Welcome to Paradise

by Green Day • Lesson #322 • Sep 17, 2020

Video lesson

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Editor’s notes

Hey friends! Here’s a new lesson where I’ll show you a Tyler Childers-inspired arrangement of Green Day’s 1990s classic Welcome to Paradise (via their album “Dookie”). This one takes the raw, backwoods-style acoustic country sound (of Tyler Childers, but also artists like Steve Earle via Copperhead Road) and imagines how that type of guitar playing might be applied to a pop-punk song. The result is what’s in this lesson, and I hope you enjoy!

From a guitar POV, the heart of this arrangement is based on a D-riff (which can be played in Drop-D tuning), similar to that used in Tyler Childers’ Feathered Indians and Whitehouse Road – and also Steve Earle’s Copperhead Road. This results in a droning, raw sound (lots of open D-string) with occasional flourish via reaching your pinky. I also use an occasional A-riff (via hammering-on the 5th string) for added acoustic flourish. I show it all in my video lesson, with tabs!

Timestamps for this video:

  • 0:00 Playthrough & lesson overview
  • 2:38 Intro D-riff (4 measures w/ tab)
  • 11:05 Chord & strumming (verse & chorus)
  • 13:41 A-riff during the verse
  • 14:39 D-riff during the verse
  • 15:22 Chorus melody riff (w/ tab)

If you dig this style of playing, here’s related lessons I’ve made – all of these being in the key of D and having a similar outlaw country-ish sound. PDFs for each of these are available via the links below:

There’s also these technique videos I’ve made, which may be helpful for this particular song:

Audio of me playing this song

Here’s audio of me playing it:

Lyrics and chords

Again, note this is all one whole-step lower than one Green Day plays. I’m playing it in this key because it fits the country arrangement I’m doing better. See my video for more context here.

INTRO
  D-riff

VERSE
  D             C               D
  ...Dear mama, can you hear me whining
  D                  C                      F                A
  ...It's been three whole weeks since that I have left your home
  D              C                D
  ...This sudden fear has left me trembling
  D                C               F              A
  ...'Cause now it seems that I am out here on my own
          F            A
  And I'm feeling so alone

VERSE
      D             F/C                    G/B            Bb         
      Pay attention to the cracked streets and the broken homes
      D            F/C                 A            A
      Some call it slums, some call it nice
        D                F/C                    G/B             Bb
      I want to take you through a wasteland, I like to call my home
      D     A (let ring)       D [with D-riff]
      ..............Welcome to Paradise

  D            C                D        D         C                F                A     
  ...A gunshot rings out at the station... another urchin snaps and left dead on his own
  D              C              D          
  ...It makes me wonder why I'm still here
  D                   C                F               A             F           A
  ...For some strange reason, it's now feeling like my home, and I'm never gonna go

      [D] Pay attention to the [F] cracked streets [G] and the broken [Bb] homes
      [D] Some call it [F] slums, some call it [A] nice... [A]...
      I [D] want to take you [F] through a wasteland, I [G] like to call my [Bb] home
      [D].... [A]... Welcome to [D] Paradise [with D-riff]

      [ instrumental chorus w/ breakdown & build-up ]

  D               C                D
  ...Dear mother, can you hear me laughing?
  D                C                       F                A
  ...It's been six whole months since that I have left your home
  D              C              D
  ...It makes me wonder why I'm still here
  D                   C               F               A             F           A
  ...For some strange reason it's now feeling like my home, and I'm never gonna go

      [D] Pay attention to the [F] cracked streets [G] and the broken [Bb] homes
      [D] Some call it [F] slums, some call it [A] nice... [A]...
      I [D] want to take you [F] through a wasteland, I [G] like to call my [Bb] home
      [D].... [A]... Welcome to [D] Paradise [with D-riff]

Green Day’s version of this song

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