Reject

"Reject" was inspired by a letter Green Day received from the mother of an 8-year-old boy whose grandmother bought him a cassette of the band's 1995 album Insomniac for his birthday. When she heard the album, she was horrified and took action, writing a formal letter to Green Day (at their PO Box in Berkeley, California) expressing her displeasure. It reads, in part: That tape is not something any singer/songwriter should take any pride in at all. It is horrifying and has got to be one of the worst interpretations of an 'artform' that I have ever had the misfortune to hear. She explains that the boy likes their song "When I Come Around," which is why he got Insomniac for his birthday. Then she gets preachy: Why don't you do something positive and clean up your act!!!! Isn't there enough garbage in the world? All the thoughts you are helping to put in the minds of our youth is scary. You have so much influence why not use it for something GOOD? The letter made its way to the band, and Billie Joe Armstrong replied with a handwritten note that begins: I don't write music for parents, grandparents, or eight year olds. I write for myself and I'll say anything I damn well please. That's the difference between you and me. I do what I want.... You do what you're told. He added: Next time, I suggest you do a little research before you purchase such "rubbish" for your little boy. The song "Reject" is the musical expression of this incident, which went public when Green Day sent the letter they received and Billie Joe's response to the NME.

The All-American Rejects may have taken their name from this song, which contains the line, "A reject, all American." The group has told different stories about where their name came from.