"She"
Promotional single by Green Day
from the album Dookie
ReleasedMay 5, 1995
Recorded1993
Genre
Length2:14
Label
Composer(s)Green Day
Lyricist(s)
Producer(s)
Green Day singles chronology
"When I Come Around"
(1995) 		"She"
(1995) 		"J.A.R."
(1995)
Audio
"She" on YouTube

"She" is a song by the American rock band Green Day. It is the eighth track on their third album, Dookie and was released as Green Day's first promotional single in their discography. The song was written by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong about a former girlfriend who showed him a feminist poem with an identical title.[5] In return, Armstrong wrote the lyrics of "She" and showed them to her.[5] She later dumped him and moved to Ecuador, prompting Armstrong to put "She" on the album. The same ex-girlfriend is the topic of the songs "Sassafras Roots" and "Chump".[5] It is one of the few Green Day singles that did not have a music video.

Track listing

Promo
No.TitleLength
1."She"2:14

Reception

The song has been frequently listed as one of Green Day's best songs. Kerrang! listed it as their second best song,[6] while Rolling Stone listed it as their seventh.[7] PopMatters listed "She" as the eighth best Green Day song, citing ""She" is sensitive without being soft; in between Armstrong's empathetic declarations of "Scream at me / Until my ears bleed / I'm taking heed / Just for you", the band is hammering away at its instruments with amped-up intensity."[4]

Covers

In 2016, British-American band As It Is covered the song for the Green Day cover album "American Superhits!".[8]

In 2018, Californian punk-ska band Mad Caddies covered the song with a reggae beat for their cover album Punk Rocksteady.

Charts

Chart (1995) Peak
position
US Radio Songs (Billboard)[9] 41
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[10] 18
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[11] 5

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[12] Gold 40,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Green Day - Fantasy Studios" (PDF). Fantasy Studios. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-24. Issued in February 1994, Dookie would spawn five hit singles — 'Longview', 'Welcome To Paradise' (a re‐recording of a track on Kerplunk), 'Basket Case', 'When I Come Around' and 'She' — and, with worldwide sales of over 16 million units, would prove to be the group's most popular work, while establishing them at the forefront of the neo-punk scene.
  2. ^ Payne, Chris (February 1, 2014). "Green Day's 'Dookie' at 20: Classic Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  3. ^ Coulson, David (May 2021). "The Top 10 Green Day Songs of All-time". Chaospin. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  4. ^ a b AJ Ramirez. "Nice Guys Finish Last: The Top 15 Green Day Songs". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
  5. ^ a b c "Billie Joe Armstrong Interview on VH1". VH1. Archived from the original on 2002-08-09. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
  6. ^ "The 20 greatest Green Day songs – ranked". Kerrang!. 2020-04-10. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  7. ^ "Readers' Poll: Green Day's Best Songs". Rolling Stone. 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  8. ^ "As It Is Cover Green Day's She". Kerrang!. December 7, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  9. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  10. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  11. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  12. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Green Day – She". Music Canada. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
Categories