blink-182, I Miss You - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- #virginrock #blink182
Is it funny? Is it serious? Is it lonely? Is it joking? Is it playful? Is it tragic? You tell me!
Here’s the link to the original song:
• blink-182 - I Miss You...
/ @amyscut
/ @littleliesel
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by blink-182
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"Ridiculous, childish, stupid" - Blink-182 summed up in 3 words. Also the reasons I love them!
Can't disagree with that!
They’re so good! Saw them in 2004 and Robert Smith joined them on stage… probably the best gig I’ve ever been to ❤
When you're a 16-year-old boy who's just had his heart broken for the first time, this song makes perfect sense and sounds exactly as it needs to. And then, when you're all grown up, it somehow hits even harder.
Her face at 3:13 "but my classical music training never taught me this! Must not be appropriate!"
@@ryankaiser2592spotted that too!
Gave me goosebumps at this age
Best description of this song ever
This song is the equivalent of the class clown suddenly opening up in a vulnerable, honest way. You feel a bit on your back foot. They’re sincerely pouring their heart out to you but you still have the time they ran naked on the field during homecoming in the back of your head.
This song, and album, was such a huge evolutionary point for Blink-182. They managed to grow up without losing their goofball punks soul.
that's them in a nutshell...jokers with a serious side
Their first two albums were very emotional and vulnerable.
For me, I always heard this song as being dismissive on the surface but actually quite tender underneath. Imagine you are at the mall with your friends and you see your ex. And you sort of make a joke about them to your friends “the angel from my nightmares” etc. You do this to look like you’ve gotten over them and your friends laugh. But underneath that, there is a part of you that really does miss them.
Perfect explanation.
Thats the paradox of Blink 182. Should i take it serious? Are they taking it serious? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Thats why they are great!
Watched some interview with Matt Skiba a while back and he mentioned he was working with Mark on taking the musical aspects more technically. You can definitely hear an uptick in the technical expertise in the albums Skiba was on. I know it's not Tom, but I love those albums. It was an evolution.
LOL, interesting reaction. I feel like I‘m watching somebody struggle with the concept of teenage angst and self-deprecation that was so pervasive in alternative music in the nineties. Without trying to be mean, it reminds me of my parents, but here the song is given a real chance. So thanks for that 😂
Yes, thank you. It is exactly that, combined with her paradoxical ability to both understand and completely miss the point of punk at the same time.
Perfect reaction to this reaction haha.
Absolutely
Dylan, absolutely.
"I'm not sure if I should take this humorously or seriously."
*-Blink 182*
The song is intended to be heard seriously, the motif is loss and longing. It uses the gentle sounds to evoke a sense of melancholy, while referencing things like The Nightmare Before Christmas to suggest a lost loved one (Jack and Sally both being dead.) The singing... is just Blink 182's punk sound.
Fully agreed. You stated it more clearly than I did.
Nice
15:40 “It becomes a sort of ear worm.” Welcome to my brain since 2004.
Oh god. Everytime I ask someone "where are you", I have to zip it
The untrained or unmelodic singing is definitely a stylistic choice. It is common in punk music.
It’s common in basically all music that isn’t opera…if you look at music as an art and not a science which is my issue with a lot of classical and rigid jazz music, then training is not required to be good…much like a painter doesn’t need to go to art school to produce something brilliant, emotional and beautiful…music when it’s over calculated like classical compositions often are is sterile and completely misses the point
It's hard to explain things to someone who doesn't know the segment of punk. Like stuffing a packet of chips into a jar that is already filled with water, you force it, then the water spills onto the floor. 😂
As a long time Blink 182 fan, this is such a good take on what they sound like. They made this album after the early 2000s wave of Emo bands started to become popular, and it's different from their earlier albums. It's a cool example of a band being inspired by bands that were inspired by them in the first place. Pop-Punk and Emo are like a battle of anxiety and apathy that makes the music sound self-aware and dismissive of itself. 'I'm in love, but who cares. I'm sad. Lol. Here's a song about it. Listen or whatever.' That's what makes it so fun. Some times it's real happy. Sometimes it's real sad. This song is right in the middle.
You’re one of my favorite first time listeners. 😂 it’s like getting to listen to music for the first time all over again with someone who has such a unique perspective. ☺️
This is a voice of a broken teenager, not an adult surving the story.
Excellent point.
