Westbound Sign
- "It's about a girl leaving home to live in the city, which is based on my wife."
- — Billie Joe Armstrong
| |
| Westbound Sign | |
| Written by: | Billie Joe Armstrong |
| Song length: | 2:13 |
| Album: | Insomniac (1995) |
| Chronology | |
| Previous song: | "Jaded" |
| Next song: | "Tight Wad Hill" |
"Westbound Sign" is the 12th song on Insomniac. Billie Joe Armstrong wrote this song about his wife who moved from Minneapolis to California to be with him.[1]
This song has only been played once live, in 1994.[2]
The tite of the song is derived from the direction Billie Joe's wife moved, west towards California.
The song can also be heard in the teaser trailer for the 2006 film Cars.
Song meaning[edit | edit source]
This song is about leaving home to move in with your loved one at the other side of the country. The narrator's girlfriend leaves her home for the unknown, which brings a lot of stress and anxiety, but she's determined to go for it. The narrator is also stressed, not knowing if his girlfriend will fit in his environment ("Will she find her name in the Californian cement / Is tragedy 2,000 miles away?").
This song can be linked with 2000 Light Years Away, in which the narrator mentions his girlfriend living "2,000 light years away" from him. In this song, she found the courage to leave home and take the risk of moving far away from home. At last, they're together now.
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Westbound Sign/lyrics
