Adam's Song

"Brilliant, My life is in a mess, my work laptop has decided to commit suicide. I have problems bottled inside me that its going to blow skyhigh, and it's not right for me to say I have problems because everyone else's is apparently much more terrible than mine. Happy Holidays."

-//-

I never really told you how I came about to play the guitar did I? It was during the time I was in Secondary Two. Every day before morning assembly, we would blast music over the class speakers. Usually it was Eminem or a random rock band. But I usually enjoyed the music more when Blink-182 was playing.

To be honest, I never heard of them until the release of the Take off your Pants and Jacket album (it was so cool that the album cover consisted of images of an Airplane taking off, a pair of Pants and a Jacket). So any other songs from the Enema of the State, or Dude Ranch album was completely unknown to me.

But I loved 'The Rock Show', I loved the music album, I loved the way they threw around $500,000 like it was nothing, I loved the way they said 'fucking explanation'. Haha. There was so much conviction. Con-Viiiic-tion.

So there I was, sitting down and watching MTV on a lazy Saturday afternoon, and there was Tom, playing his Stratocaster with that single knob, and made it look so cool. I mean, Tom was no John Frusciante, Santana, Joe Satriani or Slash, but he made playing the guitar so cool. So freaking cool. I had to live with my uncle's old guitar with the two broken strings until I bought my own guitar a year later.

But what really got me going was 'Adam's Song', from their previous Enema of the State album (I remind you I have never knew this album existed, lol). I think I knew what made Blink as popular as they were. To me, their songs represented the best (or worse) of youth, fun, love and toilet humor. They were one the few bands bands I knew at the time that made life seem great.

But Adam's Song, that was the song. I know it was about depression and suicide, but at age 14, I didn't know it would have meant all that. For all I knew, it was about wanting to be left alone and wanting to be away from the world. I guess every once in awhile, that's what everybody wants at times. To be away from the harsh reality of the world.

For someone who was barely 16, I didn't know half the meaning of what the band was singing about in most of their songs. I didn't need to go around saying 'fuck the world". I didn't know what love meant (not until now). I didn't know what it felt like to come from a broken family. I didn't know what truth was, I didn't know squat about anything.

But I'm glad I got to know Blink-182, to have heard them, to have grown up as they have up until their final album. It's a shame they've gone their separate ways (though I do hope they'll get back together for one last time).

I'm glad I still play the guitar today, I'm not a great player but I'm glad I know how it feels to play their songs and how it can make me feel like...me.

Tom says, "Take your pants off!" (Starts to play 'Dammit')

P.S: I have no more anger. Enough now.

Just so you know, this marks my 200th post.