Green Day took aim at Elon Musk during their concert in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Jan. 19. While performing their hit song “American Idiot,” frontman Billie Joe Armstrong altered the lyrics, replacing the line “redneck agenda” with “I’m not a part of the Elon agenda.” The change appeared to criticize Musk, who owns X (formerly Twitter) and Tesla, and has been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, , according to NME.

This isn’t the first time Green Day has used their music to make a political statement. The band previously reworked “American Idiot” during their New Year’s Eve 2023 performance, swapping the same line to “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda” as a jab at Trump’s political movement. Musk mocked the band on social media afterward, accusing them of abandoning their rebellious roots.

Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt responded to Musk’s comments earlier, saying, “Elon Musk actually is the machine. I can’t take anything else from that. He’s not shy about saying stupid shit on the internet. Whatever. The song’s twenty years old, and we’re Green Day. What did you expect?”

The lyric change in Johannesburg adds to the band’s history of outspoken political commentary. In 2016, Green Day protested Trump’s candidacy at the American Music Awards by chanting, “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA.” More recently, they sold a limited-edition t-shirt featuring Trump’s mugshot, titled Ultimate Nimrod, for charity.

Musk, originally from Pretoria, South Africa, has yet to respond to this latest move by Green Day. The billionaire has drawn controversy for his public support of Trump and his prominent role in Trump’s re-election campaign, including being named head of the Department of Government Efficiency.

Green Day’s legacy of punk rebellion continues, now targeting figures like Musk, blending music with political critique.

Photo credit: Mehreen Rizvi