Anthem by blink-182

Album: Enema Of The State (1999)

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Songfacts®:

"Anthem" is about being trapped in the suburbs and wishing for your 21st birthday to come so you can finally have freedom and beer. It's a subject the band is quite familiar with - they were living in Poway, a northern suburb of San Diego, California, when they formed the band in the early '90s.

Guitarist Tom DeLonge, who sings lead vocals on the track, didn't wait around until his 21st birthday to drink, though. In fact, he got expelled from high school after showing up drunk to a basketball game. The act of rebellion ended up being a fortuitous one; he was transferred to nearby Rancho Bernardo High School, where he met Scott Raynor, Blink's first drummer, at a Battle of the Bands competition.
Like many of blink-182's songs, this expresses the way many teenagers feel. Their appeal to this audience is the reason for their massive success.
This is the last song on the band's huge commercial success, Enema Of The State. Their third studio album, it went on to sell 15 million copies worldwide thanks to the hit singles "What's My Age Again?" and "All The Small Things."
DeLonge explained how the song was inspired by real-life shenanigans: "'Anthem' is a song I wrote about having a party at your house, your parents coming home and finding out. I did that to my friend one time. I wanted my band to play - in high school - at my friend's house. His parents left only until midnight, but I still told the whole school that we were playing there. Thousands of people showed up, and then they all had to leave and we had to clean up the place before the parents came back at 12. It was so funny. The whole place chipped in with the clean up, but the cops showed up and his parents found out that way. So he ended up getting in to a lot of trouble. I couldn't believe that I invited all those people over and his parents were only away until midnight. The stereo was broken... there was a fight, there was blood everywhere. It was so funny."
The sequel "Anthem, Pt. 2" opens the band's subsequent album, Take Off Your Pants And Jacket.

Comments: 14

Doug from Las Vegas, Nvthis is an anthem to kids who are 16 now and around there, like me. Cause this relates more to us than nirvana or the who (who were awesome) but with the parties and stuff and drinking thats more popular now. He really knows how to relate to teens now and thats what i love about this song, getting caught, playing shows
Lp from New York, Nythis is way better than anthem pt 2
Kelly from Edmonton, Wyi love this song it reminds me of JP my lover
Alex from Loveland, CoI love this song and it is my "Athem" I like the anthemII though, a bit better. does anyone second that??
Nelly from Bumsville, CanadaDifferent songs have different effects on teens. Many teens would consider this an anthem, and many teens would consider 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' or 'My Generation' an anthem. My 'anthem', personally, is probably 'Anarchy in the U.K.' or 'Smells like Teen Spirit', but that doesn't mean that this song can't be an anthem for kids.
Matt from Millbrae, CaThis? A teen anthem? Please. You wanna see music that actually speaks to teenagers? Vist the Who or Nirvana songfatcs. (Cough...My generation...cough...smells like teen spirit")
Chloe from Hampshire, EnglandI think "Anthem" is a really good name for this song because it really is a teen anthem. It describes the attitude of teenagers really well and the need 2 rebel thanx
Mike from Foxboro, Mathis song is about having controlling parents and being a rebellious kid because of that.
Marla from Syracuse, NyAnthem Part II is from the 2001 TOYPAJ album.
Arkady from London, EnglandWasn't that Anthem II?
Fgjdfgjdsfgj from Halifax, Canadaduring a concert in toronto deLonge said the song was dedicated "to a guy that got an errection in PE while wearing sweat pants in high school"
Weng from Los Angeles, CaTom DeLonge: "'Anthem' is a song I wrote about having a party at your house, your parents coming home and finding out. I did that to my friend one time. I wanted my band to play - in high school - at my friend's house. His parents left only until midnight, but I still told the whole school that we were playing there. Thousands of people showed up, and then they all had to leave and we had to clean up the place before the parents came back at 12. It was so funny. The whole place chipped in with the clean up, but the cops showed up and his parents found out that way. So he ended up getting in to a lot of trouble. I couldn't believe that I invited all those people over and his parents were only away until midnight. The stereo was broken...there was a fight, there was blood everywhere. It was so funny."
Allison from Somewhere, NjTom (guitar and vocals) said that this song is about the parties his band would play at, and how they would always get caught but it was worth it.
Alaina from Pittsburgh, PaThis song is talking about getting out into the world and being tired of being held down all these years. Its basically telling people (adults in general) that they arent kids anymore and you can only stop them to a point and past that point they are gonna do what they want.

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