Adam's Song

this shows that blink are more than a bunch of immature farting dudes and proves they can be serious and can write their own stuff

There seems to be a lot of confusion, spam, arguing over what this song is about. It's very straight forward. The song is about a teenager who is going through depression and is contemplating suicide. It's not about suicide or overcoming it, but it touches on the thoughts that enters someone's head while contemplating suicide. I'm sure when you've contemplated suicide (and I know you have) you have thought about

• How you're going to commit suicide
• Feeling like the pain outweighs the resources to cope with the pain
• Feeling like there's no way people would expect you to do such a thing
• Remembering the good times
• Thinking people will forget about you
• Who will receive your stuff after you die
• Upsetting parents in a petty way
• Ensuring it wasn't the fault of your parents

and of course, my personal favorite, overcoming the moment and thinking "tomorrow will hold such better days"

The song touches on all of these thoughts, and that's why it's a powerful and memorable song; we've all thought the thoughts that Blink is singing about. It is a sad song, but one that gives hope as well. I will remember this song for most of my life and whenever I hear it my spine tingles (every time).

"Adam's Song" is commonly referred to as the song when Blink-182 got "serious", being their first well-known slow-paced song. The song is placed in between the catchy and fast-paced songs "Dysentery Gary" and "All the Small Things".[3][4]

The song is written in C major, with the strings on the guitar tuned a whole step down. The song's lyrics deal with depression and suicide, a noticeable departure from the toilet humor present in most of the other songs on Enema of the State. The arrangement of the song departs from their previous work as well, particularly the shifting instrumental parts. In the verses, the guitar plays (muted) chords accompanied by a relatively ordinary bass line; in the chorus the guitar plays octave lines while the bass shifts to playing chords. It is comparable to their later song "Stay Together for the Kids" (dealing with 'broken home' and family issues), from Blink-182's fifth studio album, "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket".

The song makes a reference to "Come as You Are" by Nirvana, which includes the lyric "Take your time, hurry up, the choice is yours, don't be late." "Adam's Song," in turn, includes the lyric "I took my time, I hurried up, The choice was mine, I didn't think enough."

The music video is a melancholic montage of the band's past, showing childhood photos of the band, while playing in a large warehouse room. It was later self-parodied in Man Overboard.

It was once thought[citation needed] that the website AdamsLetter.com featured the inspiration behind the song, though this was later revealed as a fictitious story, and any "resemblance between the characters, places, and events to any real people is purely coincidental." Tom joked on German TV that the Adam in a question "was an old cowboy war hero who got his nuts shot off, but came through".[5] The title is actually an homage to a Mr. Show with Bob and David sketch, featuring a boy who attempts suicide after listening to his favorite band.[citation needed]

The song caused a stir in 2000 when it was set to replay indefinitely on a nearby stereo as 17-year-old Greg Barnes, a survivor of the Columbine High School massacre, hanged himself in the garage of his family's home.[6] Hoppus, the song's writer, has insisted that the song is anti-suicide.[7]

During their 2009 summer tour, after the passing of DJ AM, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, Blink-182 stopped playing "Adam's Song" for the remainder of the tour and have not played it live since.[8] In 2012 Hoppus stated that the song may be "permanently retired" from their setlist because of the history attached to it.[9]

this song means that you can be depressed and stuff but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel

This song is about teenage suicide. Working on a few teenage advice websites, I can see how these words would ring true through teenage depression. It gives people to latch onto and its really sad.

I seriously love this song. Anyone who actually read the lyrics can tell that its a tale of depression followed by the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel bad for the people who misinterpreted it and unfortunatly committed suicide but that doesnt take away from the songs merit. Also, just a note to "Trust in Him" how can you possibly have a name like that and be so cold and heartless. If "Trust in Him" is a religous hint like I think it is then how could you be so profane and cruel. O Well its not like you'll even care anyway.

Other awesome songs: Blink 182 - Man Overboard, Flickerstick - Hollywood, Jimmy Eat World - If You Don't Don't

this is such a sad, beautiful song...as for what happened with this song and that poor boy, well, i'm sick of parents who can't accept responsibility for not doing their job.

this song is about a teen just before he kills himself (its named after a kid named Adam they once knew). its sad and depressing but its real and its not so corny like all of the other blink songs. Teenage life is made up to be all happy, innocent and loving but in reality its very hard and depressing to go through. thats what the song is about

I was trying to figure out why we have our downs. What do we get from them? Maybe they are reactions to our ups. I don't know, but now, I do know that remembering our ups makes our downs quickly fade. Listening to this song helps me to define that hope. It seems very sad, but don't miss the message.

Maybe I'm a pessimist but I do not see how this is a "light at the end of the tunnel" ending. I realize the line switches to "tomorrow holds such better days" at the end but the LAST LINE OF THE SONG is back to him dreaming about the exact thing that he was talking about past-tense when he was thinking about killing himself.

And, like, anyone who has ever been depressed knows that the possibility of future good things just makes you feel worse/guilty, so this song does not end happily in my mind. I feel like the last stanza is said mockingly---"oh yeah, right, it'll get better" ---but he's still GONNA GO SPEND TIME IN HIS ROOM ALONE and we know what that means.