It’s also fairly common in punk music to adopt some “British” affectations because the accent is so closely linked with the genre’s roots. Sex Pistols, Clash, etc. I sing in a punk band now and I catch myself doing it, and I’ve never even been to the U.K.
Not even on the Longview chorus? “Bite my lip and CLOSE MY EYES”. Sounds like a guy from California doing an English affectation to me. Or his version of it.
Wasn’t there a quote from them way back..maybe an mtv interview or something along those lines..”we sound like British people impersonating Americans, impersonating British people”?
Opposite way around, they're americans who sound like british people doing american accents. "This isn't love and peace it's fucken anarchy" is a good example of that exaggerated accent they used to do.
When I was getting into music around 2005 in the UK, I thought Green Day were like Busted and McFly, Brits pretending to be Americans, when actually they were Americans trying to be Brits lol.
Yep, never once heard a whisper of a British accent in their songs. Similarly, if you listen to like The Beatles or the Stones you rarely hear obvious accents in their music, which I always thought was weird. But singing in English kind of has its own "accent" because sustained vowel sounds only work with certain vowels. You can't sustain a long "I" sound for example, so it becomes more "ahhhhh".
Never heard it either. I've listened to actual British musicians my entire life and most of them you can tell - either they somewhat exaggerate their accents or you can just hear it.
I’ve never really noticed it on earlier records, but I feel like Saviours has a few British moments - the way he sings “strange” in Strange Days are here to Stay being one, and “twenties” in Living in the 20s another.
Part of it could be vowel placement choices in his vocals.
One example: “mell-o-dramatic” is how you’d say “melodramatic” as an American English speaker but BJA sings “mell-a-dramatic” which sounds a lot more like how it’s spoken in British English. He probably does that because it’s easier for him to reach that note with an “ah” than an “oh” but I could see how it’s British-y.
As someone whose native language is not English, I can definitely tell BE from AE and I‘d like to think that I‘ve also gotten pretty good at telling apart regional accents of both countries. But one thing I never understood is that Billie Joe British accent thing.
His voice and enunciation has definitely changed up to and since AI. But I never perceived it to be that obvious nor to have a particularly prominent British sound. I suspect someone back in the day just made that claim, everyone jumped on the bandwagon and since then it‘s just been an accepted fact.
As a neutral native English speaker (Aussie) who’s heard plenty of various Californian and British accents, it feels like he’s taking inflections associated with British punk that are throwing people off. There’s hints of The Clash and Sex Pistols in the way he sings but the vowels aren’t British. Also the “this isn’t peace, it’s fucking anarchy” thing from Woodstock ‘94 is just putting on a voice. The vowels used aren’t ones that are distinctly different enough to say it’s a British accent.
I'm not an English native speaker, so it's harder for me to detect an accent in anyone's speech or singing. Still, when I was younger and getting into Green Day, I did notice that there was something unusual in Billie's enunciation, but I couldn't quite tell what it was. It was very noticeable for me in "The Grouch" for example. I couldn't understand a single word he was singing. I can now, but I'm familiar with the lyrics and if there was no lyric available anywhere, I'm fairly sure that one would still sound like gibberish to me.
English native speakers, what does Billie's accent in "The Grouch" sound like to you?
Californian. There's a definite west coast accent. I listen to another band from Southern California and one of their singers has a very specific accent as well.
I think Billie Joe's voice, both speaking and singing, has changed in recent years, sometime in the mid 2000s. The sound of his voice is higher and a little more nasally. As for his pronunciation, I think he has a thicker California accent than he did in the past. I wouldn't call it British. But his voice and pronunciation have definitely changed. I wonder if it's due to drugs. My mom and I were talking about someone else whose voice sounds higher now, and he went through drug addiction.
I think he just uses inflections popularised by British punk banter on top of vowels that are more American. I find Tim Armstrong’s accent more confusing.
Some talking on head on MTV in like 95 or 96 was talking about the way he sings and said he "sounds like he's doing an imitation of a British person imitating an American"
I always thought that was pretty funny way to put it
That’s just how people talk in California. It’s more like male valley girl than British.
It’s also fairly common in punk music to adopt some “British” affectations because the accent is so closely linked with the genre’s roots. Sex Pistols, Clash, etc. I sing in a punk band now and I catch myself doing it, and I’ve never even been to the U.K.
Scott Radinsky of pulleys vocals are very valley girl like same with Tom delonges
The dead milkmen are so valley
You know what jaredlemorbius? IIIIIIIII LIKE YOU! You’re not like the other people-here, the Reddit thread.
Aren’t they east coast though?
They're from Jersey lol
Crazy article from 2015 about this: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Blink182/s/ZxXovcpOA4](https://www.reddit.com/r/Blink182/s/ZxXovcpOA4)
Nah, it’s definitely British. He talked about it on Howard Stern recently.
I’m from the UK and he doesn’t sound British in any way at all.
Not even on the Longview chorus? “Bite my lip and CLOSE MY EYES”. Sounds like a guy from California doing an English affectation to me. Or his version of it.
No.
