21 Guns (song)
Encyclopedia
"21 Guns" is a song by American rock
band Green Day
. It was released as the second single from their eighth album, 21st Century Breakdown
. The single was released through Reprise Records
on May 25, 2009 as a digital download and July 14, 2009 as a CD single. The song has been a success on the Billboard
Hot 100
chart, peaking at #22, which has become their highest charting single since 2005.
It was nominated for a Grammy
for Best Rock Performance by a Duo/Group with Vocals and Best Rock Song in 2010. "21 Guns" has sold over 1,850,000 copies as of November 2010.
The song is featured heavily in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
and appears on the soundtrack, which was released on June 12, 2009. It became available for download on the music video game
series Rock Band
on July 7, 2009, along with the songs "East Jesus Nowhere
" and "Know Your Enemy
".
The song was featured in episode 6 of The Vampire Diaries
.
A live version was also released on 21 Guns Live EP in September 2009.
The song is featured in the video game Green Day: Rock Band
and is downloadable content
for the Rock Band
series.
and filmed in Los Angeles, California
on June 6, 2009. It premiered on MySpace
on Monday, June 22, 2009 at midnight EDT. A shorter version of the video also exists, which is set to the radio edit of the song.
It is the third Green Day video to feature touring backup guitarist Jason White
performing with the band, following "Wake Me Up When September Ends
", and "Working Class Hero
". He is also seen briefly in the music videos for "When I Come Around
" and "Jesus of Suburbia
" but he is not performing with the band.
After spending the previous week at number 3, the video peaked at number one on VH1 Top 20 Countdown on August 22, 2009 and again on September 19, 2009. It also won "Best Rock Video", "Best Direction in a Video" and "Best Cinematography in a Video" for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
.
The video takes place with the band and the album's two protagonists Christian (Josh Boswell
) and Gloria (Lisa Stelly) taking refuge in a white room after robbing a bank. The police arrive outside the room and open fire through the window, to the couple's terror. As bullets rain through the room, the band continues playing. Gloria picks up the phone and throws it into a fish tank. As the bullets continue to fly and tear apart the room, Christian and Gloria become calm and walk toward each other, unharmed by the bullets. They embrace and kiss as the room goes dark, recreating the 21st Century Breakdown cover art. As the song ends, the room lights up again, and they are still uninjured. After the room lights up, there are various shots of destruction in the room, including a shot of some of the writing on the walls. The writing that they show is an excerpt of the lyrics of the song "See The Light" which also appears on "21st Century Breakdown". The video may represent the meaning of the song in the 21st Century Breakdown story.
. The recording was produced by Billie Joe Armstrong
. The recording with Armstrong singing the male solo parts was released on December 3 to Spinner.com and also released for digital download on December 22. The video was released February 1.
The second version of the song with the cast of American Idiot features Stark Sands
, John Gallagher Jr., and Michael Esper singing their respective solos instead of Armstrong.
It was performed with Armstrong singing lead male vocals at the 52nd Grammy Awards
.
", "Brain Stew/Jaded
" and "F.O.D.
" recorded live in New York.
, peaking at #22 (becoming their highest peaking song since the 2005 hit "Wake Me Up When September Ends
"), and #81 on the Canadian Hot 100
, reaching #15. It reached #3 on the Alternative Songs chart and #17 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Also, on the Billboard Pop Songs it reached #30. On the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
, the song peaked at #14. On the UK Singles Chart
, it debuted at #100 and rose to #36. In New Zealand
, the song debuted at #23 and peaked at #3 in its seventh week on the chart. In New Zealand, it was certified Gold after 13 weeks on the chart, selling over 7,500 copies. It is Green Day's fifth single to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
. It was released as the second single from their eighth album, 21st Century Breakdown
21st Century Breakdown
21st Century Breakdown is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It is the band's second rock opera, following American Idiot, and their first album to be produced by Butch Vig. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006...
. The single was released through Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
on May 25, 2009 as a digital download and July 14, 2009 as a CD single. The song has been a success on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, peaking at #22, which has become their highest charting single since 2005.
It was nominated for a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Rock Performance by a Duo/Group with Vocals and Best Rock Song in 2010. "21 Guns" has sold over 1,850,000 copies as of November 2010.
