Music has long included political themes, with some of the most recognizable songs in history being birthed during the Vietnam War. Still, that doesn't mean a band can just copy and paste a political message into an already-existing tune and not come across as ridiculous, though. 

That's a lesson Green Day has never learned, with the band's leftwing frontman deciding to take a cringe shot at Trump supporters during 2023's New Year's Eve festivities. Appearing during ABC's coverage of the various performers, Billie Joe Armstrong changed the lyrics to the aptly named song "American Idiot" to include a line that proclaims "I'm not part of the MAGA agenda." 

(Also See: Biden's Brain Turns to Mush During New Year's Eve Appearance With Ryan Seacrest)

Republicans are so owned.

Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong altered the lyrics in “American Idiot” to sing, “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda,” during the band’s performance on Ryan Seacrest’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. pic.twitter.com/eclNR7D83s

— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) January 1, 2024

I'm trying to think of something more lame than that, but I'm coming up blank. When "Creedence Clearwater Revival" produced "Fortunate Son," it was not only a great song musically, but it hit on a serious theme that resonated with a large portion of the country. Jimi Hendrix's live performance of "Machine Gun" went on to become a classic because there was actual thought and emotion put into it.

In comparison, even if one dislikes Donald Trump personally, what is so objectionable about the "MAGA agenda?" Is there a real groundswell of opposition to low taxes, border security, and a lack of new foreign wars? Who was fist-pumping along to Armstrong's line except for DEI professors and purple-haired feminists? And the fact that this was an obvious throw-in that didn't even fit the cadence of the song made it all the more cringe-worthy.  

None of this should surprise anyone, though, because Green Day has always stunk. 

I told Alexa to play 90s rock and Black Hole Sun played. I was left wondering how we managed to screw music up so badly after that period.

Then a Green Day song came on and I remembered how.

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) July 25, 2023

Was Green Day the sole cause of the quality of music nose-diving in the mid-90s? Probably not, but their breakout album "Dookie" certainly didn't help matters. Its boring three-chord progressions and teen-angst messaging helped shift the music industry toward the dumpster fire that exists today. 

What truly gets me about Armtrong's lyric change, though, is how safe it is. Musicians that were writing anti-draft songs in the '60s and '70s actually faced the draft. The only thing Green Day faces is increasing irrelevance. Nothing is edgy about taking a shot at "MAGA" in 2023. On the contrary, it's the most boilerplate thing a public figure can do.