Song Anaylsis 2

Keegan Schleicher

Poetry of Song

Ms. Malone

April 2, 2009

Song Analysis

“Adam’s Song”
By: Blink 182

The band Blink 182 was formed in 1992 and is known as a pop-rock band. They were extremely famous in the late nineties. The band took some time off in 2005 for reasons they stated as being family commitments and other music projects but the media reported the band was having “growing pains” and the band members couldn’t agree. They haven’t recorded any new music lately, however, they have recently announced on their fan site that they are getting back to work recording and performing for the fans. The band consists of members: Tom Delonge, Travis Barker, and Mark Hoppus. They all agree they were influenced by other bands such Nirvana, and The Ramones. Their music is a mix of pop and rock songs. Many of their songs send a message to its listeners. One song that especially shows despair and sadness is the song “Adam’s Song”
Blink 182’s song “Adam’s Song” is a song about teenage depression and suicide. In the verse “I never thought I’d die alone” this passage lets the listener feel the despair a suicidal person feels. The listener can feel a connection with the lyrics especially teenagers or parents of a teenager. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one to suicide can relate to this grief. In another verse the lyrics say “Please tell mom it was not her fault” this powerful statement expresses the guilt that every parent would carry if their child committed suicide. This song relates to my genre of sadness and despair in rock and alternative music because it deals with the frightening topic of teenage depression and suicide. Despair and sadness is definitely a key element in this song.
In “Adam’s song” the band Blink 182 shows despair and sadness. The narrative song focuses on depression and suicide in teenagers. Anyone can relate to this, since everyone at one time or another has been depressed. While, not everyone would contemplate suicide the lyrics rhyming sequence helps the flow of the music and keeps the listener feeling empathy. The song uses couplets to explain its theme. We see this in the lines “I traced the cord back to the wall/No wonder it was never plugged in at all”. Another element the band uses mood. The mood of these lyrics is very somber. Listening to these words sparks sadness and sympathy in the listener.
Thus, in Blink 182’s “Adam’s Song” the theme of despair and sadness is evident throughout the song. Blink’s well written song talks about teenage depression and suicide. The band uses the element of narrative song, couplets and their use of rhyming sequences, and mood allows the listener to be able to relate to the music. The topic of depression and suicide is hard for most people to deal with, and when it involves teenagers it is that much harder. The song helps explain how desperate a person must feel to contemplate such an act. The music leaves the listener feeling despair and sadness even if they haven’t experienced someone close to them suffering from depression or thoughts of suicide. While, many people disagree on whether on or not this song encourages suicide in teenagers, I think the lyrics also try to inspire some hope for the future in the verse “Tomorrow holds such better days” this an example of this of the hope. People also disagree on the final outcome of this song’s lyrics. Either way, I think the song sends a powerful message.