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.
Even If She Falls
blink-182 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a Ferris wheel, full of blue-green eyes
And a heart of steel, always on her own
Almost never real
When the night will begin
The pain it won't end
Even if she falls in love
Your heart will attack
Even if she falls in love
And she was like a blade of ice
Like a lonely road, clearest day alive
Always sharp and cold, always beautiful
I am such a fool
When the night will begin
The pain it won't end
Even if she falls in love
Back, you wanna turn back
Your heart will attack
Even if she falls in love
Try to look in her eyes
The light is just right
Even if she falls in love
And it isn't so bad
It's driving you mad
Even if she falls in love
When the night will begin
The pain it won't end
Even if she falls in love
Back, you wanna turn back
Your heart will attack
Even if she falls in love
Try to look in her eyes
The light is just right
Even if she falls in love
And it isn't so bad
It's driving you mad
Even if she falls in love
The lyrics of "Even If She Falls" by blink-182 give voice to a sense of desperation that can rise up from unrequited love. The singer describes a woman who is like the stars in the sky or a Ferris wheel, beautiful and captivating, but also distant and impermanent. She is depicted as someone who guards herself fiercely, with a heart of steel that makes it seem like she is almost never real. The woman is compared to a blade of ice, sharp and cold but still exceptionally beautiful.
The singer speaks directly to the woman, acknowledging that even if she falls in love, the pain will not end. He warns her that to turn back now would only cause his heart to attack, a sign of how deeply this love is felt. Despite the danger and uncertainty, he remains willing to try, telling the woman that even if she falls in love with him, the light in her eyes will be just right.
Overall, "Even If She Falls" is a poignant and heartfelt exploration of the complicated emotions that can arise when chasing after someone who seems out of reach.
Line by Line Meaning
There she was like a starry night
The girl he's talking about resembled a beautiful, enchanting night sky full of shining stars with her captivating and alluring presence.
Like a Ferris wheel, full of blue green eyes
Just like how a Ferris wheel's rotation offers a wide-angle aesthetic view, the girl's aqua green eyes also had an appealing quality which offered a unique perspective of herself.
And a heart of steel always on her own
Despite appearing impenetrable as steel on the outside, the girl was always alone with her thoughts and emotions due to her guarded and untrusting nature.
Almost never real
She rarely showed her true emotions, making it difficult for anyone to read or understand her; she came off as an enigma due to her closed-off demeanor.
When the night will begin
When the darkness of the night seeps in, signaling the beginning of a new start, things won't get easier for her.
The pain won't end even if she falls in love
Her emotional pain won't go away despite falling in love with someone, indicating she has issues that go beyond romantic relationships.
Fact you wanna turn back your heart will attack
It's a fact that one would want to rectify past mistakes, but doing so would cause emotional distress with a chance of causing physical harm.
And she was like a blade of ice
Just like how a cold blade of ice could cut through anything, her frozen and emotionless nature could wound and hurt those who try to get close to her.
Like a lonely road clears day of life
Her existence is akin to an empty, desolate road leading to nowhere, devoid of life and purpose.
Always sharp and cold always beautiful
Although cold and aloof on the outside, she still retained a hauntingly beautiful quality about her.
I am such a fool
He laments being foolish for falling for someone who is emotionally unavailable and distant.
Try to look in her eyes the light is just right
He attempts to look into her eyes but finds it hard to understand her due to her being as secretive as the night sky.
Even if she falls in love and it isn't so bad it's
Even if she does fall in love, it's not enough to resolve or heal the underlying issues she's dealing with.
Driving you mad even if she falls in love
Despite the madness of unrequited or unresolved feelings, she tries her best to fall in love and make things work, but it's never that simple.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Travis Barker, Thomas DeLonge, Mark Hoppus
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JamesLupus
There she was like a starry night
Like a Ferris wheel, full of blue green eyes
And a heart of steel always on her own
Almost never real
When the night will begin
The pain it won't end even if she falls in love
Fact you wanna turn back your heart will attack
Even if she falls in love
