Okay! So, first things first. I've been a huge fan of Pop-Punk my entire life. It's the music that I most identify with. Screaching Weasel, MxPx, New Found Glory, Bad Religion, The Ramones, The Movielife, Green Day, Pennywise, No Use For A Name, Lifetime, The Offspring, Blink-182, Sum 41, Lagwagon, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. And all throughout my life I've run into people who have a HUGE barrier up against anything with the word "Pop" in it. That's all fine and good, but they've hardly given any of the genre's a chance at all. I think that's pretty lame, because Pop Punk has a lot more to offer than it's marshmallow front suggests.
The first thing I kinda want to point out about Pop Punk is that it has it's place and it serves it's place and the people that play it realize this.
Subject A:
The Wonder Years, who bill themselves as "Realistic Pop Punk". They sing about things that are actually happening to them, things they've learned, and they're real. It's refreshing, to me, to find REAL lyrics. They're not pretentious, they're not trying to be anything that they aren't, and their music reflects that. It's energetic, hopeful, and fun. FUN. Read these lyrics:
Hidden content (Click to reveal)I've been waking up up at twelve p.m., in my boxers in this dirty bed,
Eating Sour Patch Watermelons the boys murked the day before.
I'm watching bad reruns of mad TV, this shits not even close to funny,
But I don't work today 'til three and the remote is on the floor.
When are you coming over? Please, just say right now.
We won't sleep our lives away,
And today(and today, and today.)
We'll make waves.
In this lake of shit we've made, I refuse to sink.
We cant live our lives this way;
Not today (or today, or today.)
If this sea of metaphoric bullshit stays, I won't sink.
The party starts at nine p.m. at which ever house is close and vacant,
We'll call the ten friends we've got left to pretend we've got a life.
The boys are slaying shitty brews, and I've been slaying orange juice.
You know we don't got shit to do, I guess we'll stay the night, fuck.
It's too cold out to ride my bike today.
It's been raining since we got home last week
Some nights, I fucking love this town
But most nights, I fucking hate this.
Lately, I've been thinking about being a doctor or a teacher,
Lately, I've been thinking about being someone at all;
Just someone who changes something.
Anything.
Or the end of "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong"
We know that everything is going to be okay. All we need is Kerouac and a glass of sweet tea, or burritos and New Found Glory. I'm just trying to get through the week. Hey, do you think that you could loan me ten bucks so that I could buy the new season of Scrubs? I'm short on cash this week and I'd pay you back on Thursday. I've got these friends that hate their fucking lives. I guess that's what inactivity does to the mind. So, I stay busy day and night. I don't have time to complain. Everything, everything, everything is going to be okay.
There is something about the simplicity of those lyrics that is really... Full of hope. I can relate to it. These guys know their place. To make fun, energetic music that everyone can relate to. They're not pretending to be something that they aren't (TOOL), and it's really, really refreshing. (felt like i just wrote that o i did hwat) It's fun music.
Also, read this
interview.
What do you say to people who think your lyrics are “stupid?” Are these people destined for greatness due to their wonderful ability to scowl and take themselves too seriously?
I mean, let’s be fair, the lyrics on Get Stoked On It! are pretty stupid. I’m not trying to be Thoreau, which I suppose is an issue to some, but we’re just having fun. I understand that everyone has to hate on something. I mean we fucking hate pigeons, hippies, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I guess they hate hanging out and having a good time and shit. Next time, we’ll try to write a CD in the form of a doctoral dissertation on Friedrich Nietzsche.
Subject B: Blink-182. These guys don't need any introduction. They also have a pretty bad reputation among almost everybody on the internet (digg, apple, ron paul, tool, wii360). And, No, Blink-182 is not the most talented group in the world. Not even close. But they were fantastic pop-song writers. VERY catchy, fun and energetic music. And they didn't take themselves too seriously (even in the later days, for the most part). They were out to have a good time and it really shows in their music. Listen to "Dumpweed", or "The Rock Show". Hits everything on the checklist. Fun, energetic, catchy, reletable. Put this on at a party and try not to have a good time.
Subject C: Pop Punk shows. If you've never been to a Pop Punk show and at least TRIED to have fun with it, you're really missing out. Jumping around, screaming the lyrics, laughing, smiling, and just having a blast. Most of the hundreds of Pop Punk bands I've seen in my life have all been extremely energetic up on stage,
and when they're having fun, and you're having fun, who cares that they're power chords? Who cares that there is a 13 year-old girl screaming the lyrics along with you?
Also, this is the case with almost EVERY show ever but everyone really looks out for each other. Someone falls down, there's five people there helping you up. Your glasses fall off, there's ten people pushing other people aside looking for them on the ground. It's a community.
And contrary to popular belief, Pop Punk bands don't really make much money. VERY few Pop Punk bands are in it "for the money". Most bands barely make enough to make it to their next show in the next town, and I really admire that. They believe in their music.
With that said, there are a LOT of crappy Pop Punk bands that have no talent and suck the life and image out from good Pop Punk acts. Stay away from these bands.
I'm going to write more about this later, but in the meantime, put a Pop Punk CD in your car, roll the windows down, and have a good time. Commence bashing.... Now!