After years of independent recording and touring, including stints on the Warped Tour, the group signed to MCA Records. Their biggest albums, Enema of the State (1999) and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001), saw international success. Songs like "All the Small Things", "Dammit", "I Miss You", and "What's My Age Again?" became hit singles and MTV staples. Later efforts, including an untitled album (2003), marked stylistic shifts. Hoppus is the only member to remain in the band throughout its entire history. DeLonge left the group twice, both times a decade apart, before eventually returning. Founding drummer Scott Raynor recorded and toured with the group before being dismissed in 1998, with Barker taking his place from that point on. From 2015 to 2022, the band included Alkaline Trio singer/guitarist Matt Skiba, with whom they recorded two albums, California (2016) and Nine (2019) and toured in support of both.
Blink-182's straightforward approach and simple arrangements, which helped initiate pop-punk's second mainstream rise, made them popular among generations of listeners. Worldwide, the group has sold 50 million albums and moved 15.3 million copies in the U.S.
Early years (1992-1998)
In May 1993, Blink recorded their first demo tape, entitled "Flyswatter", in drummer Scott Raynor's bedroom. A 4-track was used to record the material. According to Hoppus, only around fifty copies of the demo were produced to give to their family and friends. Before the end of the year, the band released another two demos, one commonly known as Demo #2 while the other was entitled Buddha. Of this last record around 1,000 copies were produced by Filter Records, an independent record company headed by Hoppus's boss.
In early 1994, Blink signed with Cargo Records. The band recorded their début full-length album, "Cheshire Cat" in three days. The album contained a number of updated versions of songs such as "Carousel", "Strings", "Sometimes" and "TV" that had appeared on the "Buddha Promo Tape" as well as some originals.
Shortly after the release of "Cheshire Cat", Blink was threatened with legal action by a pop band in Ireland of the same name. In order to avoid a dispute, Blink appended "182" to the end of their name. The band has cited a variety of reasons for ultimately choosing 182, with some of the more common explanations being the number of times Tony Montana utters the word "fuck" in Scarface, references to the 1985 Timothy Hutton film, Turk 182!, the band's ideal weight, the number of half the days in a year and the number of miles Hoppus had to drive to visit his girlfriend. However, DeLonge has stated that it is just a number that they "pulled out of their ass".
After moving to Encinitas, California, the band recorded the album "Dude Ranch" in 1996 with producer Mark Trombino. blink-182 recorded the album under Cargo Records, but signed with MCA which later became Geffen Records in 1996, in order to handle increased distribution. The album was released in 1997 and was relatively commercially successful, selling 4 million copies worldwide.
The single "Dammit" did well on U.S. modern rock charts, however drummer Scott Raynor later left the band. There are two common explanations for his removal - that Raynor had a serious drinking problem and was asked to go into rehab or face ejection, or alternately, that he departed in order to attend college. Raynor claims he agreed to go to rehab, but that DeLonge and Hoppus were doubtful of his sincerity and subsequently fired him over the phone.
Hoppus and DeLonge had asked drummer Travis Barker of blink-182's support band The Aquabats to fill in for Raynor for the remainder of the tour, thus he had to learn all of the songs in a matter of hours before the show. He ultimately went on to join the band permanently afterwards, leaving The Aquabats.
In 1999, blink-182 hired Jerry Finn as its producer and recorded "Enema of the State". This album propelled the band into the mainstream with hit singles "What's My Age Again?", "All the Small Things" and "Adam's Song". All gained a significant amount of airtime on radio and MTV. Enema of the State went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide making it the band's best-selling album to that point.
In 1999 the band also had small parts in the film American Pie, though Travis Barker was incorrectly credited as Scott Raynor.
In 2000, the band released The Urethra Chronicles, a DVD which featured behind-the-scenes information. "The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show: The Enema Strikes Back", blink-182's live album, was also released in 2000, featuring songs from their three full-length records. The album also included one new studio song, "Man Overboard," among the live renditions. The album quickly went out of print making it a much sought after item. A limited edition was printed in October 2006.
The band continued its commercial success with "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" in 2001, which was in the same vein as "Enema of the State". However, a European tour in winter 2001 was canceled in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Rescheduled dates in early 2002 were also canceled due to DeLonge's problems with his back.
In 2002, blink-182 co-headlined the Pop Disaster Tour with Green Day, along with supporting acts Jimmy Eat World and a little known band called Kut U Up. The tour was documented, from Kut U Up's point of view, on the DVD Riding In Vans With Boys.
