The front man for punk rock band Green Day announced to London concertgoers he plans to renounce his American citizenship.
Billie Joe Armstrong, 50, told the crowded audience he was “renouncing his citizenship” in wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had granted federal abortion access.
He made his declaration during London’s Friday night concert, telling the audience, “there’s too much f#!^ing stupid in the world.” The crowd roared with applause when he added he planned to move to the U.K., according to the Daily Mail report.
Armstrong is credited with writing the lyrics for “American Idiot,” arguably one of the punk trio’s biggest hits.
“Don’t want to be an American Idiot,” the song begins, which portends a possible sequel soon: “British Idiot.”
The song is almost a rallying anthem for individuals identifying as anti-conservative. In fact, the song was written as an antithesis for blue collar America, according to remarks Armstrong made in a 2009 Q Magazine interview. He reportedly said the inspiration for the song’s lyrics came from listening to an interview conducted with Lynyrd Skynyrd over the radio.
The punk rocker said he heard Skynyrd declare he was proud to be a redneck.
“[A]nd I was like, ‘Oh my God, why would you be proud of something like that?'” Armstrong exclaimed. “This is exactly what I’m against.” He said he asked the other band members if they minded him making comments like that. He explained the other guys said they agreed with him and it was the genesis for the song which rocketed to the top of the charts.
The song Armstrong wrote has been described as a scathing putdown of American culture in the years following the September 2011 terrorist attacks.
The “American Idiot” author has often used his musical stardom to protest against politicians he dislikes and alleged injustices.
He performed in front of a backdrop that read “f–k Ted Cruz” earlier this month, taking aim at the Republican senator from Texas. He has blasted former President Donald Trump for “holding half the country hostage” and devoted an entire album to criticizing former President George W. Bush and the Iraq War.
Armstrong reportedly filed paperwork last year to run as a Republican in the 2024 presidential election, according to the Daily Mail report. A British citizen would be disqualified from becoming U.S. President under the constitutional requirements for the position.
“There’s just too much f***ing stupid in the world to go back to that miserable f***ing excuse for a country,” he reportedly said.
As Forrest Gump said: “Stupid is as stupid does.”
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