Green Day has collectively co-authored a book titled Last of the American Girls. The full-color text, illustrated by cartoonist Frank Caruso, will be released on October 29th via Dey Street Books.
Named after the song “Last of the American Girls” off 21st Century Breakdown, the book is described as “an inspiring homage and handbook for the rebellious everywoman who refuses to capitulate,” according to a statement from their publisher. No further details are available at this time, but the book is being further billed as a celebration of “true rebel girls,” another song reference to the American Idiot track “She’s a Rebel.”
Upon its release, Billie Joe Armstrong told Blunt that “Last of the American Girls” was originally about his wife. “Then I started getting into more of my own beliefs — anything from a little book of conspiracies to playing vinyl records or something,” he explained. “It’s sort of about an empowering, sort of subterranean kind of lifestyle, but at the same time there’s a new era coming in with the way we all need to live.” The song was one of the 21st Century Breakdown tracks to be added to the Broadway musical adaptation American Idiot.
Caruso has worked with other musicians in the past; he illustrated Bruce Springsteen’s book Outlaw Pete and was the art director for Wilco’s “Dawned on Me” music video. Last of the American Girls will be Green Day’s first project since 2016’s Revolution Radio. The year prior, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Fall Out Boy.
In 2017, they released their second greatest hits compilation God’s Favorite Band which featured the new song “Back in the USA” along with a revamped version of Revolution Radio track “Ordinary World” that featured Miranda Lambert. On Instagram Live in December, Armstrong confirmed that he was writing new songs for Green Day though the band has yet to reveal immediate future plans.