Don't Leave Me

Album: Enema Of The State (1999)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this punk breakup tune, blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus begs his girlfriend not to leave him. She seems to have trouble dealing with his track record, as he pleads, "Don't let your future be destroyed by my past." According to bandmate Tom DeLonge, Hoppus didn't actually have a girlfriend at the time, so who he's singing about is a mystery. But he must have felt inspired because it only took him around 10 minutes to write.
  • DeLonge shared his perspective on the song's meaning in a track-by-track commentary. "Sometimes you write a relationship song that really doesn't have that much deep meaning," he said. "I think it's just like that feeling when you're really in love with a girl, you're just thinking 'Please, please, please don't stop liking me.' That's the gist of the song. All the times you put your feelings into liking a girl, and she doesn't like you at all, and she thinks you're a scumbag. So therefore that song's like a prayer to a girl. Always hoping that you won't make the girl throw up forever, always hoping that the girls will love you. We speak for all males, we write songs hoping that girls will like us dirty rotten boys for a long time."
  • Bolstered by the hit singles "What's My Age Again?" and "All The Small Things," Enema Of The State was blink-182's big commercial breakthrough. They also got a lot of exposure when they appeared in the raunchy teen comedy American Pie in July 1999, a month after the album dropped. They recorded the tune "Mutt" for the soundtrack.

Comments: 5

  • Evan from Philadelphia, Pathanks Kaleen that's really informative I appreciate it
  • Chrissy from Westmont, Ili have the mark tom and travis show cd and i love it it rocks!
  • Sarah from Quito, South Americablink 182 rocks...hehehe. im sure every single person gets annoyed with people all they say is that a band rocks, but they really are. they've got some awesome songs, and the fact that the are inspired by The Cure, makes it even better.
  • Arkady from London, EnglandMark: 'This song is about my herpes [an STD], it's called "Don't Leave Me" and it goes like this'
    -Mark, Tom And Travis Show
  • Weng from Los Angeles, CaTom DeLonge: "Mark wrote that song, so I can't really speak about what was going through his mind when he wrote that one. But I can judge on the lyrics. He wrote that song when he didn't even have a girlfriend, so I don't know who he's talking to. Sometimes you write a relationship song that really doesn't have that much deep meaning. I think it's just like that feeling when you're really in love with a girl, you're just thinking 'Please, please, please don't stop liking me.' That's the gist of the song. All the times you put your feelings into liking a girl, and she doesn't like you at all, and she thinks you're a scumbag. So therefore that song's like a prayer to a girl. Always hoping that you won't make the girl throw up forever, always hoping that the girls will love you. We speak for all males, we write songs hoping that girls will like us dirty rotten boys for a long time."
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

Janet Jackson

Janet JacksonFact or Fiction

Was Janet secretly married at 18? Did she gain 60 pounds for a movie role that went to Mariah Carey? See what you know about Ms. Jackson.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.

Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes

Chris Robinson of The Black CrowesSongwriter Interviews

"Great songwriters don't necessarily have hit songs," says Chris. He's written a bunch, but his fans are more interested in the intricate jams.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

Is That Song Public Domain?

Is That Song Public Domain?Fact or Fiction

Are classic songs like "Over The Rainbow" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the public domain?