Release
"21 Guns" was released to modern punk radio stations on May 25, 2009, although it had already been played on some radio stations, such as KROQ in Los Angeles and 101.9 in New York City. In the radio edit, the song is over forty seconds shorter than the album version due to the bridge being shortened and the intro being taken out. The CD single and clear 7" single were released on July 14, 2009.The song is featured heavily in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...
and appears on the soundtrack, which was released on June 12, 2009. It became available for download on the music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
series Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
on July 7, 2009, along with the songs "East Jesus Nowhere
East Jesus Nowhere
"East Jesus Nowhere" is a song by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from their eighth album 21st Century Breakdown. The single was released October 19, 2009. The song rebukes fundamentalist religion and was written by singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong...
" and "Know Your Enemy
Know Your Enemy (Green Day song)
-Charts:-Year-end charts:-Personnel:* Billie Joe Armstrong - guitar, lead vocals* Mike Dirnt - bass guitar, backing vocals* Tre Cool - drums, percussion...
".
The song was featured in episode 6 of The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
.
A live version was also released on 21 Guns Live EP in September 2009.
The song is featured in the video game Green Day: Rock Band
Green Day: Rock Band
Green Day: Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts. It is the fifth major console release in the Rock Band music video game series and, like other games in the series, it allows players to simulate the playing of...
and is downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
for the Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
series.
Music video
A music video was directed by Marc WebbMarc Webb
Marc Preston Webb is an American music video, short film and major motion picture director. He directed the 2009 romantic comedy-drama Days of Summer and is currently directing the 2012 Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.-Life and career:Webb was born in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of...
and filmed in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on June 6, 2009. It premiered on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
on Monday, June 22, 2009 at midnight EDT. A shorter version of the video also exists, which is set to the radio edit of the song.
It is the third Green Day video to feature touring backup guitarist Jason White
Jason White (musician)
Jason White is an American guitarist who has played in various punk rock bands. He is most notable for being the long-time touring lead guitarist for Green Day and guitarist for Californian punk quartet Pinhead Gunpowder. Jason White has been a touring member of Green Day since 1999 when they...
performing with the band, following "Wake Me Up When September Ends
Wake Me Up When September Ends
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a song by American rock band Green Day released as the fourth single from their seventh album, American Idiot. The single peaked at number six in the United States, becoming Green Day's second Top 10 single. It also peaked at number eight in Canada and the UK,...
", and "Working Class Hero
Working Class Hero
"Working Class Hero" is a song from John Lennon's first post-Beatles solo album, 1970's John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.-Theme:The song is a take on the class split of the 1940s and 1950s, and of the 1960s in which he was famous. The song appears to tell the story of someone growing up in the working...
". He is also seen briefly in the music videos for "When I Come Around
When I Come Around
"When I Come Around" is a song by American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the fourth single from their third album, Dookie. "When I Come Around" was Green Day's most popular radio single in their early career, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay. This was their...
" and "Jesus of Suburbia
Jesus of Suburbia
"Jesus of Suburbia" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the fifth and final single from their seventh album, American Idiot. The studio version of the song, a five movement piece, runs just over 9 minutes and was considered to be unfriendly for radio, so it was cut down to...
" but he is not performing with the band.
After spending the previous week at number 3, the video peaked at number one on VH1 Top 20 Countdown on August 22, 2009 and again on September 19, 2009. It also won "Best Rock Video", "Best Direction in a Video" and "Best Cinematography in a Video" for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
2009 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 13, 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, honoring the best music videos from June 19, 2008, to June 29, 2009. Comedian Russell Brand hosted the event for the second time in a row. The awards were held a few months after Michael...
.
The video takes place with the band and the album's two protagonists Christian (Josh Boswell
Josh Boswell
-Career:Boswell most recently acted as Christian in Green Day's album 21st Century Breakdown. He starred in the music video for 21 Guns. He also starred opposite Camilla Belle in The Jonas Brothers music video for their song Lovebug on the album A Little Bit Longer...