After taking some time off in 2002, recording of the next record began in early 2003. The band released its next studio album on November 18, 2003. It featured the hit singles "Feeling This", "I Miss You", "Down", and "Always". According to Barker, the "Untitled" record was supposed to represent a new blink-182. It received significant airplay on radio and TV. The Cure front man Robert Smith, often cited as a major influence on the band, appeared on "All of This". During late 2003, the band embarked on the "Dolla Bill" tour, named for the inexpensive ticket costs (It was originally planned to be completely free but later realised that it would be necessary to charge something for the ticket). A tour with No Doubt in the summer of 2004 was also very successful.
Indefinite hiatus and new bands/spinoffs (2005-2009)
In mid-February 2005 the band inexplicably cancelled a performance at Music for Relief's Concert for South Asia (a show put on to aid victims of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake). Shortly there after, before a planned final US spring tour, on February 22, 2005, the band announced they were going on an "indefinite hiatus".
Geffen Records released a Greatest Hits compilation on November 1, 2005 in the U.S., one previously unreleased track was included "Another Girl Another Planet" (a cover song originally by The Only Ones). The song was also used as the theme song to Barker's new reality TV show, Meet the Barkers. Included was the previously issued "I Miss You" B-side and blink-182 album bonus track "Not Now". The album reached number 6 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.
DeLonge announced his new band, Angels & Airwaves. As his reason for why blink-182 went on indefinite hiatus, DeLonge suggested the mounting tension between himself and Hoppus, ultimately caused by DeLonge's desire for a break with his family coupled with Hoppus' feelings of betrayal after the formation of Box Car Racer. He also announced his plans to create a film about the final days of blink-182. Angels & Airwaves released their debut album "We Don't Need to Whisper" on May 23rd, 2006, where it debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200.
Hoppus and Barker's new project +44 surfaced on December 13, 2005 with the song, "No It Isn't". Coincidentally, the song was released on +44's official MySpace on the same day that Angels & Airwaves were slated to release their first song (and also Tom DeLonge's 30th birthday), though the release of the latter was delayed. Initially, Hoppus was hesitant to admit any deliberate correlation between the song and breakup, but has since admitted the song was about DeLonge and the breakup of the band. +44 released their first album "When Your Heart Stops Beating" on November 14, 2006 and debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200.
In August 2006, Hoppus gave an extensive interview with B182.com. The interview focused on blink-182 and the unexplained events that had led to the band's hiatus. Contrary to DeLonge's statements, Hoppus said that the band had been getting along at the time of their final album. Hoppus went on to say that DeLonge requested a half-year respite from touring to spend time with his family, despite a planned final spring U.S. tour. Hoppus and Barker hesitantly conceded, leading to the cancellation of the upcoming tour. Further problems arose in discussions regarding the band's future recording endeavors. It was at this point that Hoppus felt that blink-182 had ceased functioning as a band. Hoppus went on to state that he and Barker eventually formed +44 at the end of the European leg out of frustration for DeLonge's constant reluctance.
On April 5, 2007, it was confirmed that blink-182, along with Rancid and Green Day are some of the bands set to feature in a documentary about modern punk music. The film is titled One Nine Nine Four and looks at the genre of music in the nineties. It will consist of band interviews and archive footage, which will be all compiled together by the documentary makers Robot Academy Films in [pace]Australia. It's expected to be released early next year. Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk will narrate the film, which also features the likes of NOFX and The Offspring.
Travis Barker of +44 currently was asked if the band would get back together. He said "I don't know, I haven't talked to Tom in a long time. I do however talk to Mark everyday."
On November 18th, 2008, after Travis Barker was in a small plane crash, Mark Hoppus updated his blog, himynameismark, with this statement:
"in the midst of everything else that has happened lately, tom, Travis, and i have all spoken together. first through a number of phone calls, and then a couple of weeks ago we all hung out for a few hours. they’ve all been great, very positive conversations. we’re just reconnecting as friends after four years of not talking. it’s a good thing."
He also stated that this doesn't mean a blink-182 reunion, but after several years they have finally begun speaking to each other again. Hoppus also talked about Travis Barker's brush with death in a plane crash in September 2008 and the death of their great friend and longtime producer Jerry Finn.
