why i will always love the offspring
the other night, in between rendeveu(how do you spell that?)s with roula and julie, lauren, and lisette, i was riding around in my car listening to the offspring's self-titled album (thier first album) and had one of those super awesome, orgasmic music experiences (retreat!!). I LOVE THE OFFSPRING. as much as they have annoyed me over the years, they still have the ability to move me more than any other band. (ahh, there are about 5 really close seconds, though.)
i love radiohead. they are amazing, but there are times when i just want to sit back and yell lyrics with all the emotion i can, and radiohead just can't do that for me. while i would consider radiohead much better of a band than the offspring, i love the offspring more. it's like reading metaphysical poetry or reading harry potter. i think john donne is more of a genius than j.k. rowling, but i can relate to and enjoy harry potter much more often... the offspring isn't high music, but they let me get stuff out (this is harder to describe than i anticipated.) it's just nice to listen to songs that reference salinger but aren't salinger themselves (cuz i like salinger, but i'm not salinger myself).
next thing... dexter holland's songs are critical but not pessimistic. that's why i could never wholly love built to spill - i understand doug's points, and i respect them, but i'm just not so convinced of people's stupidity as he is. man, here i go, this is seriously turning into something like a paper for mr. lee, cuz here come references to "the text." you kids remember when i posted the lyrics to "tehran" back in september. well those are a good example of what i'm talking about...
Tehran
In your plane in the blue sky
You roam again
Words that echo in your mind
Make your heart beat faster
This is no Vietnam
We will win in Iran
The Captain said kill or die
Islam be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
Warrior, the time bombs
About to go
What will you feel
Will you even wonder
If the man that's in your sights
Ever kissed his girl goodbye
The President said let it ride
Islam be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
Great Satan
Our flags our burning
Soon America may find
Its young men in the sand
Where there casualty
Is just a number
In Iran
The President said let it ride
You will be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
dexter doesn't say, "aaah, you're stupid, it's hopeless, everybody needs to die and then repopulate the world with cool people." rather, he acknowledes the inner intelligence of people and is saying, "hey, you're being stupid, snap out of it."
i've always truly believed in the spirit of youth (be prepared, this is one of the cheesiest parts of my personality). just the unspoken bonds any young person shares with all other young people. not telling on each other. helping each other out to cut class or WHATEVER. just being able to understand how rules (and therefore adults) suck (ha, and also being able to understand the word suck). i'm not honestly saying all adults are stupid, but i hope you are following me. okay, breakfast club and ferris beuler, that is what i'm talking about. this would be a good segue for my discussion (that several of you have heard) of why blink182 is one of the most widely-liked bands of out age group, but i am here to talk about the offspring.
right, so i feel like dexter often appeals to that "youth spirit" aspect of us, as well (along with the intelligence thing), sort of saying, "yay, we're young, we're cool, we're connected, so don't be stupid and superficial." for a good year or two, this was my favorite song in the world:
Amazed
Sometimes I think I'm gonna drown
Cause everyone around's so hollow
I'm alone
Sometimes I think I'm going down
But no one makes a sound
They follow
And I'm alone
Yeah if I make it I'd be amazed
Just to find tomorrow
One more day and I'd be amazed
Just to see it waiting
And if I make it I'm still alone
No more hope for better days
But if I could change
Then I'd really be amazed
And when you know you can't relate
To one more shiny face
Your heart breaks
No one cares
And when you know you can't go on
Cause everything is wrong
Your heart breaks
But no one's there
the offspring was my first love, and for that reason, i loved them with all of my energy, with my whole being. i seriously am not exaggerating. i laid on my bed in the dark and listened to the offspring and LOVED it. the words were so meaningful to me. the music showed the range of my emotions. i don't know if i'm describing this well... the different songs each expressed a different one of my emotions, fears, questions, ideologies. it's pretty silly, but that's how much they meant to me.
and that is why i felt betrayed by americana (and everything after). it doesn't matter, though, because i have four damn good albums that are mine and will always be mine. i don't care who else they belong to or don't belong to because they are mine and there is not way to change that. there is no way to change the nostalgia, the strength of emotion, the raw love of a band that comes over me when i listen to any of those four albums. it wouldn't matter if every other person in the worlds listened to them and loved them (whether superficially or like me) or if everyone thought they sucked... my bond with the offspring exists between me and the music, and it will always be there (even if i didn't want it to, which happened for a long time - when the offspring "betrayed" me, i renounced them all together, but i've seen them play their new stuff on two different occasions now, and damn if i didn't love it, too).
there you go. i've tried to tell some of you before about my ~relationship~ with the offspring, and maybe that explained it. oh yeah, i must make it clear that i do not and have never looked on dexter holland (or any other offspring member) in a having a crush sort of way. i want to fuck the drummer of man or astroman and the singer of incubus, but not dexter holland. perhaps this is even more teenagerly optimistic, but, at least back in the day, i felt like i would be able to understand dexter holland and he would be able to understand me. i'll always remember reading an offspring bio long ago that explained dexter's name (his real name is brian, i think, don't quote me on that, though)... he was valedictorian of his high school class, and it was sort of a change for him to the whole punk rock thing, and, even then, he was working on a degree in microbiology. jesus, how much closer of a rockstar could i find to myself? aaah, i love the offspring like a brother, like a best friend, like an obsession. *muah* i love you boys!
