History of Sorts

This morning, while driving home from my weekly shopping trip, I was listening to Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”

Originally released as the fourth single from their 2004 album American Idiot, the song was written by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. It reflects on the death of his father in September 1982 and the lasting impact it had on his life. Over the years, the lyrics have taken on broader interpretations, resonating with people as a tribute to loss — including connections to the victims and survivors of the September 11 attacks.

As I listened, my thoughts turned to the October 7 attacks — another day marked by unimaginable horror. Inspired by the song’s tone and themes of grief, I found myself rewriting the lyrics to capture the sorrow and devastation of that day.

(Inspired by the original by Green Day, rewritten in reflection of the October 7 attacks)

Summer’s gone, the sky went black
A morning peace we can’t get back
I hear the silence in the air
A haunted stillness everywhere

Like shattered hearts that won’t repair
We count the names, we say the prayers
The world moved on, or so it seems
But we’re still caught inside the screams

Wake me up when October ends

The echoes won’t release their hold
Too many stories left untold
A photograph, a quiet room
A child’s laugh lost far too soon

This isn’t how the world should be
We hold to love, but desperately
The days just blur from shock and pain
As tears fall like a bitter rain

Wake me up when October ends

Ringing through the halls of time
The questions fall with no reply
And though we break, we still remain
Carrying the names, the flame

Summer’s gone, but not the ache
The nights are long, the hearts still break
If peace could ever find its way
We’d trade the past for one more day

Wake me up when October ends

Wake me up when October ends

This is the instrumental version of the song