The Kids Aren't Alright by The Offspring

Album: Americana (1998)

Charted: 11

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This song looks at the shattered promise of youth for those who had a bright future they never realized. We hear about Mark, the unemployed dude still living at home; Brandon, who died of an overdose; and Jamie, who dropped out of school and had a couple kids.

The song was written by Offspring frontman Dexter Holland after he took a nostalgic trip through his old neighborhood, Garden Grove in Orange County, California. Many people he knew had met tragedy through car accidents, nervous breakdowns, or addiction, and others were just muddling through life.

"When you are a kid, it seems like you have this sort-of bright future," he told MTV. "But it doesn't turn out that way. The neighborhood may seem like Happy Days on the outside, but on the inside it's more like Twin Peaks."
The title is a play on the phrase "The Kids Are Alright," which is a 1965 song by The Who celebrating youth culture at a time when their elders were slagging them off as lazy and reckless. The Who released a concert documentary and compilation album in 1979 that was also called The Kids Are Alright.
The music video, directed by Yariv Garber, uses morphing and compositing techniques that look pretty dated in modern times but were rather eye catching in 1998. It got a lot of airplay on MTV.
The song was released as the third single from The Offspring's fifth album, Americana, following "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)" and "Why Don't You Get a Job?." It wasn't a big hit, peaking at #105 in the US, but it endured as one of the band's most popular songs, reaching new generations of young people with a message that holds true.
The internet was kinda new in 1999, when ARTISTdirect staged the first-ever Online Music Awards, tallied by fan votes online. The Offspring were winners for Favorite Alternative Band and performed at the ceremony, held at the House of Blues.

The awards revealed the chasm between traditional awards like the Grammys and popular taste among the young. Other winners included the oft-snubbed Limp Bizkit and Korn.
"The Kids Aren't Alright" is an anomaly on Americana: the rest of the album explores other, more lighthearted, aspects of life in the United States.
The band performed this on the first day of the Woodstock '99 festival, when the crowd was already starting to get out of hand. The performance was included on the CD release of music from the festival.
This was featured in the 1998 film The Faculty. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France
Unlike the kids in this song, Dexter Holland did more than alright, not only as a rock star, but also as an academic. He was the valedictorian of his high school class and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1988 with a degree in biology. He put his studies on hold to focus on the band, but returned to the university and earned a PhD in molecular biology in 2017.
In 2015, Fall Out Boy released their own song called "The Kids Aren't Alright," which they said had nothing to do with the Offspring song.

Comments: 38

Glen Schmidt from West MichiganSince other Offspring songs have been mentioned here in the comments, I might as well give an example.

It'll Be a Long Time is a good song. That one went under the radar. Never was very popular. It's from the Smash album.
Dean from Plainville, CtAlot of comments here talk about how the song points out the tragedy of American youth for the past 3 or 4 decades. Yes, it is true just how devastating it is to know that in a country where everyone has a chance to succeed - most don't. And lately the youth have been throwing their lives away even more. Yes its all true but, to me this song speaks even louder about how kids aren't given the proper lessons in youth these days, leading to generations of kids who think they have all the answers - until they grow up and realize they don't and life is hard. Life is NOT easy. Kids who have been raised to think life owes them everything usually grow up realizing way too late they haven't been given the skills to succeed. If they realize at all. Some die thinking the world screwed them over, when in fact it was their parents who never taught them the value of hard work, decency, loving thy neighbor, tolerance, respect for others' views, and respect for authority. In a word rife with instant gratification of many.kinds, when a kid who is spoiled and coddled and given the best of everything is thrust out into the real world without the lessons that have been taught over the entirety of Human existence (except for the past few decades) - they falter and crumble and take their disappointment in life out on others. Which is what's going on today with all the school shootings and such. Kids being mad, and blaming everyone else for their own lack of being taught valuable lessons in life. Or they self destruct and commit suicide. To me, this song represents the lack of willingness from millions of parents around this country who are too damned afraid to teach their kids the value of hard work and decency towards others, that the world doesn't owe them anything, and that they live in a country which provides the most opportunity in the world to anyone who chooses to apply themselves. The most in the world. It's the parent's fault. How much you want to bet that the singer in this song was actually given proper guidance by his parents.
Terra Jones from ChicagoThis is used in an advertisement for an expansion for the game "This War of Mine: The Little Ones"
John Jar from DublinIt's such an informative and striking song.
It reminds me of where I use to live and how bad it was.dexter has written/sung a masterpiece.its my most listened to offspring song
Jenna B from Nappanee IndianaThe lyrics are jammed packed full of meaning and sadly enough its true, each generation just keeps going down hill from here.
Lynn S from CaliforniaWhat happened to the "shed his blood, nothings free" lyric in the kids aren't alright? I just heard it on the radio
Aggro36 from New YorkI wouldn't have ever guessed that hearing this and come out and play would have so much grounded in reality when I looked back twenty something years later, it's crazy to see it still going down the same ways
Kaston from Columbus OhioThis song is extremely depressing in its lyrics yet true, the American youth for the past 30- 40 years have just gone down the drain... Im still in high school but already a few kids in my school have already been killed from car wrecks, shootings, and overdosing on drugs. So in the end please be careful who you hang out with and what you do because no matter how old you are you can still die...
Bmn from Hisuan, ArgentinaThis is prolly the best song ever written about Orange County. This song can be related to any modern city but I know plenty of people from Dexter's neighborhood in Garden Grove where back in the 70's and 80's every house was brand new, every kid was white and All American-looking, every hope and advantage their upper-middle class parents could give these kids was theirs for the taking- but it still wasn't enough to guarantee success (or happiness). And more than a few of these so priveleged kids failed at life. Chances blown. Nothing's free. They should carve the words to this song on the streets of Huntington, Newport Beach, Laguna,
Beach and Mission Viejo. This might be one of the best, most priveleged places in America (and the world), but you're not guaranteed to stay living here if you don't get off your @$$ and work your chance that's been given to you- mommy and daddy won't be able to save you in the end.
Snorkyller from Quebec City, Qcalatriel: "the most serious song they've ever done". What?! Have you ever listened to their two first albums?!
David from Baltimore, PaIt is a somg that can really pull alot of people in. I liked it the very first time I heard it an dstill do. But another "serious" song of theirs would be Gone Away about the lead singers girlfriend who dided in acar crash. This is also a great song and out of their usual frame of music.
Anonymous
Emma from Leicester, United KingdomThis is one of my favourite songs, even more so the remixed version from the Wiseguys as it was a song I listened to a lot during a very painful stage in my early teens.

