Billie Joe Armstrong Shares “Police On My Back” Cover
Throughout this spring, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong treated fans to his No Fun Mondays cover series. Following a six-week break – during which time the nation focused on protesting police violence and supporting Black Lives Matters – Billie Joe returned earlier this month with “Gimme Some Truth,” then shared “A New England” last Friday. Continuing with the apparent No Fun Fridays schedule, Billie’s third summer cover is of “Police On My Back,” a song first put out in 1968 by The Equals, sung by Eddy Grant. It was later covered by The Clash.
In an Instagram caption, Billie Joe wrote:
This was originally written and performed by The Equals, Eddy Grant’s beat group from the 60. And of course The Clash slay it. #theequals #theequalsband #dervgordon #eddygrant #theclash
Billie Joe’s new cover of “Police On My Back” takes its cues from The Clash’s 1980 version of the tune. Siren-like guitar leads the song, but on the verses, bass and drums are what accompany the vocals. The lyrics describe a man on the run from the police, but what has he done? The message is, sadly, quite relevant today, and it’s notable that the original singer of the song, Eddy Grant, is a black man. It’s no secret that Billie Joe has publicly voiced support for the Black Lives Matter movement, protesting police violence against people of color. This is a timely cover, and a well-done one at that.
Watch the lyric video for Billie Joe’s “Police On My Back” cover below:
Update 7/20: The song and lyric video are now more widely available, including on YouTube:
In the spring, No Fun Mondays gave us covers of “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory,” “Manic Monday” featuring Susanna Hoffs, “Corpus Christi,” “That Thing You Do!,” “War Stories,” “Kids In America,” “Not That Way Anymore,” and “That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll.” We also got the bonus Italian language cover of “Amico.”
So far, summer has brought Billie’s covers of “Gimme Some Truth,” “A New England,” and now “Police On My Back.”
Father Of All… & “Otis Big Guitar Mix” EP
Green Day’s new album Father Of All… just came out in February. It features the singles “Father Of All…,” “Fire, Ready, Aim,” “Oh Yeah!,” and “Meet Me On The Roof.”
It’s a fun and straightforward record, weaving in elements of Motown along with Green Day’s brand of punk rock. While it’s not their strongest or most ambitious release (see instead American Idiot, 21st Century Breakdown, and the trilogy), it is refreshingly carefree and fast-paced.
Then, surprising fans everywhere, Green Day just put out an EP at the beginning of April. The “Otis Big Guitar Mix” EP features alternate versions of three trilogy songs. Sure, the trilogy came out 8 years ago, but it’s never too late for more goodies from it, right? Hear new mixes of “Lazy Bones,” “Wild One,” and “Oh Love.”
Changing Labels & More Music Possibilities
In a series of interviews last September, Green Day did imply that Father Of All… would be their last album with Warner Records. They’ve been with the major label since the early 1990s, and all of their albums from Dookie onwards have been released by Warner.
Additionally, at the time, the band members also suggested the possibility of them releasing a second album in 2020 – possibly on their own label after leaving Warner.
Billie Joe has repeated this idea, including in an interview in February. He stated that he’d written several songs in the previous six months and had several left over from the Father Of All… sessions. However, he did not indicate how they would release new music this year, if they indeed do so. We’ll just have to wait and see.
In early April, Billie Joe told Kerrang that he’s written another six songs since the quarantines began. We could have a ton of new music ready once the pandemic is over!
Hella Mega Tour
Around now, Green Day was supposed to be in the midst of their Hella Mega Tour, co-headlining with Fall Out Boy and Weezer. COVID-19 has forced them to postpone Asian, European, and North American dates to 2021. However, the November tour to Australia and New Zealand is still on… for now.
Tickets for the Hella Mega Tour are on sale now. Be sure to get tickets before it’s too late! Some dates have already sold out, so don’t wait!
Enjoy Billie Joe’s cover of “Police On My Back,” and be sure to spin Green Day’s recent Father Of All… album and the “Otis Big Guitar Mix” EP. Get ready for more music from Green Day, potentially out later this year. Keep checking back here for all the latest Green Day music news.
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