) and Gloria (Lisa Stelly) taking refuge in a white room after robbing a bank. The police arrive outside the room and open fire through the window, to the couple's terror. As bullets rain through the room, the band continues playing. Gloria picks up the phone and throws it into a fish tank. As the bullets continue to fly and tear apart the room, Christian and Gloria become calm and walk toward each other, unharmed by the bullets. They embrace and kiss as the room goes dark, recreating the 21st Century Breakdown cover art. As the song ends, the room lights up again, and they are still uninjured. After the room lights up, there are various shots of destruction in the room, including a shot of some of the writing on the walls. The writing that they show is an excerpt of the lyrics of the song "See The Light" which also appears on "21st Century Breakdown". The video may represent the meaning of the song in the 21st Century Breakdown story.
Musical cast version
Green Day has recorded two versions of "21 Guns" with the cast of American IdiotAmerican Idiot (musical)
American Idiot is a one-act, through-sung stage musical. The show is an adaptation of punk rock band Green Day's concept album of the same name. Additional Green Day songs were interpolated from other sources, including 21st Century Breakdown, American Idiot b-sides, and an unreleased song called...
. The recording was produced by Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...
. The recording with Armstrong singing the male solo parts was released on December 3 to Spinner.com and also released for digital download on December 22. The video was released February 1.
The second version of the song with the cast of American Idiot features Stark Sands
Stark Sands
Stark Bunker Sands is an American actor of film, television and theatre.-Biography:Sands was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he began acting on the stage at age 13 at Highland Park High School. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting from the University of Southern California...
, John Gallagher Jr., and Michael Esper singing their respective solos instead of Armstrong.
It was performed with Armstrong singing lead male vocals at the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
.
Chart positions
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 10 |
Live EP
Green Day released a live EP for the song including live performances of "Welcome To ParadiseWelcome to Paradise
"Welcome to Paradise" is a song by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the second single from its third studio album and its major label debut, Dookie. The original version of the song was released on the band's second studio album, Kerplunk and was re-recorded for Dookie in...
", "Brain Stew/Jaded
Brain Stew/Jaded
Vinyl Box Set-Other versions:"Brain Stew"* A live version featured on Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking. * Another live version on Bullet in a Bible....
" and "F.O.D.
Dookie
Dookie is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released on February 1, 1994 through Reprise Records. It was the band's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo and its major record label debut. Dookie became a worldwide commercial success, peaking at number...
" recorded live in New York.
Track listing
- Original version:
- Musical cast version:
- Live EP:
- Other:
Chart positions
The song debuted at #55 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, peaking at #22 (becoming their highest peaking song since the 2005 hit "Wake Me Up When September Ends
Wake Me Up When September Ends
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a song by American rock band Green Day released as the fourth single from their seventh album, American Idiot. The single peaked at number six in the United States, becoming Green Day's second Top 10 single. It also peaked at number eight in Canada and the UK,...
"), and #81 on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, reaching #15. It reached #3 on the Alternative Songs chart and #17 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Also, on the Billboard Pop Songs it reached #30. On the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, the song peaked at #14. On the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, it debuted at #100 and rose to #36. In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the song debuted at #23 and peaked at #3 in its seventh week on the chart. In New Zealand, it was certified Gold after 13 weeks on the chart, selling over 7,500 copies. It is Green Day's fifth single to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
14 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 10 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... (Wallonia) |
38 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
3 |
| Danish Singles Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
37 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
21 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
21 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 23 |
| Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
12 |
| European Hot 100 | 4 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
8 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
13 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
36 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
22 |
| US Billboard Alternative Songs | 3 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
9 |
| US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 17 |
| US Billboard Rock Songs Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
5 |
| US Billboard Pop Songs | 30 |
Year-end charts
| End of year chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 72 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 75 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 38 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 60 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
78 |
Personnel
- Billie Joe ArmstrongBillie Joe ArmstrongBillie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...
- lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Mike DirntMike DirntMichael Ryan Pritchard is an American musician, best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and co-founder of the American Rock band Green Day. While at school, he would play "air-bass." While pretending to pluck the strings, he made the noise, "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt"...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Tré CoolTre CoolFrank Edwin Wright III, a.k.a. Tré Cool, is an American drummer, best known as the drummer for the punk rock band Green Day. He replaced the group's former drummer John Kiffmeyer in 1990...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Jason WhiteJason White (musician)Jason White is an American guitarist who has played in various punk rock bands. He is most notable for being the long-time touring lead guitarist for Green Day and guitarist for Californian punk quartet Pinhead Gunpowder. Jason White has been a touring member of Green Day since 1999 when they...
- electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...