Blink-182 officially announced their reunion while presenting at the 2009 Grammy Awards. The band's Official Website confirmed the band's reunion with a statement on their website. This song, the first new material released by blink-182 following their indefinite hiatus, was posted in full to Blink182.com late on July 14, 2011, then officially premiered the following day at 10:30 a.m. on Los Angeles radio station KROQ. The Up All Night Songfacts reports that Up All Night, the first new material released by blink-182 following their indefinite hiatus, was posted in full to Blink182.com late on July 14, 2011, then officially premiered the following day at 10:30 a.m. on Los Angeles radio station KROQ.
7th Album - "California" (2016)
"California" is the band's seventh studio album, set for release on July 1, 2016 through BMG. The album was produced by John Feldmann and recorded at Foxy Studios in California, USA. It was the first album by the band to feature vocalist/guitarist Matt Skiba (from Alkaline Trio), who replaced former member Tom DeLonge. "Bored to Death" was the first single to be released from the album, on April 27, 2016.
8th Album - "Nine" (2019)
Nine is the eighth studio album by blink-182, released on September 20, 2019, through Columbia Records, as the band's first album on the label. The band began developing the album after fulfilling touring obligations for their previous release, California (2016). While Nine builds upon their collaboration with producer John Feldmann, who also produced California, it also utilizes additional outside producers and songwriters including Captain Cuts, the Futuristics, and Tim Pagnotta. Nine is the band's second and final album to feature guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba before the return of Tom DeLonge in 2022.
On June 23, 2021, Hoppus confirmed that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and had been receiving treatment in secret for the last three months. After his cancer diagnosis, it was reported by sources that Hoppus had met with DeLonge and Barker together at his home to discuss old problems, personal issues, and Hoppus' cancer diagnosis. Hoppus was declared cancer-free later that year, but would continue screening every six months.
News of DeLonge's return to the band had been speculated about since his departure, but came to their peak in October 2022, when the band began posting cryptic messages on their social media accounts. DeLonge's official return was announced on October 11, 2022, alongside a world tour for the next two years, and that they were working on a new album. Following his return, DeLonge messaged Skiba on Instagram to thank him for his time with the band, and later shared the post publicly on his account. Skiba had known an announcement was going to happen, but was unaware that it was regarding DeLonge's return. In the months prior, he had also begun to question his status in the band when a fan asked him if he was still a part of recording. When the announcement was made though, he congratulated the other band members, and thanked fans for his time with the band.
The announcement of DeLonge's return was also accompanied by a new single, "Edging", later that week. The song performed well in the US, becoming their fourth and longest-running number one hit on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart, and their highest-charting single on the Hot 100 in eighteen years.While preparing for the tour, Barker suffered a serious finger injury at rehearsals that required surgery. Because of this, the band was forced to postpone the Latin America leg of the tour while Barker was healing. The band would however make a surprise appearance at Coachella in April, marking DeLonge's first appearance with the band in nine years. The band then served as a replacement Sunday headliner of the festival's second weekend after singer Frank Ocean was unable to perform.
In July 2023, Barker stated that the band's ninth studio album is currently projected for an October release.
Bored To Death
blink-182 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rescuing a nightmare from a dream
The voices in my head are always screaming
That none of this means anything to me
And it's a long way back from seventeen
The whispers turn into a scream
And I'm, I'm not coming home
Save your breath, I'm nearly
Bored to death and fading fast
Life is too short to last long
Back on earth, I'm broken
Lost and cold and fading fast
Life is too short to last long
There's a stranger staring at the ceiling
Rescuing a tiger from a tree
The pictures in her head are always dreaming
Each of them means everything to me
And it's a long way back from seventeen
The whispers turn into a scream
And I'm, I'm not coming home
Save your breath, I'm nearly
Bored to death and fading fast
Life is too short to last long
Back on earth, I'm broken
Lost and cold and fading fast
Life is too short to last long
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) I think I met her at the minute that the rhythm was set down
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) I said I'm sorry I'm a little bit of a letdown
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) but all my friends are daring me to come over
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) so I come over and over and over
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) so let me buy you a drink and we'll pretend that you think
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) that I'm the man of your dreams come to life in a dive bar
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) and we'll go over and over and over
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) and we'll go over and over and over
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) and we'll go over and over and over
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) and we'll go over and over and over
Save your breath, I'm nearly
Bored to death and fading fast
Life is too short to last long
Back on earth, I'm broken
Lost and cold and fading fast
Life is too short to last long
(Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, life is too short to last long)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
The song "Bored to Death" by blink-182 is a contemplative and introspective journey into the struggles and uncertainties of life, as well as the emotional confusion and difficulties that come with growing up. The opening lines of the song, "There's an echo pulling out the meaning, rescuing a nightmare from a dream," depict the confusion and lack of clarity that the singer is experiencing. He is searching for meaning and purpose, and is haunted by his own thoughts as he navigates through the complexities of his own mind. The following lines, "The voices in my head are always screaming that none of this means anything to me," addresses the idea of existential crisis, where the singer feels disconnected from the world around him, and doubts the validity of his existence and purpose.
The song continues to explore the idea of feeling lost and disconnected, with the lines "And it's a long way back from seventeen, the whispers turn into a scream, and I'm not coming home." The singer is acknowledging the fact that he has lost his sense of self, and is struggling to find his way back. The chorus of the song emphasizes the sense of ennui that the singer is experiencing, with the lines "Save your breath, I'm nearly bored to death and fading fast, life is too short to last long, back on earth, I'm broken, lost and cold and fading fast, life is too short to last long."
The song also touches upon the idea of escapism, with the lines "I think I met her at the minute that the rhythm was set down, I said I'm sorry I'm a little bit of a letdown, But all my friends are daring me to come over, so I come over and over and over." The singer is using the idea of meeting someone new and escaping from his thoughts and emotions as a temporary solution to his problems.
Overall, the song "Bored To Death" by blink-182 is a powerful and poignant exploration of the complexities of life, and the difficulties that come with growing up and discovering oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an echo pulling out the meaning
Despite constant noise around me, I feel empty inside and question the purpose of my existence.
Rescuing a nightmare from a dream
I often feel stuck between a deeply unpleasant reality and the world of my own imagination.
The voices in my head are always screaming
My own thoughts and doubts are slowly driving me to the edge of despair.
That none of this means anything to me
Nothing in my life seems to hold any real significance or impact anymore.
And it's a long way back from seventeen
Looking back on my past, I realize how much innocence and hope I've lost over the years, and how much I've grown.
The whispers turn into a scream
The turmoil inside me has grown too much to bear, and I'm struggling to keep it from exploding.
And I'm, I'm not coming home
My current state of mind is so chaotic and painful that I don't even remember what it feels like to be happy.
Save your breath, I'm nearly
Don't try to talk to me or make me feel better, because I'm almost beyond repair.
Bored to death and fading fast
My depression has reached a point where I feel completely restless and directionless, and I'm slowly losing grip on my life.
Life is too short to last long
I'm acutely aware of my own mortality, and the idea of wasting away my short time on this earth fills me with dread.
Back on earth, I'm broken
Despite trying to stay upbeat and hopeful, I'm still weighed down by my inner demons and feel completely shattered.
Lost and cold and fading fast
No matter how hard I try to keep going, I feel like I'm suffocating under the weight of my own sadness and fears.
There's a stranger staring at the ceiling
Another person out there is dealing with their own unique problems, and I feel a deep sense of empathy and connection with them.
Rescuing a tiger from a tree
Just like me, that person is trying to navigate the treacherous waters of their mind and rescue themselves from their own inner turmoil.
The pictures in her head are always dreaming
Despite her struggles, that person clings on to hope and inspiration from her own personal visions and dreams.
Each of them means everything to me
I find inspiration and connection in that person's imagination and ideals, and I feel like I can relate to and understand them.
I think I met her at the minute that the rhythm was set down
I remember a moment when I felt a deep connection with another person, like we were both in sync with the world around us.
I said I'm sorry I'm a little bit of a letdown
During that moment, I felt self-conscious and like I was holding that person back from their own potential.
But all my friends are daring me to come over
Despite my fears, I have people around me who are urging me to come out of my shell and connect with someone new.
So let me buy you a drink and we'll pretend that you think
I want to take a chance and see where this newfound connection can take us, even if it's just a fleeting moment of joy in an otherwise bleak life.
That I'm the man of your dreams come to life in a dive bar
During that moment, I want to be someone who can make that person forget about their problems and feel truly happy, even if it's just for a little while.
And we'll go over and over and over
I'm open to the idea of exploring our connection further, even if it might lead to disappointment or heartbreak down the line.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John William Feldmann, Mark Hoppus, Matthew Thomas Skiba, Travis L. Barker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind