SHAH ALAM - Legendary pop-punk band Green Day used their music as a platform for protest, drawing attention to the plight of Palestinian children amid the ongoing aggressions in Gaza at their Coachella debut.
Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong made bold changes to the lyrics of their song Jesus of Suburbia, delivering a powerful and emotional message about Palestine that resonated throughout the crowd.
Green Day’s headline performance at Coachella 2025 wasn't just a musical highlight; it was a moment of political clarity as the band truly embodied the soul of 'punk'.
Known for their outspoken views and charged performances, the California-based band used their platform to express solidarity with Palestine during an emotionally charged rendition of Jesus of Suburbia.
As Armstrong reached a quiet moment in the song, he altered the original line, "Running away from pain when you’ve been victimised,” to a more pointed and evocative, "Running away from pain like the kids from Palestine/Tales from another broken home.”
The change was met with roaring applause from festivalgoers, some of whom later shared the moment across social media, praising the band for their stance.
Lyric changes are nothing new for Green Day, who have consistently used their concerts to make political statements, as during their set opener American Idiot, Armstrong swapped the line "I’m not a part of a redneck agenda” with "I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda,” a lyric change he had also made earlier during Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve performance, according to Entertainment Weekly.
This however wasn't the band’s first public gesture of support for Palestine as, according to online news platform The Algemeiner, in November 2024 at the Corona Capital Festival in Mexico, he again reworked lyrics in Jesus of Suburbia, changing "From Anaheim to the Middle East” to "From Palestine to the Middle East.”
According to The Algemeiner, Green Day's song Peacemaker from their album 21st Century Breakdown also includes lyrics that seemed to echo concern over the situation in Gaza: "Well, call up the Gaza, hey, hey...Well, death to the ones at the end of the serenade.”
Although cryptic, these lines further hinted at the band’s continued engagement with global political struggles.
These actions showed a growing pattern of advocacy, highlighting the band’s solidarity with civilians affected by the war in Gaza, particularly children, as Armstrong raised a Palestinian flag on stage during a show in Malaysia back in February 2025.
At Coachella, this message landed with force. The crowd’s reaction to Armstrong’s lyric change was electric, with many in attendance applauding the directness of the message, with some fans noting online that it felt like a "standing ovation moment,” even as the music never paused.
Green Day had built a legacy over nearly four decades not just through hits and high-energy shows, but by using their voice to stand up for causes they believed in.
From anti-war messages in the American Idiot era to their present-day protest lyrics as seen in Jesus of Suburbia, the band continued to amplify issues often left out of mainstream pop culture narratives.
As they geared up to return for the second weekend of Coachella on Saturday, April 19, fans and activists alike will be watching to see how Green Day continues to shine a light on injustice through music.