JONE WASTE YORE TOYE MONME YORALL REDIII THE VOICE INSOIDE MOYE YEDD
😂
Amish chewwww
Dammmmmm you’re good!!
AHND OIM SAO SAWRREE
It's like singing with a mouth full of marbles 😅
Oh, they are dead serious. As serious as you can 3 little shitheads - with a knack for coming up with cool earworms - expect to be. As jeditor wrote: "Actually quite tender". Well, this is Blink at their mostest tenderest moment. And I for one am happy to have witnessed it. Gentlemen, it was an honour.
The bad singing stems from their Punk influence. Punk vocals in general can be summed up as "I have no singing talent, but I've got something to say" lol. Also would love to see you react to Queens Of The Stone Age - No One Knows
I tried, but I just can't get into QOTSA. Their music is bland and flat compared to Monster Magnet, which does psychedelic stoner hard rock right.
this is exactly it, very few punk/pop punk/emo singers are skilled in the classical sense but replace the skill with emotion instead
I was just thinking wait... is this Amy's first exposure to punk?! Oh no... she just has absolutely no context for what she's hearing.
Agreed on the punk style, though "I Miss You" has even simpler singing - childish, almost - than say "What's My Age Again", so maybe it was an intentional choice here, to contrast the instrumentals?
+1 for Queens Of The Stone Age, though I'd recommend "Little Sister" over "No One Knows"
She's Over- thinking the whole thing.
what you say about poking fun at melody is like a perfect definition for what punk is. Blink 182 is a punkband after all. So the answer to your questions is: it's punk, darling.
Yeah, I’m 42 and I still only really listen to this type of music. The whole pop punk and skate punk genre of music is my favorite because it means to me that you don't have to be perfect to be good. I almost can say that I don't like music that sounds perfect and that's most mainstream music. I like my music with flaws, it feels more realistic and raw to my core.
Same. Some good bands I’ve found over the past couple of years are 408, First and Forever, Loveless, Television Supervision
@@patrickungaro1447 I'll check out those bands, thanks. It's hard to find new music that hits the spot, I guess I stopped listening to anything "new" after 2005 or so.
I always got the sense that even when they were being very serious, there was always still at least an implied wink
They definitely weren't poking fun at music, this was Blink being as serious as they get.
I appreciate that you're trying your best to explore and appreciate the music itself in addition and apart from the lyrics. I've always interpreted this song as one's ability to experience complex emotions vs what they are capable of expressing verbally and outwardly. With the lyrics being surface level of what sentiments they're capable of articulating aloud, with the secondary back up lyrics of "I miss you" as the subconcious meaning they're trying to get across, and the music itself, that near orchestral piece as all the complex swirling of emotions they're experiencing but not capable of putting into words.
One of their more The Cure tracks.
+44’s Interlude is probably their most Cure track.
@@johnlucero8724 BLINK WAVE , from their recent album is very Cure
@@Victthequick Add Every Other Weekend to that list
@@johnlucero8724I'm gonna say all of this has to be their most cure track, Robert smith and all 😂
Fell in love is their "most cure" track for sure
6:00 you just described punk rock
This is so correct!
They don’t care for the rules surrounding melodies, tone and harmony. The wonderful thing about artists like Blink 182 is that they don’t care what they are; and simply created in their own way.
ive always thought this song was perfect. everything works together and its kept super simple, nothing is overdone. there is an intentional embrace of awkwardness at play with emo music that you probably havent been introduced to much yet - that could be contributing to your confusion here.
I always took this song at face value, self-loathing and genuine loss 💔
The song conveys all it needs to, and does so perfectly. It conveys beauty, angst, frustration, love, tenderness and soul.
No matter what you say, at least they "Blink-182" have a heart and love, from the heart good works are created.
Do Adams song next
Tom has said that he tries to write melodies and lyrics like they are nursery rhymes haha. They also often write from the perspective of being a teenager. Mark’s singing in this song feels somber and restrained compared to his usual singing, which sets up Tom’s singing as feeling brighter and more angsty by comparison, creating a real contrast in the song.
Blink 182 - Stay together for the kids
Blink 182 - All the small things
I like both songs at the time. I would love to see your reaction to one of them
Every pop-punk, alternative band has tried to imitate that sound since! This is iconic
Hi, long-time Blink-182 fan here :D The album this song is from was the album where they decided to try all kinds of neat new stuff! They are usually a goofy, punky band with obscene and absurd songs. But this album was actually quite serious both lyrically and musically! However, your reaction was perfect and I feel like I had the same reaction when this song released 😆I didn't know how to feel and it didn't help that certain aspects of the music video made me unsure if it was serious or not.
