From Aliens to Off-Limit Flings: 4 of the Most Underrated Tracks off Blink-182’s ‘Enema Of The State’ in Celebration of Its 27th Anniversary
· Vice
On June 1, 1999, Blink-182 released their breakthrough album Enema of the State. This album remains a fan favorite for its bold mix of themes. The tracks range from Blink’s usual adolescent antics like “Anthem”, to the sweet young love of “Going Away To College”, to the serious and dark moments of “Adam’s Song”.
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To celebrate 27 years of the album, here are four favorite tracks, aided by descriptions that Tom DeLonge wrote in Enema-era tour programs.
“Don’t Leave Me”
After the persistent whine of Tom DeLonge’s vocals on the opening track, Mark Hoppus possesses an almost dulcet tone in comparison on the following song, “Don’t Leave Me”. Additionally, the lyrics become a bit of a palate cleanser after “Dumpweed”, the incel anthem before incels were a widespread phenomenon. Instead of expressing a need for “a girl that I can train,” Hoppus makes a quiet plea for a girl to keep liking him, even if he acts like a “scumbag.”
When Blink-182 was touring Enema of the State, DeLonge would often write the meanings of their songs in the tour programs. For “Don’t Leave Me”, he theorized what Hoppus was going for with these lyrics, writing, “I think it’s just like that feeling when you’re really in love with a girl, you’re just thinking ‘Please, please, please don’t stop liking me.'”
“Aliens Exist”
“Aliens Exist” is already a favorite Blink-182 track, but it becomes even better with the added context of Tom DeLonge’s obsession with UFOs. In the same tour program explanations, DeLonge wrote about “Aliens Exist”, noting that he wrote it from the perspective of someone who’s seen the truth.
“I wrote a song about a guy talking about aliens as though he’s had a weird experience, but nobody believes him, they think he’s full of s—t,” he wrote. “But he’s directing his angst toward the government, because the government knows there’s something going on. But I’m one of those freaks that really believes that stuff exists. I think if anybody out there does a little bit of research, they will find that they side with me.”
“Going Away To College”
“Going Away To College” is one of those rare Blink-182 songs that is purely romantic for the sake of romance. It’s surprisingly innocent for the band that put “Dysentery Gary” on the same album. But if one thing is true, it’s that Enema of the State contains multitudes.
“Mark wrote the song as though you are a boy leaving your girlfriend, after years of school together,” wrote DeLonge. “After high school, when you’re leaving to go to college, and what do you say to this girl that you’ve been in love with for years, but now have to leave for years? I don’t think it gets more romantic than that … It’s one of my favorite songs on the record, and the way the lyrics flow with the music, I just think it’s a really sad, emotional song. It’s something a lot of people go through.”
“Wendy Clear”
According to Tom DeLonge’s tour notes, Mark Hoppus wrote “Wendy Clear” about a girl he had a crush on in 1999 who was basically off limits. Allegedly, she worked at their record label, MCA, at the time. The song has a subtle vulnerability in its lyrics, as Hoppus expressed his desire to “play with fire” just to talk to this woman freely. It’s about more than just striking out, touching more on the grief of what might have been.
“[Mark] liked her, but he really couldn’t date her because she was a very influential person in the music industry,” wrote DeLonge. “So them dating was a very tricky situation. ‘I wish it didn’t have to be so bad,’ is how the song goes.” However, near the end of the track, he decides to “move on,” accepting that pursuing a relationship is a bad idea.
The post From Aliens to Off-Limit Flings: 4 of the Most Underrated Tracks off Blink-182’s ‘Enema Of The State’ in Celebration of Its 27th Anniversary appeared first on VICE.