The Young and the Hopeless - Good Charlotte

Sometimes rude, crude, and lewd, and humorous.

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About Our Ratings
Common Sense rates it
4
Heard the music? Review it
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Music details
  • Artist(s): Good Charlotte
  • Genre: Punk Rock
  • Label: Sony
  • Parental Advisory: No
  • Edited Version: No
  • Release Date: 09/01/2002

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this album is a minefield of behavior to be avoided, or a rich source of conversation about tough subjects like alcoholism ("The Story of My Old Man"), crack cocaine ("The Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous"), obsessive love ("My Bloody Valentine"), and suicide ("The Day That I Die").

Families can talk about the self-destructive, dangerous behaviors discussed in the songs.

Message

Social Behavior:

"Riot Girl" praises body piercings, tattoos, and attitude. "The Day That I Die" describes suicide.

Consumerism:

Despite isolated references to "Ferraris," "Christina," and "Britney," the lyrics do not extol name brands.

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

"The Story Of My Old Man" describes a father's alcoholism, and that of his father before him: "Monday he woke up and hated life/ Drank until Wednesday and left his wife."

Violence

"My Bloody Valentine" describes stalking a rival boyfriend and ripping out his throat. "Hold On" refers to an abusive father. "The Day That I Die" contemplates suicide.

Sex

In "Girls & Boys," the "girls with the bodies like the boys with Ferraris/?. She'll get what she wants if she's willing to please."

Language

Occasional crude language describes rich celebrities (they "piss and moan"), while direct and forceful terms depict an alcoholic father ("The Story Of My Old Man") and a murderous boyfriend ("My Bloody Valentine").

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Cynthea Riesenberg

We hear the tinkly strains of an antique music box morph into punk rock guitar crescendo, only to end in a splintering crash, in the first two minutes of THE YOUNG AND THE HOPELESS. This might symbolically signal Good Charlotte's intentions to deal with leaving the nursery and with growing up in a world that's sometimes exciting, often tedious, and probably unreliable. "The Anthem" describes education thus: "And my high school it felt more to me/ Like a jail cell a penitentiary/Go to college, a university/ Get a real job that's what they said to me/ But I could never live the way they want." Contempt for rich whiners drives "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous."

Is it any good?

4
When you listen to some of the subversive themes on this CD, it's no wonder the band is popular with young teens. But if rebellion is the name of Good Charlotte's game, it's spiced with self-aware humor that keeps them out of the principal's office, and a flickering optimism, found in tracks like "Wondering," that maybe love conquers all.

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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 10 reviews.

Age 13+
4


Posted on 04/09/08 by alex549us3 Adult contributor

4


Posted on 12/02/07 by childsplay176 Kid contributor, age 15

A great album. but it cpntains some mature content.

This album is very good, but parents need to know that it has some strong violent content. It's okay for teens, but I definately recommend discussion with parents.
4


Posted on 05/25/07 by watsername(my second fave green day song) Kid contributor, age 12

MY MD. PUNK

MY 3 FAVE THINGS ABOUT GOOD CHARLOTTE 1. THEY ARE FREAKIN AWSOME 2. THEY COME FROM WHERE I LIVE, ANNAPOLIS.MD. 3. THEY HAVE A GREAT LIFE STORY 4.i have another reason THERE MUSIC IS FUN AND GREAT TO LISTEN TO IN THE CAR ON MY IPOD DOC.
4


Posted on 04/12/07 by wookiepie93 Kid contributor, age 14

Really good but a few things to watch out for.......