I'll Be Waiting
Once I had a friend that I could count on
So I thought
Well so it seemed
But times of need are not enough
To prove your friendship to me now
Once I saw a face that I believed in
But a mask was all there was
So who wears the masks and who wears the faces
Well I guess I'll never know
But as I stand here alone in a room full of people
With nothing to say
Beer on their minds, and smoke in the air
Call them friends but they just don't care
Friend for life
Such shallow words for broken minds
Show me a friend for life
Cause I'll be waiting for that day to arrive
When I'll feel alive
I'll be waiting for that day
Once I found a love I had to know
Now we might know each other just too well
Cause when we're together we just can't get enough
Or is it we just can't get what we want
Once I saw a dream, I had to chase it
Dreams quickly turn to reality
Who's at fault in this game of yours and mine
Well I guess I'll never know
But as I sit here alone
Think of the girl who came softly inside me
The look in her eyes, the smell of her hair
Call her my own but is she really there?
Love for life
Such noble words for noble minds
Show me a love for life
Cause I'll be waiting for that day to arrive
When I'll feel alive
I'll be waiting for that day
Once I had a friend that I could count
Times of need are not enough
Once I found a love I had to know
Now we might know each other just too well
Once I saw a dream I had to chase
Dreams quickly turn to reality
Now let me close my eyes
Because I don't want to see anything anymore
Don't Pick It Up
I saw a little kid
As he walked around
He picked a candy bar up
Off the ground
He chowed about a half
Then his face turned blue
Turned out that candy bar was doggy-doo
Don't pick it up I say
Unless you can throw it away
Don't pick it up I say
You're gonna be bummed that you went that way
You're out there makin' bacon
No scrutiny
You mess around too much
And you got VD
You know you never think
And you're sore today
You're gonna take it back to California
Don't pick it up I say
Unless you can throw it away
Don't pick it up I say
You're gonna be bummed that you went that way
My friend was kinda hurtin'
For a girl to try
He saw one that looked like Pat
On Saturday Night Live
It had a pair of thingies
But a mustache too
Not clearly male nor female
So now what to do
Don't pick it up I say
Unless you can throw it away
Don't pick it up I say
You're gonna be bummed that you went that way
thanks for listening, kids. :o)
i love radiohead. they are amazing, but there are times when i just want to sit back and yell lyrics with all the emotion i can, and radiohead just can't do that for me. while i would consider radiohead much better of a band than the offspring, i love the offspring more. it's like reading metaphysical poetry or reading harry potter. i think john donne is more of a genius than j.k. rowling, but i can relate to and enjoy harry potter much more often... the offspring isn't high music, but they let me get stuff out (this is harder to describe than i anticipated.) it's just nice to listen to songs that reference salinger but aren't salinger themselves (cuz i like salinger, but i'm not salinger myself).
next thing... dexter holland's songs are critical but not pessimistic. that's why i could never wholly love built to spill - i understand doug's points, and i respect them, but i'm just not so convinced of people's stupidity as he is. man, here i go, this is seriously turning into something like a paper for mr. lee, cuz here come references to "the text." you kids remember when i posted the lyrics to "tehran" back in september. well those are a good example of what i'm talking about...
Tehran
In your plane in the blue sky
You roam again
Words that echo in your mind
Make your heart beat faster
This is no Vietnam
We will win in Iran
The Captain said kill or die
Islam be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
Warrior, the time bombs
About to go
What will you feel
Will you even wonder
If the man that's in your sights
Ever kissed his girl goodbye
The President said let it ride
Islam be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
Great Satan
Our flags our burning
Soon America may find
Its young men in the sand
Where there casualty
Is just a number
In Iran
The President said let it ride
You will be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
dexter doesn't say, "aaah, you're stupid, it's hopeless, everybody needs to die and then repopulate the world with cool people." rather, he acknowledes the inner intelligence of people and is saying, "hey, you're being stupid, snap out of it."
i've always truly believed in the spirit of youth (be prepared, this is one of the cheesiest parts of my personality). just the unspoken bonds any young person shares with all other young people. not telling on each other. helping each other out to cut class or WHATEVER. just being able to understand how rules (and therefore adults) suck (ha, and also being able to understand the word suck). i'm not honestly saying all adults are stupid, but i hope you are following me. okay, breakfast club and ferris beuler, that is what i'm talking about. this would be a good segue for my discussion (that several of you have heard) of why blink182 is one of the most widely-liked bands of out age group, but i am here to talk about the offspring.