And she was like a blade of ice
Like a lonely road clears day of life
Always sharp and cold always beautiful
I am such a fool
When the night will begin
The pain won't end even if she falls in love
Fact you wanna turn back your heart will attack
Even if she falls in love
Try to look in her eyes the light is just right
Even if she falls in love and it isn't so bad it's
Driving you mad even if she falls in love
Chief Waskaskwa
And she was like a starry night
Like a Ferris wheel, full of blue-green eyes
And a heart of steel, always on her own
Almost never real
When the night will begin
The pain it won't end, even if she falls in love
Back, you wanna turn back
Your heart will attack, even if she falls in love
And she was, like a blade of ice
Like a lonely road, clearest day alive
Always sharp and cold, always beautiful
I am such a fool
When the night will begin
The pain it won't end, even if she falls in love
Back, you wanna turn back
Your heart will attack, even if she falls in love
Try to look in her eyes
The light is just right, even if she falls in love
And it isn't so bad
It's driving you mad, even if she falls in love
When the night will begin
The pain it won't end, even if she falls in love
Back, you wanna turn back
Your heart will attack, even if she falls in love
Try to look in her eyes
The light is just right, even if she falls in love
And it isn't so bad
It's driving you mad, even if she falls in love
Pond I
Even if she falls Lyrics 和訳
[Verse 1: Tom DeLonge]
And she was like a starry night
彼女は何ていうか星いっぱいの夜空の様に美しいというか
Like a Ferris wheel, full of blue-green eyes
観覧車の様にゆったりとして見蕩れてしまう存在と言おうか、その青緑色の瞳に現を抜かしてしまう存在だったんだろ
And a heart of steel, always on her own
Almost never real
そんな彼女は鋼のように強い心を持っていて、いつだって自立出来るような人間で、
そんな彼女と共になんて無理だろうなって思ってるんだろ
[Pre-Chorus: Tom DeLonge]
When the night will begin, the pain, it won't end
夜が始まろうとする時にも関わらず、その謎の痛みは消えやしないだろう
Even if she falls in love
たとえ彼女が君の事を想っているということが分かっていても
Back, you wanna turn back, your heart will attack
またあの関係に、君は戻れるのなら戻りたいよな、今にも心臓が破裂しそうじゃないか
Even if she falls in love
たとえ未だに彼女がまだ君の事を想っていたと分かっていてもな
[Verse 2: Tom DeLonge]
And she was like a blade of ice
彼女は何ていうか氷の剣のような存在といおうか、
Like a lonely road, clearest day alive
そして孤独の人生を歩んでるけど、そこは晴々とした日々が生けてるんだ
Always sharp and cold, always beautiful
いつも鋭くて冷たい、だけど美しかった彼女よ
I am such a fool
俺はなんてバカな男なんだろう
[Chorus: Tom DeLonge]
When the night will begin, the pain, it won't end
夜が始まろうとする時にも関わらず、この謎の痛みは消えそうにない
Even if she falls in love
たとえ彼女から君の事を想っているということが分かっていても
Back, you wanna turn back, your heart will attack
またあの関係に、君は戻れるのなら戻りたいよな、今にも心臓が破裂しそうじゃないか
Even if she falls in love
たとえ未だに彼女がまだ君の事を想っていたと分かっていてもな
Try to look in her eyes, the light is just right
頑張って彼女の瞳を見つめてみようか、そこに写る光が心地良いだろ
Even if she falls in love
たとえ彼女が君のことを思っていると分かっていたとしても
And it isn't so bad, it's driving you mad
Even if she falls in love...
そしてそんなに悪い気分じゃないんだろ、たとえ彼女が君の事を好きという事を知っていながら狂った気分になるのも
[Instrumental Bridge]
[Chorus: Tom DeLonge]
When the night will begin, the pain, it won't end
夜が始まろうとする時にも関わらず、この謎の痛みは消えそうにない
Even if she falls in love
たとえ彼女から君の事を想っているということが分かっていても
Back, you wanna turn back, your heart will attack
またあの関係に、君は戻れるのなら戻りたいよな、今にも心臓が破裂しそうじゃないか
Even if she falls in love
たとえ未だに彼女がまだ君の事を想っていたと分かっていてもな
Try to look in her eyes, the light is just right
頑張って彼女の瞳を見つめてみようか、そこに写る光が心地良いだろ
Even if she falls in love
たとえ彼女が君のことを思っていると分かっていたとしても
And it isn't so bad, it's driving you mad
Even if she falls in love...
そしてそんなに悪い気分じゃないんだろ、たとえ彼女が君の事を好きという事を知っていながら狂った気分になるのも
(解説)
片想いしている女性が自分の事を好きであるという事を知っているにも関わらず、それでも何にも出来ない惨めな男の目線の訳し方をしました。普通自分が好きで相手も自分の事を好きって分かったのなら告白するだろって思うのかもしれんが、高二の頃に俺も経験したから分かる。純粋で初々しくちょっぴり女々しい男にはそれなりの悩みがあるんだよなぁ…
A moment in History
One of the most underrated Blink songs IMO, perfect mix of a classic riff, kinda ethereal lyrics and catchy as hell classic Blink hook/chorus
Marty Frontczak
This is an incredible song
Bubble Gum
As I've gotten older I genuinely think Neighborhoods and Self Titled are the best Blink albums. The older ones are good now and then, but I really appreciate the more "mature alternative rock" Blink so much. Also be careful what you wish for, I bet now people would kill for a second Neighborhoods 😂.
AB
Agreed
Denis Despot
Enema of the state is by far the best record
Andrew Bernier
Same
Ryan Slarks
Fucking give it to me
Quattro Bajeena
Dude ranch is the best but I love this album so much! One of the few who loved it
Scott Smith
Criminally underrated song. Could have easily been a single for the album let alone a b-side!
ideamiles
Some of the best songs on that album weren't on it at the time of release--lol, I was slightly bitter when the "deluxe" version came out with this and the snake charmer song. I mean, I really liked "Wishing Well" and "Kaleidoscope," but if this and that other song had been there from the beginning, I know I would have absolutely loved the album, not just liked it. Oh Tom and your inability to meet deadlines! 🤣😂