Welcome to Paradise is a song by the rock punk band Green Day. It first appeared as the third track on the band’s second studio album, Kerplunk. It was re recorded and rereleased as the fifth track on their third studio album, Dookie, and released as the album’s second single on March 4, 1994. The Dookie version is more popular and was later included on the band’s 2001 compilation album International Superhits!. Welcome to Paradise is playable in the video game Green Day: Rock Band. The song peaked at number 56 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.
The lyrics of the song were written by Billie Joe Armstrong, and the music by Armstrong with Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool. It is based on the band’s experience moving out of their parents’ houses and into an abandoned house in Oakland, California where the band members, along with a number of others, lived without paying rent. The house was quite broken down but to them it became home, and this feeling is described in the song. Billie Joe Armstrong said this of the song:
It’s about West Oakland, living in a warehouse with a lot of people, a bunch of artists and musicians, punks and whatever just lived all up and down, bums and junkies and thugs and gang members and stuff that just lived in that area. It’s no place you want to walk around at night, but it’s a neat warehouse where you can play basketball and stuff.
The song is played with the guitar tuned a half step down, as are many of their Dookie songs. The song is sung as Billie is talking or sending a message to his mother, after moving out of her house. The first verse is Armstrong talking to his mother after three weeks of leaving her place, telling her that he’s scared about being on his own. The second part describes Armstrong writing to her after six months of living at his own place, now being happy to live on his own.
Tracklist:
- Welcome to Paradise
- Chump (live)
- Emenius Sleepus
Green Day
Billie Joe Armstrong: lead vocals, guitar
Mike Dirnt: bass, backing vocals
Tré Cool: drums, guitar and lead vocals on (All by Myself)