Honestly if you wanted to do any more Blink-182, I would recommend something from their most recent album as I believe it is the best stuff they ever made. ANTHEM PART 3 and EDGING are probably some of the best representation of the original Blink sound but on their newest album. (The full album is called "One More Time... Part 2 and is phenomenal 😄)
Just want to share a memory. I used to mosh as a teenager. I moshed to metal and punk, Stabbing Westward, Korn, Disturbed, Bad Religion, Green Day, some local punk bands, etc. Yes, I would get banged up a little, but I liked it. But it was moshing at a Blink-182 performance that broke me. I had a panic attack as the crowd pressed hard to stage, resulting in people leaning their weight on each other, resulting in me being trapped by bodies for a minute. I had to punch my way out in order to get close enough for the guards to pull me out. So I haven't moshed since that day in 1999. But Blink-182 still reminds me of more carefree days.
I was actually kind of surprised how big this song was, I never considered as one of their best personnally. I definitely agree that their latest album is really great, but i'd definitely suggest "adam's song" over "i miss you if" i had to go for an older song
This song sounds like if the singer/guitarist for Angels and Airwaves got together with the bassist and drummer of +44, interesting.
Weird. The singer and drums reminds me more of Box Car Racer tbh
I love watching people listen to blink for the first time. It makes me wish I could get that moment back for myself.
Yeaaaaad!
And, this song is serious 🙏
I listened to Blink 182 constantly in high school. They do indeed have a great many humorous songs, including their giant hit while I was in high school: What's My Age Again. Another song on their same album though, Adam's Song, was very serious and more akin in style to this one. I think this was probably the best song for you to listen to as an introduction to Blink 182. Thanks for giving them a listen, and I hope you'll give some of their more active songs like What's My Age Again or Dammit a listen in the future! I would highly recommend another very big 90's punk/pop punk band: Green Day. Their biggest song was undoubtedly American Idiot, and Good Riddance is an absolutely beautiful acoustic piece, but I would recommend starting with Longview or Welcome to Paradise; both are extremely foundational songs for the genre.
Agreed, I was excited to see blink on this channel as I listen to alot of punk. Although I hate to admit I regrettably missed blinks brilliance when I was in high-school/college as I dismissed them as 'poser punks'
I would love to see some more punk/pop-punk songs here. Green Day is probably my favorite mainstream punk band. I would love to see you react to American Idiot.
Im not sure I’d use this as an intro to Blink-182. Like it it’s a nice song but it isn’t really representative. I def agree on the next steps suggestions though. Pick one where they lean a little harder into the sarcasm and humor. And yes! Green Day but def early Green Day first
Yeah, I wouldn't say I Miss You is representative of their style, but I think it was a good place for Amy to start with them since I'm not sure she's really listened to anything else in their usual style yet, and this song can help ease her in I think.
HAHAHA Thats just Tom, he sounds like that. We love it!
Tom Delonge has described their approach to melody as "nursery rhymes on meth"; it's intenional.
Lmao i he is poking fun at singing every time he sings. The "where are you" has been a punch line for a lot of his jokes.
I've never heard someone explain Blink-182 so well.
I don't think they intended this one to be humorous at all. Its simplicity is the reason its an "earworm". And Tom's voice is endearing
This is certanly a sad song but in general they have a lot of humor. Expecially on their live performances.
Nicest way I’ve ever seen someone say this song sucks 😂 love your take, also true.
“Clutch My Pearls!” lol, love this video. Nice to see your reaction and professional opinions / take on it.
Blink 182 as a band has most of their music live in the unserious joke realm, especially their earlier music. Their music embodies the emotions of a teenage boy, often juvenile, carefree and joking. This was also their target music demographic and their lived experiences.
But a smaller subsection of their songs deal with the emotions of pain and loss, and the expression of those feelings come out in a song like this (or another very popular song of theirs 'Adam's Song'). In these songs, they are not meant as a joke (in my opinion), the colorful lyrics are just the tiniest barrier holding back being completely vulnerable. Which generally for teenage boys, you experience these emotions but generally don't open up and share them.