right, so i feel like dexter often appeals to that "youth spirit" aspect of us, as well (along with the intelligence thing), sort of saying, "yay, we're young, we're cool, we're connected, so don't be stupid and superficial." for a good year or two, this was my favorite song in the world:
Amazed
Sometimes I think I'm gonna drown
Cause everyone around's so hollow
I'm alone
Sometimes I think I'm going down
But no one makes a sound
They follow
And I'm alone
Yeah if I make it I'd be amazed
Just to find tomorrow
One more day and I'd be amazed
Just to see it waiting
And if I make it I'm still alone
No more hope for better days
But if I could change
Then I'd really be amazed
And when you know you can't relate
To one more shiny face
Your heart breaks
No one cares
And when you know you can't go on
Cause everything is wrong
Your heart breaks
But no one's there
the offspring was my first love, and for that reason, i loved them with all of my energy, with my whole being. i seriously am not exaggerating. i laid on my bed in the dark and listened to the offspring and LOVED it. the words were so meaningful to me. the music showed the range of my emotions. i don't know if i'm describing this well... the different songs each expressed a different one of my emotions, fears, questions, ideologies. it's pretty silly, but that's how much they meant to me.
and that is why i felt betrayed by americana (and everything after). it doesn't matter, though, because i have four damn good albums that are mine and will always be mine. i don't care who else they belong to or don't belong to because they are mine and there is not way to change that. there is no way to change the nostalgia, the strength of emotion, the raw love of a band that comes over me when i listen to any of those four albums. it wouldn't matter if every other person in the worlds listened to them and loved them (whether superficially or like me) or if everyone thought they sucked... my bond with the offspring exists between me and the music, and it will always be there (even if i didn't want it to, which happened for a long time - when the offspring "betrayed" me, i renounced them all together, but i've seen them play their new stuff on two different occasions now, and damn if i didn't love it, too).
there you go. i've tried to tell some of you before about my ~relationship~ with the offspring, and maybe that explained it. oh yeah, i must make it clear that i do not and have never looked on dexter holland (or any other offspring member) in a having a crush sort of way. i want to fuck the drummer of man or astroman and the singer of incubus, but not dexter holland. perhaps this is even more teenagerly optimistic, but, at least back in the day, i felt like i would be able to understand dexter holland and he would be able to understand me. i'll always remember reading an offspring bio long ago that explained dexter's name (his real name is brian, i think, don't quote me on that, though)... he was valedictorian of his high school class, and it was sort of a change for him to the whole punk rock thing, and, even then, he was working on a degree in microbiology. jesus, how much closer of a rockstar could i find to myself? aaah, i love the offspring like a brother, like a best friend, like an obsession. *muah* i love you boys!
I'll Be Waiting
Once I had a friend that I could count on
So I thought
Well so it seemed
But times of need are not enough
To prove your friendship to me now
Once I saw a face that I believed in
But a mask was all there was
So who wears the masks and who wears the faces
Well I guess I'll never know
But as I stand here alone in a room full of people
With nothing to say
Beer on their minds, and smoke in the air
Call them friends but they just don't care
Friend for life
Such shallow words for broken minds
Show me a friend for life
Cause I'll be waiting for that day to arrive
When I'll feel alive
I'll be waiting for that day
Once I found a love I had to know
Now we might know each other just too well
Cause when we're together we just can't get enough
Or is it we just can't get what we want
Once I saw a dream, I had to chase it
Dreams quickly turn to reality
Who's at fault in this game of yours and mine
Well I guess I'll never know
But as I sit here alone
Think of the girl who came softly inside me
The look in her eyes, the smell of her hair
Call her my own but is she really there?
Love for life
Such noble words for noble minds
Show me a love for life
Cause I'll be waiting for that day to arrive
When I'll feel alive
I'll be waiting for that day
Once I had a friend that I could count
Times of need are not enough
Once I found a love I had to know
Now we might know each other just too well
Once I saw a dream I had to chase
Dreams quickly turn to reality
Now let me close my eyes
Because I don't want to see anything anymore
Don't Pick It Up
I saw a little kid
As he walked around
He picked a candy bar up
Off the ground
He chowed about a half
Then his face turned blue
Turned out that candy bar was doggy-doo
Don't pick it up I say
Unless you can throw it away
Don't pick it up I say
You're gonna be bummed that you went that way
You're out there makin' bacon
No scrutiny
You mess around too much
And you got VD
You know you never think
And you're sore today
You're gonna take it back to California
Don't pick it up I say
Unless you can throw it away
Don't pick it up I say
You're gonna be bummed that you went that way
My friend was kinda hurtin'
For a girl to try
He saw one that looked like Pat
On Saturday Night Live
It had a pair of thingies
But a mustache too
Not clearly male nor female
So now what to do
Don't pick it up I say
Unless you can throw it away
Don't pick it up I say
You're gonna be bummed that you went that way
thanks for listening, kids. :o)