Walking Contradiction Lyrics
Do as I say, not as I do
Because the shit's so deep, you can't run away
I beg to differ on the contrary
Agree with every word that you say
Talk is cheap and lies are expensive
My wallet's fat and so is my head
Hit and run and then I'll hit you again
A smart ass, but I'm playing dumb
[Verse 2]
Standards set and broken all the time
Control the chaos behind the gun
Call it as I see it, even if
I was born deaf, blind, and dumb
Losers winning big on the lottery
Rehab rejects still sniffing glue
Constant refutation with myself
A victim of a catch-22
[Chorus]
I have no belief
But I believe I'm a walking contradiction
And I ain't got no right
[Verse 1]
Do as I say, not as I do
Because the shit's so deep you can't run away
I beg to differ on the contrary
Agree with every word that you say
Talk is cheap and lies are expensive
My wallet's fat and so is my head
Hit and run and then I'll hit you again
A smart ass, but I'm playing dumb
About
“Walking Contradiction” is the fourth single and the final track from Insomniac, Green Day’s angst-filled, fourth album, basically containing any and all negative emotions Billie Joe Armstrong could possibly muster.
The song is a fitting end to an album about being a introverted loser hypocrite, as each line is a different humorous hypocritical scenario. This song is an excellent example of Billie Joe at his sarcastic best.
The music video, filmed in Los Angeles, depicts the three band members walking through the city streets obliviously causing destruction and coming out unscathed.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In a cover story from a 1995 issue of Rolling Stone, a bit of the song’s inspiration comes out during the interview:
On the surface the grouchy Armstrong and his band mates have nothing to complain about: Adoring fans, world travel and oodles of money aren’t most people’s idea of a raw deal. Yet Armstrong says that despite the fact that his band now represents punk rock to everybody in the world who before last year never knew what punk rock was, little in his day-to-day existence has changed. “I’m human still,” he says. “I’m probably angry at least five days out of a week just like anybody is. Everybody gets sick of life. It’s human nature.”
Armstrong wrote a song addressing this conundrum called “Walking Contradiction,” and it begins with the lines “Do as I say, not as I do because/The shit so deep, you can’t run away.”
- 2.Brat
- 5.No Pride
- 7.86
- 8.Panic Song
- 10.Brain Stew
- 11.Jaded
- 12.Westbound Sign
- 13.Tight Wad Hill
- 14.Walking Contradiction