This song was written about the Occupy movement, for which Oakland was a major stage. Here are some excerpts about "99 Revolutions" from a November 2012 Guitar World interview with Billie Joe:

"My idea of the Occupy movement goes beyond just left-wing radicals. I think 99-percenters go all the way from that to cops, firefighters, nurses, teachers and lots of people in my own family. My mom�s worked at a diner her whole life. My dad was a truck driver. My brother works as a plumber. So I think there�s a really broad idea of what the 99 percent is. I�m just tapping into my working-class background in that song and then thinking about what is fair and what is not fair. And how the one percent should be taxed more, and how corporations should be taxed more, and how we should have things like free health care and building an infrastructure of schools and bridges and fixing roads. And by doing that, giving people more work."

"And it�s interesting to see some of the Tea Party people. It�s like, 'You don�t understand: you are a part of that.' This directly affects you. With free health care you�re able to start your own independent business. You don�t have to worry about paying certain bills if you get sick, or having to deal with some fucked-up corrupt insurance company. You can be more independent and you can have that load lifted off you and your family a little more."

[In response to the militant Occupy groups who smashed windows of Oakland small businesses in protest]: "It�s like, 'You�re bashing store fronts in Oakland? Doesn�t Oakland have enough problems as it is?' But the core of the movement�there are some smart people who are pushing it in the right direction."