Late 1990s blink-182 had a long way to go if they were to prove that they weren’t just immature kids who wrote songs about farts and made music videos of them running naked through the streets. “Adam’s Song” was the first tune that made the world think that this pop-punk band could actually come up with something deep and meaningful
The success of “Adam’s Song” and the tone of the tune also mean that there are still plenty of theories about its meaning.
Using the interviews with the band members, I’ll look at the real meaning of the song and look at the legacy of “Adam’s Song,” a pop-punk precursor to the 2000s emo-rock wave of bands.
blink-182’s Journey to Making “Adam’s Song”
blink-182‘s trio of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker were the new breed of pop-punk stars. Sure, it’d been Green Day and The Offspring ahead of them. Sure, the original punks, Sex Pistols or The Clash, had lit a fire under the butt of the music industry in the 70s.
But blink-182 was different. This was music that could be used in teen comedies. And Mark, Tom, and Travis could guest star in those comedies.
The punks rebelled against anything you threw at them. blink-182’s modus operandi was to poke fun at the world.
Their humor? Crass as it could be. They had songs about farts, gross things and sex. When they weren’t using jokes in songs, they were telling them in between tunes at concerts.
MTV and radio loved them. But not immediately.
The 1995 debut album “Cheshire Cat” went nowhere. The follow-up record contained the hit “Dammit.” And 1999’s “Enema of the State” was chock full of fun, adolescent songs that MTV and radio could get behind.
In the midst of singles like “What’s My Age Again” or “All the Small Things,” it was “Adam’s Song” that stood in stark contrast.
The Meaning of the Lyrics to “Adam’s Song”
blink-182 had never released a song as dark as “Adam’s Song” before. If you trust that their on-stage personas were real, they’d probably never written a song like this before either.
The music to it, perfectly fits the lyrics. Gone are the power-chords, or Travis’ Barker’s energy-filled drumming. Instead, a melancholy-filled guitar phrase leads the song. It lets you know that this is a song about loneliness before you hear the words.
Bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus wrote most of the song about a kid who is struggling with depression, loneliness and, yes, suicidal thoughts.
This may have been a controversial topic to handle. It was, however, also one that resonated with blink-182’s audience formed, especially, of teenagers.
Adam remembers making poor choices, and contemplates what his family would think of a world without him. In the final verse, Hoppus lends some hope to the story, suggesting that Adam sees better days ahead.
Inspiration and Fan Theories
Naturally, since “Adam’s Song” was such a departure from blink-182’s regular style, the meaning of the lyrics was the subject of great speculation. Fans of the band have debated this intensely for years.
A few, let’s call them… ahem… “conspiracy theories” have been more popular in online circles than others. All of them are pretty dark. But I’m confident that Alt77 readers have the stomach for them.
One theory was that the lyrics, and the name of Adam, were inspired by a note that the members of blink-182 received as fan mail. That theory claims that the song was, essentially, written to the words of the note.
Another theory is that the song is dedicated to a family member of Mark Hoppus. The song, supposedly, details the family member’s struggles and ultimate downfall.
On a disturbing related note, the song is supposed to have been played by a survivor of the Columbine massacre, Greg Barnes. Indeed, after the 2001 school shooting, blink-182 opted to retire the song from live sets for a while.
Mark Hoppus Talks about “Adam’s Song”
Mark Hoppus, however, has talked a few times about “Adam’s Song.” It’s not unreasonable to assume that he did this to quench potential rumors, and shady theories.
In a 2000 interview with Rolling Stone, Hoppus clarified that this is a song written about life on tour. He also says that the song has a very personal meaning.
“Tom and Travis always had girlfriends waiting back home, so they had something to look forward to at the end of the tour,” Hoppus explains. “But I didn’t, so I was lonely on tour. But then I got home and it didn’t matter, because there was nothing there for me anyway.”
Hoppus clarifies that the song is not about suicide. He adds that the initial ending line was “I couldn’t wait till I got home/To get off the plane alone.”
Music Video for “Adam’s Song”
“Adam’s Song” was the last single from the hugely successful “Enema of the State.” Much of this success as due to the music video directed Liz Friedlander.
The eye-catching video showed the trio performing in a warehouse with a backdrop composed of Polaroid photos. As the video progresses, the camera zooms into many of the photos.
Each photo includes, in the background, the members of the band, as well as secondary characters that seem overcome by melancholy or sadness. The music video’s message is that we look away from other people’s struggles when we are too busy with the activities of our regular lives.
The Legacy of “Adam’s Song”
“Adam’s Song” was a song unlike anything that blink-182 had produced up to that point. Regardless, it was a massive success and opened the doors for the band to produce more diverse material on subsequent records.
“Adam’s Song” was a minor hit in the U.S. initially and a big hit in countries like Italy and Canada.
It was the last single to be released from “Enema of the State,” an album that has sold over 16 million copies. This is blink-182’s biggest album to date.
“Adam’s Song” is one of the most popular tunes by blink-182. It has been streamed nearly 350 million times on Spotify, the music viewo has over 164 million views on YouTube, and was included on the band’s 2005 “Greatest Hits” compilation.
The group decided to retire the song a second time, in 2009 following the tragic death of DJ AM, a close friend and collaborator of drummer Travis Barker. However, blink-182 has occasionally revived the song in recent years.
Mark Hoppus notes that he has found hope in the song’s lyrics through his darkest times and hopes that this will do the same to those hearing it.