This song to me is about loss. Specifically some relationship that was messed up, perhaps a mistake they made and drove the other person away. And there's a rage of emotion within them trying to process, but all they keep coming back to at the end is "I miss you"
One of my favorite bands. They’re almost never serious and when they are they manage to bring humor to the song and/or the video. Like the lyrics referencing ‘A nightmare before Christmas’ as relationship goals. 😂
This is the beginning of the path that will one day lead you to Black Parade by MCR. I cannot wait
you called it
"Whether to take it seriously or humorously" is a perfect summation for all of Blink's career.
i love when a song seems to genuinely make you smile. thats the reactions i love. subbed.
Looks like we need a deeper dive into punk music.
The Vandals, NOFX, Rancid, YES PLZ!
"is this even singing?!" LOL. I remember when I took singing lessons, Blink was my favorite band and kinda still is (their older stuff) , I was very confused. On the one hand I loved to learn to sing big sweeping melodies and with power but on the other hand most of the bands I listened to sang like this , which is borderline talking. It seems most music is like this now, atleast most popular music. So I wrote music myself, in the style of punk rock or contemporary rock. It becomes difficult to write sweeping vocals over faster melodies and match the tone. So I had written so many fast moving song and melodies that bounce around, that a long sustained vocal passage over it just made no sense and its true it was like i had to figure out how to just talk my way through a song and barely use any breath. I was trying to sing over melodic rock with long big breathed approaches and it was confusing me as to why it sounded so off. Alot of contemporary singers are closer to rapping than singing. That being said I remember singing a Nat King Cole song called quizas during my lessons atfirst and that style isnt far off from this vocally.
It was like I was overqualified for the music I liked. They could have done a better job at singing for sure though, even the same melody but they arent. a very polished sounding band. They truly are trying their best here lol.
They’re from California and you’re hearing the L.A. “valley girl” cadence of talking from lower pitch to higher pitch during sentences
it's mood it's texture it's melancholy it's dark and beautiful
the tom delonge voice is both iconic and controversial. some people don't like it because it's definitely higher pitched, but it's also his voice that has defined the band and inspired a lot of other artists in the pop punk scene from the late 90s to early 2000s. they're always poking fun at themselves and others and a lot of their previous albums as well as their live shows are a blend of potty humour and messed up notes. this song, and this album, was a more serious, mature, experimental version of blink-182, so it is a more sombre song. but if you're hearing tom's voice for the first time, and especially if you aren't a regular pop punk listener, it's definitely a controversial voice. i personally think mark and tom's voice complement each other nicely and it's what makes blink special, is the dual vocals.
This song taps a little bit into blink's emotional side, but you don't really forget that the music video for their most popular song is them running about LA naked. If you want something you can take semi seriously, give Adam's song a listen.
Each singer composed his verse separately. That is why there is duality in the meaning of music.
take it as you wish, you really enjoy it as us ❤ Love your harp accompaniment
You are so honest and i love it lol
It’s an amazing song with amazing vocals. Punk rock through and through.
My favorite view of the song lyrics is that both singers, through very different emotions, express the feelings of missing someone. Mark's verse is fond, longing, and loving desire for someone you deeply care about, while Tom sings of sadness, treason, and being eaten inside by the object of his longing. its great parallel writing
This album came out while I was in high school and instantly became one of my favorites. 20 years later it's still my favorite album of all time and probably always will be. The extreme nostalgia just hits every time.
this was such a joy watching lol. blink was a VERY formative band for me in my teens and i still love them. you would normally be right about it feeling like a joke, as much of their catalog is humorous and snarky. this song kinda took their fans by surprise as many called it "emo" and serious in tone and not the "punk rock" they were more known for. Also this specific song has been meme'd in recent years due to how they pronounce the words. There's shirts with print of "jone waste your toye monme yourall readyyy the voice inside moye yeddd" out there 🤣
Oh, they're dead serious. That's why pop punk and skater punk were so divisive back in the early 2000s. I will admit I do like "Dammit".
Yeah, we gotta own the bonus tracks on TOYP@G which were not
182 is roughly half the number of days in a year, interpret whatever you will from that
A lot of Blink-182's music is humorous, but I don't think this song in particular is meant to be humorous. The album this came off of (self-titled) was seen as a leap forward musically for the group. Their prior albums were more juvenile, and I think on the album as a whole there are moments of humour but it's more earnest than prior albums.