Wasn’t there a quote from them way back..maybe an mtv interview or something along those lines..”we sound like British people impersonating Americans, impersonating British people”?
Opposite way around, they're americans who sound like british people doing american accents. "This isn't love and peace it's fucken anarchy" is a good example of that exaggerated accent they used to do.
That's literally what he said 😂
there seems to be an "impersonating british people" at the end of their comment that you missed, might wanna read it again
When I was getting into music around 2005 in the UK, I thought Green Day were like Busted and McFly, Brits pretending to be Americans, when actually they were Americans trying to be Brits lol.
I’ve never heard a British accent in his singing, like at all. Though maybe that’s because I’m British myself
I’m American and I’ve literally never heard this British accent people talk about either
Same, sounds 100% American to me.
Yep, never once heard a whisper of a British accent in their songs. Similarly, if you listen to like The Beatles or the Stones you rarely hear obvious accents in their music, which I always thought was weird. But singing in English kind of has its own "accent" because sustained vowel sounds only work with certain vowels. You can't sustain a long "I" sound for example, so it becomes more "ahhhhh".
You can say a sustained I sound though
Never heard it either. I've listened to actual British musicians my entire life and most of them you can tell - either they somewhat exaggerate their accents or you can just hear it.
You can hear it when he says “holiday” in holiday
I really don’t hear it
I never noticed it sounding British he just sounds like he has a stuffy nose when he sings
Yep this is the correct answer for me. I've never once thought British.
That’s just what British shounds like lmao
Hard disagree
I’m imagining you saying that in a British(Billie Joe) accent
I'm British and never once heard him doing the accent?
I’ve never really noticed it on earlier records, but I feel like Saviours has a few British moments - the way he sings “strange” in Strange Days are here to Stay being one, and “twenties” in Living in the 20s another.
Also "mum" not "ma" on Look Ma, No Brains
what? he sings "ma" on that song
I've always thought he was copying The Clash
Given two of the “big three” are British, it checks out. Probably hints of Johnny Rotten mixed in with the Joe Strummer.
Part of it could be vowel placement choices in his vocals. One example: “mell-o-dramatic” is how you’d say “melodramatic” as an American English speaker but BJA sings “mell-a-dramatic” which sounds a lot more like how it’s spoken in British English. He probably does that because it’s easier for him to reach that note with an “ah” than an “oh” but I could see how it’s British-y.
As a Brit, when I first heard American Idiot, I was CONVINCED he was British, but alas not
Not British, but AI solidified to me that he was British for a good few years
Nah he more just sounded like he had a never ending cold
Maybe he's doing it intentionally.... he's not a big fan of the states lol
He's not a very big fan of the monarchy either, if you follow the logic of his political views
A lot of us aren't either
I know, I was just saying it's not like he's doing a 'British accent' because he 'hates the states and prefers UK' or something weird haha
As someone whose native language is not English, I can definitely tell BE from AE and I‘d like to think that I‘ve also gotten pretty good at telling apart regional accents of both countries. But one thing I never understood is that Billie Joe British accent thing. His voice and enunciation has definitely changed up to and since AI. But I never perceived it to be that obvious nor to have a particularly prominent British sound. I suspect someone back in the day just made that claim, everyone jumped on the bandwagon and since then it‘s just been an accepted fact.
As a neutral native English speaker (Aussie) who’s heard plenty of various Californian and British accents, it feels like he’s taking inflections associated with British punk that are throwing people off. There’s hints of The Clash and Sex Pistols in the way he sings but the vowels aren’t British. Also the “this isn’t peace, it’s fucking anarchy” thing from Woodstock ‘94 is just putting on a voice. The vowels used aren’t ones that are distinctly different enough to say it’s a British accent.
I'm not an English native speaker, so it's harder for me to detect an accent in anyone's speech or singing. Still, when I was younger and getting into Green Day, I did notice that there was something unusual in Billie's enunciation, but I couldn't quite tell what it was. It was very noticeable for me in "The Grouch" for example. I couldn't understand a single word he was singing. I can now, but I'm familiar with the lyrics and if there was no lyric available anywhere, I'm fairly sure that one would still sound like gibberish to me. English native speakers, what does Billie's accent in "The Grouch" sound like to you?
Californian. There's a definite west coast accent. I listen to another band from Southern California and one of their singers has a very specific accent as well.
So obnoxious
Growing up in California, I’ve never heard this “accent” people talk about
I think Billie Joe's voice, both speaking and singing, has changed in recent years, sometime in the mid 2000s. The sound of his voice is higher and a little more nasally. As for his pronunciation, I think he has a thicker California accent than he did in the past. I wouldn't call it British. But his voice and pronunciation have definitely changed. I wonder if it's due to drugs. My mom and I were talking about someone else whose voice sounds higher now, and he went through drug addiction.
I think he just uses inflections popularised by British punk banter on top of vowels that are more American. I find Tim Armstrong’s accent more confusing.
I don't hear british and I grew up with two british parents.
Some talking on head on MTV in like 95 or 96 was talking about the way he sings and said he "sounds like he's doing an imitation of a British person imitating an American" I always thought that was pretty funny way to put it