This song is about being bored, lonely, and feeling like a complete loser. In an interview with VH1, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong said: "I was just in a creative rut. I was in-between houses sleeping on people's couches. It's a song about trying not to feel pathetic and lonely. I didn't think that masturbation was really seen from the point of view that I was looking at it. In songs like 'Turning Japanese' it always seemed more about people pulling a pud or something. I was coming from a lonely guy's perspective: No girlfriend, no life, complete loser."
The lyrics refer to masturbation as means of escape: "Take me away to paradise." Lead singer Billie Joe describes his masturbation habits at the time as "chronic."
This was the first Green Day single released on a major label: Reprise Records. This was not a hit, but their next single, "Basket Case," launched them to popularity. Before Dookie came out, Green Day released two albums on a small label.
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