Green Day- Wake Me Up When September Ends

"Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a song by American punk-rock band Green Day which was released in 2005.

Using Goodwin's conventions of music video, it is clear to see that throughout the whole of the video, there are clear links between the lyrics, the music and the visuals. It is seen to be a narrative and performance video whereby the audience is shown a storyline taking place whilst also having the video cut to shots of the band performing.

The director cleverly chose actors who were already famous and well known to be in the music video: Evan Rachel Wood (The Missing, Thirteen) and British actor Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, King Kong) enabling them to tap into an existing fan-base, other than the Green Day fans, which would then encourage them to watch it.

The video tells the story of a loving teenage couple who swear never to leave each other. The major turning point in the narrative is when we see them argue when the boyfriend enlists in the United States Marine Corps.

During the acting in the scene, a range of different shots (varying from close ups to two shots) were used to show the emotions of both of the characters. The slow motion build up at the beginning of the scene built up the tension of what was about to happen and it may also reflect the slow tempo and beat of the song.To help this, the door is seen to slam at the same time as the beat of the song so not to interrupt it. The boyfriend interprets his actions as a way to show her that he loves her so much that he would put his life on the line to keep her safe; the girlfriend, however, is heartbroken, as he broke his vow to never leave her, and terrified at the thought of him being killed in war.

An advantage of having a narrative continuing throughout the story is that it captivates the audience and encourages them to carry on watching in order to find out what happens next.

As the music starts to play again, we cut to a shot of the band playing to remind the audience that it is a music video. It may also be a requirement from the record company for the band to be shown. However, even though the band is shown in the video (more towards the end), the main focus is predominantly is on the actors which is unusual.

The continuation of the video shows the boyfriend going off to war in Iraq. The intertextuality used is particularly effective as it was addressing an issue which is present in the world at the time; there was much debate regarding the meaning of this song and if it echoed the events of 9/11. Billy Joe then stated that the song was a tribute to his father. The scenes are intercut with others of the girlfriend tearfully mourning in a quiet field. The video ends on this juxtaposition, emphasizing the pain and heartache of losing loved ones due to the war.

There are many movies that replicate the storyline and theme of the video such as Pearl Harbour, Dear John and The Men.