Walking Contradiction

"Walking Contradiction"
"Walking Contradiction"
Promotional single by Green Day
from the album Insomniac
Released	1996
Recorded	1995
Studio	Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco, California
Genre	Punk rock
Length	2:31
Label	Reprise
Composer	Green Day
Lyricist	Billie Joe Armstrong
Producers	Rob Cavallo; Green Day;
Music video
	"Walking Contradiction" on YouTube

"Walking Contradiction" is a song by American rock band Green Day, released as a promotional single in 1996 from their fourth album, Insomniac. Also the closing track on the album, the song reached number 21 on the Modern Rock Tracks in August 1996.^[3] The riff of this song originally appeared as the guitar solo for a demo version of "Haushinka", recorded but unused on previous album Dookie. "Haushinka" would eventually appear on their follow-up album, Nimrod.

Music video

Directed by Roman Coppola and mostly filmed in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, the video features the trio going about in a town casually causing accidents, explosions, and mayhem, unaware of their actions. At the end of the video, they all meet up with each other, get into a car and drive off, just as a building collapses. The music video received a Grammy nomination for "Best Music Video, Short Form" at the 39th Grammy Awards in 1997.^[4]

The video uses a different mix of the song done by Steve Holroyd^[5]

Chart positions

Chart (1996)	Peak position
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[6]	25
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)^[7]	21

Other versions

A live version appears on the 1996 Green Day live EP, Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking.
Cheekface recorded a cover version for the 2020 charity album Jesus Christ Supermarket: A Compilation to Celebrate 25 Years of Green Day’s Insomniac. The compilation's title references a title that was considered for Insomniac, but not used.

References

↑ Green Day Album & Song Chart History | Billboard.com. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
↑ Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day. Marc Spitz. 7 November 2006. ISBN 9781401385798. Retrieved December 3, 2014. ...pummeling punk tracks like "Tightwad Hill" and "Walking Contradiction"...
↑ Billboard Chart History
↑ http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1997/grammys.htm Retrieved October 3rd 2012.
↑ Green Day - Walking Contradiction (in Italian), 1996, retrieved 2026-08-01
↑ "Green Day Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
↑ "Green Day Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2016.

[1] Green Day Album & Song Chart History | Billboard.com. Retrieved 2010-02-11.

[2] Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day. Marc Spitz. 7 November 2006. ISBN 9781401385798. Retrieved December 3, 2014. ...pummeling punk tracks like "Tightwad Hill" and "Walking Contradiction"...

[3] Billboard Chart History

[4] ttp://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1997/grammys.htm Retrieved October 3rd 2012.

[5] Green Day - Walking Contradiction (in Italian), 1996, retrieved 2026-08-01

[sc_Billboardmainstreamrock_Green_Day-6] "Green Day Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2016.

[sc_Billboardalternativesongs_Green_Day-7] "Green Day Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2016.

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Green Day
Billie Joe Armstrong Mike Dirnt Tré Cool John Kiffmeyer
Studio albums	39/Smooth Kerplunk Dookie Insomniac Nimrod Warning American Idiot 21st Century Breakdown ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré! Revolution Radio Father of All Motherfuckers Saviors
Live albums	Bullet in a Bible Awesome as Fuck Woodstock 1994 BBC Sessions
Compilations	1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours International Superhits! Shenanigans Demolicious Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band
EPs	1,000 Hours Slappy Sweet Children Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking Tune In, Tokyo... Last Night on Earth: Live in Tokyo 21 Guns
Tours	Pop Disaster Tour American Idiot World Tour 21st Century Breakdown World Tour 99 Revolutions Tour Revolution Radio Tour Hella Mega Tour The Saviors Tour
Associated acts	Foxboro Hot Tubs The Network Pinhead Gunpowder The Frustrators The Lookouts The Big Cats The Influents The Longshot The Coverups
Related articles	Discography List of songs Awards and nominations Jason White Adeline Records Seltzer v. Green Day, Inc Punk Bunny Coffee Cigarettes and Valentines Money Money 2020 Stop Drop and Roll!!! American Edit Green Day's American Idiot soundtrack Green Day: Rock Band songs ¡Cuatro! Foreverly "Boulevard of Broken Songs" Ordinary World Nimrods Love Is for Losers No Fun Mondays Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told Ya So!
Category

Green Day songs
1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours	"Knowledge"
Kerplunk	"Welcome to Paradise"
Dookie	"Longview" "Basket Case" "She" "When I Come Around"
Insomniac	"Stuck with Me" "Geek Stink Breath" "Brain Stew / Jaded" "Walking Contradiction"
Nimrod	"Nice Guys Finish Last" "Hitchin' a Ride" "Redundant" "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"
Warning	"Warning" "Waiting" "Minority"
American Idiot	"American Idiot" "Jesus of Suburbia" "Holiday" "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" "Wake Me Up When September Ends"
21st Century Breakdown	"21st Century Breakdown" "Know Your Enemy" "East Jesus Nowhere" "Last of the American Girls" "21 Guns"
Awesome as Fuck	"Cigarettes and Valentines"
¡Uno!	"Let Yourself Go" "Kill the DJ" "Oh Love"
¡Dos!	"Stray Heart" "Amy"
¡Tré!	"X-Kid" "The Forgotten"
Revolution Radio	"Bang Bang" "Revolution Radio" "Still Breathing"
Father of All Motherfuckers	"Father of All..." "Oh Yeah!" "Meet Me on the Roof"
Saviors	"The American Dream Is Killing Me" "Look Ma, No Brains!" "Bobby Sox" "One Eyed Bastard" "Dilemma"
Other songs	"J.A.R." "Xmas Time of the Year" "I Fought the Law" "The Saints Are Coming" "The Simpsons Theme" "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" "Dreaming" "Smash It Like Belushi"