It was well received even by a lot of their old fans because they were seen to have struck a nice balance between keeping the core of their old sound (pop-punk songs about relationships, sex, etc), while talking about them in a more mature way. Their fans were also growing up with them, so I think that helped in terms of its reception as well.
As other commentors have said, they come from a punk tradition but have infused pop qualities into their punk sound. It's much more focused on delivering a message than being musically adventurous. Its aims are closer to folk music than symphonic music.
Because of this, some people who don't understand punk or pop-punk think they're musically deficient. And compared to the skill of a lot of symphonic players, they probably are. But having grown up when this music was popular, I understand the appeal of why people listen to pop-punk. For pre-teens and teens, when it's good, this music can really resonate with people's emotions and even have something to say about their lives. A lot of musicians of any skill level struggle to write music this resonant.
"Miss you" is one of the best emo/pop punk songs ever. Such a great song. It doens't matter if it's a simple song, the most important thing is to make people feel something, and this song definitely does that :) Sometimes is hard to make it simple!
(yeah Blink-182 fan boy right here :D )
It's kind of why it has that punk category. It's counter culture. Then singing like that over quite dramatic music makes it punk. It is also referencing a nightmare before Christmas with its lyrics. It has a gothic /dark feel.
If you're getting into Blink, you gotta do "Stay Together for the Kids" next
best description of Tom's voice I ever heard 🤣
5:05 you need to watch both the music video and the live performance. This is a serious song, not a lighthearted parody. They have multiple other serious songs: stay together for the kids, Adam’s song, etc. The way mark and Tom sing are distinct and different.
First time I listened to it was on the 3rd of April 2005, a year or so after it'd been released. I watched the video at a friend's house and got hooked. I was familiar with the band's earlier work and loved it, but hadn't been acquainted with their (at the time new) self-titled album except for the opening track.
Anyway, I love the song and it's become 'the voice inside my yead' for nearly two decades!
This is my favourite reaction so far, partly because it's so different from my own. It's one of my favourite (and most emotionally triggering) songs, but it might be too uniquely 'young male' in its voice and emotions.
This is such a fun song to sing badly when joking around with your friends.
This song is to take completely seriously. I think it is beautiful and brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. Maybe, listen to it again, in mind the first love you had and it didn't work out. Love your channel 😘
Newish subscriber here. I love your videos! You have such an naturally lovely gentle way about you, and i really enjoy your critique!
This was a great reaction video. Enjoyed the noodling on the harp. After your reaction and thoughts to Blink 182....I, literally, cannot wait until you get around to PUNK. Holiday in Cambodia here we go.
Would be cool to see but I don't think she'll be ready for that anytime soon
lol
Funny enough this song is a about the The Nightmare Before Christmas, as it references it a few times, "the angel from my nightmare"... "we'll live like Jack and Sally"... "we'll have Halloween on Christmas"....
Those are simply references, this song overall is not about TNBC
4:42 its serious, its not a Parody
The higher pitched voice is responsible for all the guitar work you’re hearing, the lower pitched voice is responsible for the bass instruments you’re hearing. Bug (RIP) and David geffen are responsible for the strings. Underrated aspect of this song is that Travis Barker didn’t loop the drums. That was one drum track he recorded, they took a few takes but the goal was to record the track, as it was his only song he wrote.
Hello,
I recommend you listen to Muse - Exogenesis Symphony Full
Muse are one of the most innovative bands of the past 25 years, incorporating classical, progressive, alternative, and other subgenres in their music.
In this case Exogenesis Symphony is comprised of 3 parts, and as the name suggests, it is classical/operatic sounding. Each part is unique but at the same time add up to tell a full story, one I think you might really enjoy.
Knights of Cydonia!
Blink had a clever clownish way to produce live poetry with awesome instrumentals. The song Violence is a great example.
I love the cello bits in this song so much 🤌🏻 I remember some angry punks complaining about this song not being punk, since the only tonal relationship to punk is the vocals and they're not even fast and angry, they're just... droning? but your sense that there's mockery is probably the bits of punk in there, these guys also sang a song about, uh, sex with a dog, to put it more politely than they did. Mozart would probably have loved it. I really liked another comment calling them class clowns - that sense of mocking is the defensive emotional distancing from what is actually sincere and vulnerable, in this song, not their older and more deliberately offensive stuff. I'm loving your analyses!
