It also once featured Carol Heller (Guitar/Backing Vocals), formerly of Get The Girl, but she later left the band to start a family. She is heard as backup vocalist in 3 of the tracks on the first album. The name +44 is a reference to the international dialing code for the United Kingdom, where Hoppus and Barker first discussed the new project.
On December 13th, 2005 (Tom Delonge's birthday), the band released a demo of the song "No It Isn't". Hoppus insists that, while it was directed towards Delonge's breaking up of blink-182, the release date was just coincidental. On September 1st 2006, they added a song called "Lycanthrope" to their official website, http://www.plusfortyfour.com. Also on September 7th, the +44 Song "When Your Heart Stops Beating" was played on KROQ radio. On September 18th, an unedited version of the song was posted on the band's MySpace profile.
Their debut album "When Your Heart Stops Beating" was released on November 14, 2006.
Hoppus has stated that the songs "Little Death" and "No, It Isn't" are about the break-up of blink-182. In both songs lines such as "The cry for inspiration never reaches ears on distant stars" or "You swore you wouldn't lose then lost your brain, you make a sound that feels like pain" can be seen to be related to Angels and Airwaves, DeLonges new project.
In several interviews Hoppus has claimed Tom quit the band through his agent and didn't even bother to call Hoppus or Barker.
While shooting the video for the first Single "When your Heart stops beating" Travis Barker broke his arm. Not noticing it was broken he played an entire European tour with the arm broken.
In an interview with Blunt Magazine in March 2009, Hoppus was asked if +44 will continue again, where he stated "I think so, yes. I love Shane [Gallagher] and Craig [Fairbaugh]. They are great guitarists and good friends and I'd love to do another record with them. I know that Tom [DeLonge] plans to continue doing Angels & Airwaves in some capacity but right now all of our efforts are on Blink."
Weatherman
+44 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I can't help but wonder now.
Yesterday I found my worst regret.
I'll hide it away so no one ever knows.
I'm dying.
I'm trying to leave.
Every now and then I feel the end of us.
I never meant to say I'm sorry,
And I'm not sad to see you go.
We're human shapes burned on concrete walls.
These days the sun don't shine here anymore.
I find it pulling at me
A sea of troubles drowning
It's such a shame to feel you drifting
Let me slip away. I'm barely holding on.
Every now and then I feel the end of us.
I laugh away. You breathe inside my head.
But something's gotta' change.
I'm barely holding on.
I'm barely holding on
The lyrics of +44’s song “Weatherman” convey a sense of weariness, regret, and disillusionment. The opening lines express disbelief that anyone could have gone through everything and still be standing. The singer then reveals that they have found their worst regret and will keep it hidden from everyone else. This sense of secrecy and shame is reinforced by the repetition of the line “Let me slip away. I’m barely holding on,” which indicates that the singer is struggling with something powerful and destructive.
The second verse highlights the singer’s ambivalence towards the person they are speaking to. In their own words, they never wanted to say they were sorry, and they are not sad to see the other person go. Rather, they seem to be suggesting that both of them are mere shadows, “human shapes burned on concrete walls,” and that nothing they do can change the emptiness they feel. This passage is followed by the repeated refrain that the singer is “barely holding on,” a phrase that reflects their sense of despair and struggle. Overall, “Weatherman” is a bleak yet honest reflection on the pain and loss that can come from trying to hold onto something that has already slipped away.
Line by Line Meaning
So you think you've been through it all?
You believe that you have experienced every challenging situation.
But I can't help but wonder now.
However, I am still curious about your past struggles.
Yesterday I found my worst regret.
Recently, I discovered the most significant mistake I have made.
I'll hide it away so no one ever knows.
I will keep my regret a secret and not reveal it to anyone.
I'm dying.
I am experiencing intense emotional pain and turmoil.
I'm trying to leave.
I am attempting to escape from my troubles.
Let me slip away. I'm barely holding on.
Please allow me to escape because I am barely surviving.
Every now and then I feel the end of us.
Occasionally, I sense that our relationship is doomed.
I never meant to say I'm sorry,
I did not intend to apologize,
And I'm not sad to see you go.
And I do not feel sorrowful that you are leaving.
We're human shapes burned on concrete walls.
We are individuals marked permanently by the harshness of life.
These days the sun don't shine here anymore.
Currently, there is no happiness or positivity present.
I find it pulling at me
I experience a strong, overwhelming feeling of distress.
A sea of troubles drowning
A vast array of difficult problems are consuming and overwhelming me.
It's such a shame to feel you drifting
It is regrettable to sense that you are becoming distant from me.
I laugh away. You breathe inside my head.
I try to hide my pain through laughter but cannot stop thinking about you.
But something's gotta' change.
However, a significant shift needs to happen.
I'm barely holding on.
I am just managing to keep control.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TRAVIS BARKER, TRAVIS L BARKER, MARK HOPPUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind