Go//blink 182//Blink 182//November 18th 2003
Blink 182 has this incredible ability to manage to leave listeners wanting more, by presenting short songs with immense energy and depth. Go is such a song, it doesn’t play with you and gets to its message immediately. A song obviously aimed at domestic violence, the narrative perspective is what really manages to help listeners empathize. The song is sung from the view point of a young, helpless boy who wants to help his mother and seeks an escape for her, yet is limited by his own physical abilities. Told from the personal experience of the bassist, Mark Hoppus, it’s quite incredible to see how he has managed to concisely yet emphatically present an issue of utmost concern.
What I truly enjoy about this band is how they manage to make such succinct song full of emotions and effervescence. What really is the beauty of Blink songs is that they are very forward and are usually written from their own experience, thus lending an authenticity to their music. It’s even more intriguing because Blink has always been this band that was about being punk in a way that made people laugh and think they were absolute nut-jobs. However, this album was seen as growth in their musical style, to something more experimental and deep. A song about domestic violence is not something a lot of bands could pull off, but the fast-paced guitar, matched with Travis Barker’s intense drumming manages to make the song match the intensity of the issue being dealt with. Another song that manages ro encapsulate multiple feelings in a short span of time is ‘Cynical‘ from the recent album ‘California‘. One of the reasons why Blink 182 is one of my favorite bands is because they don’t worry about limiting themselves to any kind of genre or lyrical style. Despite their songs having the common punk core, there is always some issue being address, maybe domestic violence or an abusive relationship or the implications of divorce or the onset of a new love or the failure of one. There songs manage to raise within their listener, a multitude of emotions.
I would recommend you to listen to their self-titled album because their sound is quite developed and you will never want to stop listening to them. I believe they are the true essence of the emergence of punk, atleast their style and sound. They’re not trying to send a political message to you or trying to change your life or experimenting with their sound. They’re here to make you laugh with their immense ability as goofballs and to make you feel less lonely. It’s always inspiring to hear their rag to riches story and to know that not every kid with a troubled childhood has to be traumatized by it. Some of them sing about and learn to bounce back from all that has ever hurt them. Listen to Go because we all sometimes feel hopeless and limited by our own physical or mental capabilities. Just have the strength to carry one and use your shortcomings as a shield, so no one else can you attack you with it. Maybe we all truly are victims of opportunity,