Covering the Green Day classic, ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’, Jedward’s John Grimes adds a further poignancy to the already moving song.
Written by Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong about the death of his father, which occurred when the singer was still only 10 years old, it originally featured on the band’s seventh studio album, ‘American Idiot’, released in 2004. The track was released as the fourth single from the album the following year, on August 31.
John has previously covered the song in concert, and also released it on Twitter. This however is the first time he’s recorded and uploaded the song in HD on YouTube.
Taking the already deeply sad song, John adds a further poignancy to it with the heartfelt sincerity he imbues every song he sings, whether it be a Jedward original or one of his acoustic cover series.
What is most astounding about this song is that it’s been recorded in one take straight to his phone, and not further edited beyond uploading it to the internet. There’s been no playing around with the sound, and John hasn’t even made use of a supplementary microphone; it’s all there, raw and real, a showcase of his vocal talent and guitar skills.
Watch and listen to John below, as he performs ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’:
