Writer, chapter 1
"I just don't know what to do!" Billie Joe exclaimed in frustration.
Mike, Tre and Rob looked on sympathetically. They were all upset at the robbery of their master tapes, but Billie Joe, who had written the songs, was the most affected. "We could just re-record the songs..." Mike suggested.
Billie Joe sighed. "I'd like to, but come on. We all know that we can do better now."
Rob nodded. "I hate to make your guys's lives suck, but American Idiot is way above any of the other songs. Personally, I think you guys should work off that."
Tre gasped. "Maybe it's like a sign from the rock gods! Time to make the ultimate album!"
Mike frowned at him. "Or more like a sign from the corporate music stealers of the world."
Billie Joe shook his head. "This would be so much easier if I didn't have such a bad case of writer's block. I need something to get me started again." He rubbed his temples.
"Why don't you guys take the day off and think things over? You know, take a break? We'll meet again on Monday? Bright and early?" Rob suggested.
Mike and Tre nodded; Billie Joe continued to stare into space unseeingly.
"Hey, Billie," Mike said, "you okay?"
Billie Joe started. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine... I guess."
Rob clapped him on the back. "Don't think that you guys HAVE to make a whole new album. I'd just like to leave that option open... But I'm so proud of you all for not doing what most bands would do: using this setback to publicize your album and then just releasing whatever crap you could come up with." He left the studio, and Billie Joe, still in a trance, followed suit.
Mike and Tre stayed behind, looking at each other nervously.
"Man," Tre said, "Did you see the look on Billie's face?"
Mike shook his head. "We've gotta help him. He's gotta get out of this writer's block funk."
Tre blinked. "He looked the way I felt when I lost my little girl. His songs are like his children or something."
Mike frowned. "It's worse than that. He knows the songs weren't even that good." He paused. "There's nothing more disillusioning than finding out that something your love isn't perfect."
Tre shook himself. "Whatever. What're we gonna do?"
Mike shrugged. "I think we just need to get him back to his regular self and see what happens."
"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," Billie Joe said as he rushed into the studio. "I had the most awesome weekend!"
Mike and Tre, taken aback, looked at each other and then grinned. "What'd you do?"
Billie Joe smiled. "I just hung out with Adrienne and the kids. It was so much fun. They were all really supportive." He began to unpack his guitar.
Tre lifted his arms in supplication to the ceiling. "Adrienne, you are a lifesaver. I love you. I want you. I would fuck you, but you're Billie's."
Mike grinned at him. "Not like that'd stop you."
Tre bit his lower lip and smiled. "Or rather, not like that'd stop Adrienne from having my sexy self."
Billie Joe looked at them in disbelief. "Can we not talk about my wife like this in front of me?"
Tre giggled. "Oh, Billie is a SENSITIVE lover boy."
Bille Joe began to reply, but then exclaimed, "Dammit! I have to go to the drugstore! Totally forgot."
Tre slapped himself on the head. "And I need to get food! I've been starving, but too lazy to buy!" He looked at Billie Joe. "Let's have an errand break."
Mike stared at them. "You guys had all weekend long to buy beer or condoms or whatever it is you need!"
Tre gave him a dry look. "I think Billie was too busy bonding with his family. And I was bonding with my bucket bong."
Billie Joe frowned for a second, then said to Mike, "Write like a 30-second song. We'll be back in a few."
Mike shook his head, and sat down, strumming his guitar. "Nothing like a good due date to make me work."
"I love it. I absolutely love it." Billie Joe was staring at Mike as if he were some sort of magical apparition.
"Um... it's actually pretty stupid," Mike said.
Tre grinned. "It's fucking funny! 'Everybody's left the studio... Everybody's left the studio... Everybody's left the studio... but MEEEEEEE!'" he screeched. "It's awesome!"
Bille Joe nodded. "I'm totally gonna write one. Tre, you write one too! Let's see what we end up with!"
Mike raised his eyebrows. "That is not the most promising phrase..."
Billie Joe grinned. "Well, we have to do SOMETHING, even if it really isn't anything serious. Fuck, let's go crazy! Let's make a fucking ROCK OPERA!"
