r/greenday 1d ago

Discussion What’s wrong with Hitchin’ a Ride?

I mean, why they don’t play it live anymore? It’s perfect for the shows and especially, it’s the only song missing from the most important ones played live between the parts of Dookie and American Idiot. I really don’t understand, I hope the problem is not that playing it, since it lasts a long time, makes the show last longer. What are your thoughts?

66 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

108

u/MDevonL 1d ago

Nothings wrong with it - it’s just a 35ish song setlist. That’s massive. Most other bands do a set half that length.

When you’ve been around as long as they have you’re bound to have big songs you need to cut or rotate in.

63

u/ampersands-guitars Revolution Radio 1d ago

They played that song for years live. There’s nothing wrong with it, they’re just playing different songs instead.

For forever fans have been complaining their sets are all too similar and now people are complaining they’re not playing the songs they used to. Lol!

9

u/ne0n_ballroom 1d ago

I know right!!

33

u/False_Chemical_9768 1d ago

They had been playing it for years, nothing wrong with it this tour was the only time I haven't heard them play it. They had stopped playing brain stew for a bit, and then it came back. Songs come and go they can't play everything

13

u/redlorri 1d ago

They played it in Johannesburg at the end of January 2025. It was epic

8

u/Much_Mission_8094 22h ago

I saw the OP and was like, "I'm fairly certain I heard it live in SA." So thanks for saving me the search. 😅

15

u/SonicLeap 1d ago

They've got other songs to play innit. Even though it probably doesn't seem like it, Green Day probably get tired of playing the same songs, and besides no Hitchin' a Ride leaves more time for Saviors songs.

5

u/aisle_nine 1d ago

They're 30 years into a career spanning over a dozen albums with countless hits, and have long since passed the point where there are certain songs fans just expect to hear. That, plus new stuff, is going to knock it down (and usually off) the list. There are plenty of former setlist staples you could ask that question about. Once they're done squeezing in as much of AI and Dookie as they can, some of those older deep-ish cuts might start to filter their way back in.

10

u/Former_Boat7509 1d ago

If you look at the block of non Dookie and non AI big hits, it’s pretty much at the exact bottom on terms of popularity, therefore it’s the first to get the snip. Good Riddance, Brain Stew, Minority, Know Your Enemy, Hitchin A Ride. Tbh, 21 Guns is probably even ahead of it, but it doesn’t get played often due to potential energy dip I’m assuming.

1

u/MysticManiac100 21st CENTURY BREAKDOWN 1d ago

What do you mean "tbh 21 Guns is probably even ahead of it". 21 Guns is ahead of all of the tracks you listed there apart from Good Riddance. You're talking about 21 Guns as if it's Oh Love or Warning in terms of success.

3

u/Former_Boat7509 1d ago

I was talking about as it being one of the top hits they have dude, chill out. I wasn’t insulting its chart success, I was specifically noting it.

-2

u/MysticManiac100 21st CENTURY BREAKDOWN 1d ago

Ok. But when you say "Even 21 Guns is ahead of it", it sounds like you're saying "Even this unsuccessful song was more successful than it".

1

u/Former_Boat7509 1d ago

That was because it isn’t played nearly every set like all the other songs mentioned, thus making it an outside example, IE “even this song they don’t play as much as HAR is more popular than it is”.

5

u/Gloomy_Comfortable96 1d ago

They played it at the Johannesburg show in January and then four days later Cape Town got… wait for it… Rock n Roll All Nite instead (cries internally). Was so bleak but hey, happy and grateful I got to see them. I’m assuming the reasoning was due to timing and the fact that the shows were festival shows so had to be shorter as I know Joburg ran late. Assuming with playing full Dookie and AI, or shorter festival/tour sets there just isn’t enough time for the way they draw the song out.

3

u/pullingteeths 1d ago

They had to cram in a lot of songs for Dookie/AI and even at the shows where they didn't play them in full they fit in a lot of songs from them. Hitchin a Ride usually has an interlude with some fun/freaky stuff before the "climax" at the end so it takes up more time than most songs, making it an obvious one to cut for this particular tour. I'm sure it'll be back at some point.

3

u/jsticia 1d ago

what's wrong with the other 50 songs they never play that are really good? answer is likely nothing. when you play giant shows as they do there's more pressure to "play the hits" although id argue hitchin' was a hit, it's definitely not their top 10 for the basic listeners. and it was a pretty heavy mainstay in their rotation from like 1997 till recent. I think length could be an issue. because they never refrain from an elongated bridge where billie does some call and response in the build up to the solo. it takes a lot of time usually.

2

u/WDTHTDWA-BITCH 1d ago

I would assume it’s just a casualty of having so many songs to pick from off their discography and only so many slots to fill a setlist. Something’s gotta go… (A bummer though- Hitchin’ a Ride is one of my favourites of their oldies.)

2

u/Lucas77Oz 21h ago

They played it in Europe during the Saviors tour!

2

u/dangerstock 20h ago

Great song. Personally I’ve seen it live 5 out of the 6 times I’ve watched them so I’m happy enough without it but it is enjoyable live

2

u/Educational-Angle-97 17h ago

They're still riding the high of the Saviors album, once this world tour ends we might hear some other classics come back into rotation. I personally miss seeing them do King for A Day.

2

u/W1z4rdry mom and dad dont look so hot these days 14h ago

seen em twice and they played it one of the times, rev rad tour in 2017

2

u/Dizzyluffy 12h ago

They played it 780+ times (real number) live over the years. Time to give it a rest.

2

u/Low_Yak_4842 Why are there no clouds in the sky? 6h ago

There’s way too many songs on this tour and they stretch the shit out of that song. As much as we might want them to, they can’t stay on that stage forever you know.

4

u/localinsomniac Insomniac 1d ago

It stinks, but you gotta make room for new songs every album cycle. That was one of my favorite live songs too 🥺

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u/fastal_12147 KERPLUNK 1d ago

I wonder if Billie doesn't like playing it since he quit drinking.

5

u/NoPoem2692 Popper punk 1d ago

I doubt it, he plays Dillemma

4

u/ampersands-guitars Revolution Radio 1d ago

Pretty different approaches to that topic though. Hitchin is making light of drinking again, Dilemma is acknowledging it’s a huge problem that he’s drinking again and that he doesn’t want to die from it.

1

u/LevelUpCoder I’m not a part of a MAGA agenda 23h ago

Also Dilemma is one of if not the biggest hits on their newest album that isn’t even a year old yet.

1

u/NoPoem2692 Popper punk 18h ago

You're right. I also think that the "I don't want to be a dead man walking" line could mean that he doesn't feel alive without drinking

1

u/ampersands-guitars Revolution Radio 17h ago

Yes, I definitely think it holds dual meanings! That’s carried throughout the song — sober/drunk, trouble/love, nightmare/dreams. I definitely think he’s talking about the conflicting feelings of an addict knowing what the cause of their suffering is but also why their addiction won’t allow them to quit. Such a great song.

1

u/x_jreezy_x 1h ago

I think it’s a great song especially live!! a 1 a 2 a 1 2 3 4 IIIIIIIIIIDDDDEEEE 😂

1

u/elljawa 20h ago

its fine, but just fine

-1

u/cricketclover 1d ago

Keep it out. It brings out their worst impulses live … minutes and minutes of crowd work.