Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day deals with themes of loss, grief, and longing, inspired largely by the personal experience of the band's frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong, whose father passed away in September. The song reflects deep emotional pain and the difficulty of moving forward after a significant loss. Particularly poignant moments in the lyrics discuss the end of an era and the passage of time, encapsulating the feeling of longing for a simpler, happier past. The recurring desire to be 'woken up when September ends' symbolizes the hope to bypass the sadness associated with the time of year.