Hear Billie Joe Armstrong Cover Wreckless Eric’s ‘Whole Wide World’

Billie Joe Armstrong has released a cover of Wreckless Eric’s “Whole Wide World” to Amazon Music. The Green Day frontman’s rendition of the track got approval from Wreckless Eric himself, who called it “the most punk rock version ever” in a statement. “Whole Wide World” is the latest installment in Amazon Music’s Amazon Original exclusive cover series.

Originally released in 1977, “Whole Wide World” describes a man’s quest to find the love of his life after a significant heartbreak. “Why are my eyes fillin’ up with these lonely tears, when there’s girls all over the world?” Armstrong sings. “Or is she lyin’ on a tropical beach somewhere, underneath the tropical sun/Hiding away in a heatwave there, hoping that I won’t be long?”

Armstrong has been releasing a string of covers this year, including a version of John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth” and a No Fun Mondays series of quarantine covers with Green Day. These have included takes on Eric Carmen’s “That’s Rock ’n’ Roll,” Kim Wilde’s “Kids in America” and the Wonders’/Adam Schlesinger’s “That Thing You Do.”

Green Day recently announced rescheduled 2021 dates for their Hella Mega stadium tour with Weezer and Fall Out Boy. The summer trek was postponed because of Covid-19, but will now kick off July 14th, 2021 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.