The background behind "Wake Me Up When September Ends"

In this song, Armstrong reveals his feelings about his father who died in September of 1982 when he was 10 years old.

However, this is not the only meaning behind the song. For most Americans, the month of September is associated with the 9/11 terrorist attacks where many have lost their loved ones to that tragedy.

September (song track #11) is connected not only to the death of the author's father, but also to the families of the victims of 9/11, and the pain of losing loved ones in general. This is a song of wisdom and acceptance. "Drenched in my pain again, becoming who we are" - the realization of the fact that everything we go through, all the pain and losses, all the hardships we meet along the way are meant to make us stronger and shape our personalities.

In the video, we see a young couple that gets separated by the circumstances. This shows the director's view of the song: we should treasure our loved ones and never take them for granted, because they can be taken away from us any moment.

So, before you wanna start a "Wake Me Up When September Ends" joke - think twice before you do it. Actually, you shouldn't even think of doing it.