Blink-182’s revival last year was something millennials had only hoped for in their punk-rock dreams, not something they knew was on the horizon. But the news of the trio getting back together and releasing a new album was exactly what we needed. Millions of fans replayed their back catalog ahead of their worldwide tour, but may not have known there was one track they couldn’t play for almost a decade. The tragic tale of Blink-182’s Adam’s Song is as tough as some of the lyrics.
The music stars have been through a lot – and that’s an understatement. Formed in 1992, the rock band became one of the biggest groups in the late 1990s and 2000s. There’s been near-death experiences, rows between the celebrities and battling cancer in a health scare. But the three rock gods are back together to play once again. During the highest part of their careers, there was one beloved Blink-182 track they couldn’t bring themselves to perform – Adam’s Song. They even considered refusing to play it permanently.
Blink-182 – High School friends to The Rock Show
The lineup has had changes over the years, and Travis Barker wasn’t in sight when they first emerged. Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus set up the group with Scott Raynor. Known as simply ‘Blink’, their first demo emerged that same year, with an official debut three years later.
They hit the Billboard 200 with their LP Dude Ranch, but by 1998 things became tense between Raynor, DeLonge and Hoppus. He was let go that year, and Travis was brought in. Their next record, Enema of the State gave them their first top 10 a year later. It featured classics such as All The Small Things and What’s My Age Again?
Tom then ventured to a side project, Box Car Racer, in 2002. He asked Travis to play drums on the album, and it upset Mark, who felt he was left on the side lines. But they reformed before announcing an indefinite hiatus three years later.
Then in 2008, Travis survived a horrific plane crash that killed four people. The drummer, his friend, DJ AM, the only other survivor, died from an overdose one year later. Travis suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from the ordeal, and it took him 13 years before he felt he was able to get on another plane.
He says the horror crash led to the three making amends because they were fighting over the ‘small things’.
Bye Tom DeLonge
The group reformed and announced their comeback at the Grammy Awards show. They went on to release Neighborhoods in 2011 before Dogs Eating Dogs a year later. But by 2015, Tom was out. He resigned from the group and wanted to work on something else, a statement from Blink-182 said.
However, Tom disputed this completely. He claims he didn’t know about it, so we’re not sure what really went down.
Enter Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio who subbed in.
Health fears struck by 2021, when Hoppus revealed to his fans he has cancer.
“It sucks, and I’m scared, and at the same time I’m blessed with incredible doctors and family and friends to get me through this,” he shared on Twitter at the time.
“I still have months of treatment ahead of me, but I’m trying to remain hopeful and positive.”
He was able to tell fans he was cancer-free at the end of September that year.
Then 2022 rolls around, and the classic threesome are friends again. The group we all knew and loved was restored, with Blink-182 announcing their comeback.
Blink-182 considered ‘retiring’ Adam’s Song
The 1999 track covered more serious topics than their other early songs. It featured depression, suicide and loneliness. From one of their first records, Enema of the State, it has a place in most fans’ hearts.
Hoppus, who wrote the record, says his own mental health inspired the lyrics. After the high of their Dude Ranch album, the band was enjoying their success, but he wasn’t doing so well.
“It feels ridiculous saying, ‘Our band’s doing really good, but personally, I’m not feeling like I’m connecting,'” he admitted.
“It felt like I had too much good fortune to complain about anything.”
When he played it to Travis and Tom, they loved it, but there was concern it didn’t fit with the overall sound of the album. But the trio cast that thought aside.
“Whatever song we write, if it’s a good song, we’ll put it on the record,” Mark told MTV.
Mark has also felt it was an anti-suicide song, speaking about “finding the strength to go on and finding a better place at the other side of that”.
‘Too hard to perform’
In 2009, tragedy struck, when DJ Adam died a year after surviving the plane crash with Travis.
The band considered whether it should be “permanently retired” from their performances, because it was “too hard” to perform.
In a Reddit forum, a fan asked Mark what the hardest song was to sing, which is where he made the confession.
A lot of listeners spoke of how it had helped them through difficult times.
But in 2018, nine years after the death of Adam Goldstein, Blink-182 began playing Adam’s Song again. The group performed it live as part of their Las Vegas residency.
Mark told American Songwriter: “I think of it more, now, as almost a celebration of hardships gone through and friends lost.”
The countless theories on what 182 really means – and the truth
There are many rumors to what the numbers mean at the end of Blink-182. The band themselves have helped keep them alive with their huge tales of what the three digits mean.
Fans probably have heard it’s the number of times Hollywood legend Al Pacino says ‘f***’ in Scarface.
Mark Hoppus admitted they even claimed it was his “ideal weight” and it was the ship number his granddad worked on during World War Two.
The real story? It’s not that exciting. He told Amy Schumer they made up the name. Their label, Cargo Records, asked them to change it as another group had the same one. They delayed changing the moniker for so long the label said if they didn’t decide, they’d pick one for the band. So they just made it up.
If you are affected by any issues raised in the article or would like someone to speak to, please call the Samaritans for free on 116 123. You can also email them at [email protected] or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch in the UK. In the US, please visit Samaritans USA for more information.
You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741 to get in touch with the Crisis Text Line. Americans can now call or text 988 to reach out and speak to a counselor.
Related Topics
MORE CELEBRITY STORIES
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmroaSuwaqwwaKrZ5ufonxzfJFsZmpoX2Z%2FcK7LoqWkZWFtf27DwKernpxdqbxusMitmqFllpa6sMHSZqqoppdirq%2BwjKyrqKigmrFuvMuasKKml2K2tXnFqKlmcV2usqK%2B0mg%3D