American Idiot is a concept album that describes the story of a central character named Jesus of Suburbia, an anti-hero created by Billie Joe Armstrong.

It is written from the perspective of a lower-middle-class suburban American teen, raised on a diet of "soda pop and Ritalin.

[13] Also, the opening bars of "Jesus of Suburbia", with their guitar-voice call and response structure, seem evocative of David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream".

[14] The musicians would "split the signal from the guitar and send it into an amp while simultaneously going direct with it," to achieve a sound reminiscent of "Revolution" by the Beatles or the style of David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson.

[15] The song was composed by Green Day (with Billie Joe Armstrong writing the lyrics), and was co-produced by Rob Cavallo.

One version is a 12-minute edit, complete with a plot and dialogue; the other is a nine and a half-minute director's cut, inclusive solely of the music itself and devoid of additives.

[17] It was voted the greatest Green Day song of all time in a Rolling Stone readers poll in September 2012.

"[7] "Jesus of Suburbia" has been included on the set lists of many Green Day concerts, some of which played American Idiot in its entirety to promote the album.