Where has she been for the last 20 years anyway? this is a fairly common structure for a great pop rock ballad song.❤
I'm surprised at the number of comments saying this is 'punk'. If so, it's very tame and tidied punk, a bit like Disney portrayals of 'bad boys' with neatly sprayed Mohican haircuts and carefully ripped jeans. It's a long way from the raw anger and snarling rebellion of the original punk bands. The music track is quite nice and subtly put together. The vocals sound like lost boys more than bad boys. To me the flat intonation sounds like their voices have not long broken. The song does seem to be about adolescent male vulnerability, which also fits with the artful artlessness of the vocal melody.
I love this, and your whole parody idea, because the funny thing is Tom Delonge's voice (the singer on the second verse) is endlessly parodied by all of us who listened to blink. ESPECIALLY this song -- his whiny, drawn-out vowels are probably at their most exaggerated on this track 😆
4:20 goddamn lol did not expect that. savage reviews
One thing every music reaction channel has to go through:
Lorna Shore - To the Hellfire (I recommend the vocal playthrough by the bands singer Will Ramos)
Also there's a video of the singer working with the Charismatic Voice channel where they look at his vocal apparatus while he does the harsh vocals.
My personal recomendations would be:
Wintersun - Sons of Winter and Stars
Rainbow - Stargazer
Two ideas to consider upon listening.. 1. They're expounding upon the idea of being "haunted by you" and 2. They just finished watching A Nightmare Before Christmas
I think you get it, mostly. It's not so much a joke as it is ironic. It's aware of how bleating it sounds. "I feel this way and I know it's annoying and cliché but I'm not going to pretend otherwise." There's a lot of resignation in it but not complete. It's very "slacker anthem" to be outwardly given up but with a core of desperation. It's angst and compares well with something like Adam's Song. There's an expression of pain, cynicism, disgust but it's a cool kid facade. The face he has to wear but really there's a soul in there that's not so gritty. There is a tension between the outward face worn and the inner private self.
I think the biggest part is that people that we might consider frivolous, skater teenage boys or toddlers other "non-serious" types have a real and rich and real emotional life. Their experiences are different than the tweed-clad 60 year old English poet but no less valid.
This song and My Immortal give me the same energy.
Actually such a beautiful heartache song, noisy, messy, screaming vocal of break up and then the gorgeous strings and under dub vocals of the final 1/3 😢
Blink-182 self describes their music as nursery rhymes on crack, so your takeaway is fair. It's very serious music but with a juvenile twist. Beautiful, but in a cutesy way 😊
Must be the harshest critique of this song of all time. "It must be a joke". Imagine being told that when you're an angsty teenager trying to sing your heart out for someone you miss
If you want a few from blink-182 that are unquestionably serious:
Stay Together for the Kids - divorce
Adam’s Song - depression and suicide
Go - domestic violence
Not Now - dying before you can say goodbye
Not Now is arguably their magnum opus
In the opening it's depression and loneliness. "Hello" isn't to a person but the idea of someone; the shadow... morgue is a body that won't stay down when it should but keeps popping back up, like thoughts that eat your brain. Jack and Sally is a reference to The Nightmare Before Christmas, and there's a whole spooky vibe that goes with this in the video ... plus some other stuff.🤭
It’s a teenager reacting to having their heart broken for the first time, it’s honestly not that deep but that’s fine, it captures that feeling of despair from your first broken heart very well.
Also that’s just pop punk singing.
A lot of singers in punk bands will sing flat to add back the edge they had before they could play. When you go on tour and play every day for months you get good at playing even though it would fit your style if you didn't.
So you sing a few cents flat. Fat Mike does it, Tony Sly used to as well.
Blink have never taken themselves too seriously, so I completely understand why a relatively serious subject like this (I will get into that in a sec) was confusing to a first time listener.
They were exploring horror imagery in relation to the feeling of dread of not being able to have the relationship you want with the person you see as the opposite to the life you have (dark, cobwebbed, visuals like a morgue, dark valley) and opining on what your life would look like with them (Jack and Sally from A Nightmare Before Christmas)
So I'm not sure it's supposed to be taken seriously in its execution, but it is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable and share in that angst, which I think it does pretty well.
Also it's fun to sing along with the word head with all your friends in a car on the way to a vacation 😅
if this lady knew how legendary this is