And thus began the making of American Idiot, conceptual rock album extraordinaire.
Mike, Tre and Rob looked on sympathetically. They were all upset at the robbery of their master tapes, but Billie Joe, who had written the songs, was the most affected. "We could just re-record the songs..." Mike suggested.
Billie Joe sighed. "I'd like to, but come on. We all know that we can do better now."
Rob nodded. "I hate to make your guys's lives suck, but American Idiot is way above any of the other songs. Personally, I think you guys should work off that."
Tre gasped. "Maybe it's like a sign from the rock gods! Time to make the ultimate album!"
Mike frowned at him. "Or more like a sign from the corporate music stealers of the world."
Billie Joe shook his head. "This would be so much easier if I didn't have such a bad case of writer's block. I need something to get me started again." He rubbed his temples.
"Why don't you guys take the day off and think things over? You know, take a break? We'll meet again on Monday? Bright and early?" Rob suggested.
Mike and Tre nodded; Billie Joe continued to stare into space unseeingly.
"Hey, Billie," Mike said, "you okay?"
Billie Joe started. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine... I guess."
Rob clapped him on the back. "Don't think that you guys HAVE to make a whole new album. I'd just like to leave that option open... But I'm so proud of you all for not doing what most bands would do: using this setback to publicize your album and then just releasing whatever crap you could come up with." He left the studio, and Billie Joe, still in a trance, followed suit.
Mike and Tre stayed behind, looking at each other nervously.
"Man," Tre said, "Did you see the look on Billie's face?"
Mike shook his head. "We've gotta help him. He's gotta get out of this writer's block funk."
Tre blinked. "He looked the way I felt when I lost my little girl. His songs are like his children or something."
Mike frowned. "It's worse than that. He knows the songs weren't even that good." He paused. "There's nothing more disillusioning than finding out that something your love isn't perfect."
Tre shook himself. "Whatever. What're we gonna do?"
Mike shrugged. "I think we just need to get him back to his regular self and see what happens."
"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," Billie Joe said as he rushed into the studio. "I had the most awesome weekend!"
Mike and Tre, taken aback, looked at each other and then grinned. "What'd you do?"
Billie Joe smiled. "I just hung out with Adrienne and the kids. It was so much fun. They were all really supportive." He began to unpack his guitar.
Tre lifted his arms in supplication to the ceiling. "Adrienne, you are a lifesaver. I love you. I want you. I would fuck you, but you're Billie's."
Mike grinned at him. "Not like that'd stop you."
Tre bit his lower lip and smiled. "Or rather, not like that'd stop Adrienne from having my sexy self."
Billie Joe looked at them in disbelief. "Can we not talk about my wife like this in front of me?"
Tre giggled. "Oh, Billie is a SENSITIVE lover boy."
Bille Joe began to reply, but then exclaimed, "Dammit! I have to go to the drugstore! Totally forgot."
Tre slapped himself on the head. "And I need to get food! I've been starving, but too lazy to buy!" He looked at Billie Joe. "Let's have an errand break."
Mike stared at them. "You guys had all weekend long to buy beer or condoms or whatever it is you need!"
Tre gave him a dry look. "I think Billie was too busy bonding with his family. And I was bonding with my bucket bong."
Billie Joe frowned for a second, then said to Mike, "Write like a 30-second song. We'll be back in a few."
Mike shook his head, and sat down, strumming his guitar. "Nothing like a good due date to make me work."
"I love it. I absolutely love it." Billie Joe was staring at Mike as if he were some sort of magical apparition.
"Um... it's actually pretty stupid," Mike said.
Tre grinned. "It's fucking funny! 'Everybody's left the studio... Everybody's left the studio... Everybody's left the studio... but MEEEEEEE!'" he screeched. "It's awesome!"
Bille Joe nodded. "I'm totally gonna write one. Tre, you write one too! Let's see what we end up with!"
Mike raised his eyebrows. "That is not the most promising phrase..."
Billie Joe grinned. "Well, we have to do SOMETHING, even if it really isn't anything serious. Fuck, let's go crazy! Let's make a fucking ROCK OPERA!"
And thus began the making of American Idiot, conceptual rock album extraordinaire.
