{"id":145,"date":"2019-04-15T23:29:13","date_gmt":"2019-04-15T23:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.petermcunningham.com\/blog\/?p=145"},"modified":"2019-04-16T02:50:26","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T02:50:26","slug":"does-billie-joe-armstrong-know-what-a-fork-in-the-road-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petermcunningham.com\/blog\/does-billie-joe-armstrong-know-what-a-fork-in-the-road-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Billie Joe Armstrong Know What a “Fork in the Road” Is?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Green Day’s 1997 hit “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” opens with the line: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It’s an effective way to start a song, especially paired with such a classic acoustic guitar riff. But it also demands we ask the question \u2014 does songwriter Billie Joe Armstrong know what a “fork in the road” is? (Or, did he when he wrote the song?) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A “fork in the road” is the point where one or more paths diverge from a single one, “forking” off from the main route. This presents a traveler with more than one option on which way to proceed, hence the phrase’s potency as a metaphor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fork in the road looks like this: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"forking<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong’s choice of wording, then, “a fork stuck<\/strong><\/em> in the road” is inapt. You wouldn’t say the above fork is stuck<\/em> in the road. It’s just in<\/em> the road. A fork stuck<\/em> in the road brings to mind something like this: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"an<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is, of course, absurd, and wholly detached from the song’s themes of nostalgia and moving on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What accounts for this titanic blunder? Some possibilities: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • It was a careless error on Armstrong’s part<\/li>
  • Armstrong included “stuck” to serve the song’s lyrical meter<\/li>
  • Armstrong does not know what a “fork in the road” is<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Which is the right answer? Is it some combination of the three? I leave it to you to decide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n