Redundant (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Redundant" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by Green Day | ||
| from the album nimrod. | ||
| Released | 1998 | |
| Format | CD | |
| Recorded | 1997 | |
| Genre | Punk Rock | |
| Length | 3 minutes 17 seconds | |
| Label | Reprise | |
| Producer(s) | Rob Cavallo, Green Day | |
| Green Day singles chronology | ||
| "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)" (1997) |
"Redundant" (1998) |
"Nice Guys Finish Last" (1999) |
"Redundant" is a single by Green Day and the fourth track from their album nimrod. The song failed to match the impressive chart positions of its predecessors, despite an ambitious music video for MTV.
[edit] Meaning
Before the Nimrod sessions, Billie Joe Armstrong's marriage had become troubled, with the singer arguing with his wife Adrienne Armstrong constantly. Influenced by this conflict, Armstrong reflected on the relationship from two standpoints; the first being his passion for his wife, the second being the pattern the relationship fell into. The phrase "I love you" had lost its effectiveness and seemed to be said merely out of routine.
[edit] Music Video
The music video for "Redundant", directed by Mark Kohr, features the three band members performing the song in the middle of a home. The camera angle remains static for the whole duration of the video.
In the background several people repeat various mundane tasks for the duration of the video:
- A newspaper is thrown from offscreen.
- A woman stretches her arms and yawns, and then collects the paper and leaves.
- Someone takes a painting off of a wall and replaces it with a new one, then someone else comes in and replaces that painting with the one that's just been replaced.
- A young girl walks from the left side of the screen, places a box on the ground, and then climbs out of a window.
- A man in a green suit walks around.
- A man in a cowboy hat walks around.
- A woman in a bright red dress (Dita Von Teese) removes her dress and then walks away in nothing but her bra and underwear.
- A balding guy comes in, puts on a pair of trousers, then leaves.
- A woman with a large pot and a plant walks around.
- A man and a girl walk towards a couch and start making out.
- A man is vacuuming.
- A young girl in a skirt comes in through a window, looks around, and leaves.
The activity peaks near the middle of the video and declines near the end. Tré and Mike leave, but Billie Joe takes the newspaper before the woman can reach it, causing her to scream, and in some aspect, breaking the "routine".
