shared a message of solidarity with Ventura on X. “Cassie, I believe you,” she wrote. “I love you.”

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