For me it represents the happy, carefree lives we live as children and the naivete we carry, and usually how horribly it will change when we finally grow up and go out into the world. It's sad and a complete shame.
Staceey from ., Australiai know that this isn't the meaning of the song. but its become really important song to me and a couple of my friends (coincidentially named brendan and jay)cos its about not knowing what the future holds and although in this song its bad it might turn out good too..
Tyler from East Granby, CtUm, Bob, from hippy, i really dont mean any offense but i think the issues presented in the song are a bit worse than those you mentioned. I understand your relation and connection to the lyrics, but i dont think the song really meant friends drifting apart, so much as teens and tweens today being swayed by so much negative media. This has led many to be overstressed, disrespectful, text-absorbed, media-driven, promiscuous, drug and alcohol involved people who treat sex like halloween candy, bash their parents and friends, and dont grow up. Of course, there are much more serious issues that are not the person's fault, but those are some examples of stupid ones.
Soso from Somewhere, United Statesit's true though, what the song is about. our country is kind of going down the drain, people and society wise.
Bob from Hippy, Coi can relate to this song... sort of... i mean, when i was younger, me and the three other boys on my street were best friends.. and now we don't even talk barely. i don't have anything against them, and they don't have anything against me, we just slowly seperated. we went from hanging out everyday, to not even saying hi when we pass eachother in the halls at school. i know this isn't really even close to what the song is about, it makes me think of my old friends, cuz like in the song "longing for, used to be"
Diego from Los Angeles, CaI Have to say that this song really reminds me of my neighborhood. I guess you can sa that I live in the Ghetto and it sucks. I always see people throwing away their lives just like the ones in the song. It's sad really.
James from Gilbert, AzThis song has to be my favorate offspring song and has very good lyrics that lots of people can relate to
David Olsen from BÃ?rum, NorwayI think the melody recalls the melody of Orchestral Manouvres in the Dark: Electricity
No_id_please from Hippy Town, Coit shows how nomatter what you think is gonna happen things can turn around a bite you. its a great song. it also shows how beutiful suburban neighborhood can become a place full of sorow and regret.........
Jeri from Edmonton, CanadaThis song is very sad but it's a masterpiece
Kk from Umatilla, FlThis song can relate to so many people
Mary Lou from Wasilla, Akthis song reminds me so much of the friends i had when i was growing up and how they turned out to be. i find it ironic how so many parts of this song can resemble the lives of so many of my childhood friends. my best friend for example who was a straight a student back in high school had big dreams of becoming a vet. instead, she ended up dropping out of high school had three children by the age of 20 with a deadbeat husband who occasionally beats her and is now living at her baby's daddy's mom's house. There are other similarities besides only this one but I?d rather not list them. all in all, I think It?s kinda funny how things turn out sometimes.
Matt from Houston, TxI think you're referring to Pay the Man, which was right after Americana on that CD. Pay the Man is a cool style though, latino flavor with some rock...i like it.
Timmy from Loris, ScKieran, i hate you the opther songs are good to. This song was a great one and i listen to it alot now. The only other song that suks is the last one on Americana i cant seem to remember the name
John from Duxbury, MaTwo words. Great Lyrics
Steve from Grimsby, United StatesThe guitar work is amazing in this song done well with the vocals. I never realized until this song that one song could capture the emtion of a whole movie. This is high praise coming from me because I'm very picky.
Matt from Birmingham, EnglandDefinatly the best song by The Offspring, but the video was pretty freaky the first time I saw it.
Kieran from D.c., VaThis is probably the last good Offspring song. Every song after this one is horrible, including the other ones on Americana.
Bry from Bristol, EnglandThis song is sooo true there are times when ive felt all of that stuff
Kevin from Canada,vancouver, CanadaWhen i Listen to this song, it made me remember of something like it " Kid's aren't alright "
It's Like what had happen to me
Chances thrown. Nothing's free.
Longing for what used to be.
Still it's hard, hard to see.
Fragile lives, shattered dreams.
Mariah from Miami, FlYeah, I didn't like it at first, but I actually listened to the lyrics and declared it my favorite song off the album. =)
Alatriel from Lothlorien, Otherprobably the most serious song they've ever done, it's really their best. it's deep and painful, which shows maturity(or teenage angst)
Rachel from Waurika, OkThis song is one of my favorites off this album. It has a really good point. Its actually very sad.
Marie from Pueblo, CoWho care's about the other songs. This is a sad song because it is usually reality.
Chris from Hamilton, New Zealandthat robbie song was just called KIDS
Andy from Halifax, EnglandThere was a song by robbie williams and kylie (cant spell her last name, so i wont), also called 'The Kids Are Alright.'
Marvin from East Brady, PaThe Who had a song called "The Kids Are Alright" from their debut album.

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