Good Charlotte is an excellent band and they take on some issues which are good to think about such as what happens when a parent is abusive or drinks, being so obsessive in love that you would kill someone, and the issue of suicide. These things are why i gave this album red for violence. I would not download the song My Bloody Valentine and you might not want to download The Day That I Die but the issues are good to think about. I LOVE THE NEW SINGLE THE RIVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
0


Posted on 05/29/05 by bleurgh Kid contributor, age 15

2


Posted on 02/10/05 by itisme Kid contributor, age 14

not good at all

This is a dull album, in which all of the songs sound similar. This would be fine but they all sound bad. Good Charlotte's voices are really high pitched and after a few minutes the catchy rythems and high voices will really get on your nerves
3


Posted on 07/10/04 by weszu Kid contributor, age 11

It was worth getting

Good Charlotte is an ok band. They are a little popish, but not enough to bother me. To me there is no bad content in this album, besides a tiny bit in "Bloody Valentine" (nothing that bad.) The content about someone commiting suicide is about not commiting suicide, so that is definetely nothing bad. Overall the album was ok.
0


Posted on 04/22/04 by Forknose Kid contributor, age 15

Where is the Negative-Star?

Man I HATE Good Charlotte. They ripped off Green Day but did it horribly. Their songs are as dry as blink-182's Enema of the State and did I mention that I HATE this band.
5


Posted on 04/16/04 by GCluver123456789 Kid contributor, age 11

It is a really good cd.I only listened to 3 songs that were oh so fine.

5


Posted on 11/27/03 by ElmoRock3113 Kid contributor, age 13

Awesome CD! These songs were great!

I liked the music in this CD. They are great musicians and it's for the most part clean. One song you might want to stay away from is 'Bloody Valentine'

See all 10 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 1 reviews.

Age 13+
4


Posted on 04/09/08 by alex549us3 Adult contributor

Kids Reviews

There are 9 reviews.

4


Posted on 12/02/07 by childsplay176 Kid contributor, age 15

A great album. but it cpntains some mature content.

This album is very good, but parents need to know that it has some strong violent content. It's okay for teens, but I definately recommend discussion with parents.
4


Posted on 05/25/07 by watsername(my second fave green day song) Kid contributor, age 12

MY MD. PUNK

MY 3 FAVE THINGS ABOUT GOOD CHARLOTTE 1. THEY ARE FREAKIN AWSOME 2. THEY COME FROM WHERE I LIVE, ANNAPOLIS.MD. 3. THEY HAVE A GREAT LIFE STORY 4.i have another reason THERE MUSIC IS FUN AND GREAT TO LISTEN TO IN THE CAR ON MY IPOD DOC.
4


Posted on 04/12/07 by wookiepie93 Kid contributor, age 14

Really good but a few things to watch out for.......

Good Charlotte is an excellent band and they take on some issues which are good to think about such as what happens when a parent is abusive or drinks, being so obsessive in love that you would kill someone, and the issue of suicide. These things are why i gave this album red for violence. I would not download the song My Bloody Valentine and you might not want to download The Day That I Die but the issues are good to think about. I LOVE THE NEW SINGLE THE RIVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
0


Posted on 05/29/05 by bleurgh Kid contributor, age 15

2


Posted on 02/10/05 by itisme Kid contributor, age 14

not good at all

This is a dull album, in which all of the songs sound similar. This would be fine but they all sound bad. Good Charlotte's voices are really high pitched and after a few minutes the catchy rythems and high voices will really get on your nerves
3


Posted on 07/10/04 by weszu Kid contributor, age 11

It was worth getting

Good Charlotte is an ok band. They are a little popish, but not enough to bother me. To me there is no bad content in this album, besides a tiny bit in "Bloody Valentine" (nothing that bad.) The content about someone commiting suicide is about not commiting suicide, so that is definetely nothing bad. Overall the album was ok.
0


Posted on 04/22/04 by Forknose Kid contributor, age 15

Where is the Negative-Star?

Man I HATE Good Charlotte. They ripped off Green Day but did it horribly. Their songs are as dry as blink-182's Enema of the State and did I mention that I HATE this band.
5


Posted on 04/16/04 by GCluver123456789 Kid contributor, age 11

It is a really good cd.I only listened to 3 songs that were oh so fine.

5


Posted on 11/27/03 by ElmoRock3113 Kid contributor, age 13

Awesome CD! These songs were great!

I liked the music in this CD. They are great musicians and it's for the most part clean. One song you might want to stay away from is 'Bloody Valentine'
See all 9 kids reviews >
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47 votes