"Anthem Part Two"
Song by Blink-182
from the album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
ReleasedJune 12, 2001 (2001-06-12)
GenrePop punk
Length3:47
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jerry Finn

"Anthem Part Two" is a song by American rock band Blink-182 from the band's fourth studio album, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001) and a sequel to "Anthem" from Enema of the State. It was written primarily by guitarist Tom DeLonge, with additional songwriting credit to bassist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Travis Barker.

"Anthem Part Two" explores teenage rebellion, placing blame on parents for adolescent mischief. Music critics were mixed in their impressions of the song; some found it enjoyable while others considered it formulaic.

Background

Guitarist Tom Delonge wrote the song based on his memories of growing up.

Blink-182 attracted mainstream recognition with its 1999 album Enema of the State, which sold five times platinum domestically and influenced a host of pop punk bands.[1] Its follow-up, 2001's Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, followed a similar path, hitting number one on the Billboard 200.[2] For the project, the trio aimed to make a groovier, less polished effort than its predecessor; central points of inspiration included post-hardcore acts like Fugazi and Refused.[3] "Anthem Part Two" track takes its title from the final song on Enema, "Anthem"; it serves as a sequel and logical continuation of similar themes.[4]

Though credited to all three band members, "Anthem Part Two" was largely composed by DeLonge. Hoppus has considered the song among DeLonge's best: "The intro still gives [me] chills," he wrote on Twitter in 2020, singling out its "stab of guitars and drums with the arpeggiated guitar line" as a highlight.[5] To write the song, DeLonge explored his memories of high school:

"I do journey back every once in a while. I'll just put myself in that spot and say, 'What was I feeling at that moment?' For ["Anthem Part Two"], I was thinking about how when I was in high school, I got kicked out for drinking. And I didn't even drink a lot. I drank, like, once, and I got caught. My parents were ultra conservative and they just went berserk on me. And I remember going, 'Hey, if I'm really that messed up as a kid, then you guys should be blaming yourselves a little bit too and not taking it all out on me.'"[6]

Lyrically, the song explores parental responsibility[7] and adolescent frustration.[8] Its chorus places blame for teenage misconduct squarely on parents, declaring, "If we're fucked up, you're to blame."[4] The song's rebellious verses claim "We need guidance, we've been misled / Young and hostile but not stupid."[9] During the song's bridge, DeLonge repeats with increasing intensity that "everything has fallen to pieces."[10] Variety writer Troy J. Augusto interpreted the lyrics as a "cry out for leadership in a seemingly out-of-control world."[11] According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Kobalt Music Publishing America, "Anthem Part Two" is written in common time with a tempo of 207 beats per minute, and is set in the key of C major. DeLonge's vocal parts span from c♯5 to G5.[12]

Upon their reunion with Tom DeLonge in 2022, and the recording of their 2023 album One More Time..., featured a sequel of the song named "Anthem Part 3".

Reception

Singer-songwriter Julien Baker covered the song in 2020.

Critical reception towards "Anthem Part Two" was mixed. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune identified "Anthem Part Two" as an example of the group's subtle "undercurrent of seriousness and an attention to songcraft."[7] Kyle Ryan, writing for The A.V. Club called it "one of Jacket's best songs, with a massively catchy four-chord chorus and just the right amount of self-righteous rebellion for teenagers to sing along."[4]

Darren Ratner, writing for Allmusic, considered it "irresistible," opining that it houses a "indomitable school-kid voice where a surging vapor of knockout speed chords meet wrecking-ball percussion."[13] Among the more negative reviews, Aaron Scott of Slant Magazine found the song "rocking and almost musically interesting", but its content "dubious coming from three guys who are nearly 30."[14] Steven Wells at NME was derisive, bemoaning its "whiny vocals" and "brittle-boned punk-superlite guitar."[15] Joshua Klein of The Washington Post considered it too formulaic, describing its "cookie-cutter" arrangement as too similar to the band's past singles.[16]

In a 2020 piece for Nylon, Jack Barakat of All Time Low and Ryan Key of Yellowcard—both among the band's descendants—praised the song among their favorites of the genre. Key remarked: "The snare drum sounded like a shotgun. The sparkly clean guitar riff was such a different sound for a punk song. That whole record blew my mind at the time, but I’ve always put a lot of stock in album openers, and that song may be the best of any pop-punk record ever made."[17]

Usage in media and other versions

Director Richard Linklater selected "Anthem Part Two" to soundtrack a singular growing-up montage in his 2014 film Boyhood.[18][19] Singer-songwriter Julien Baker in 2020 covered the song for Save Stereogum: An '00s Covers Comp, a digital compilation benefitting the music website. Justin Curto of the blog Vulture described it as a "tearjerker performance."[20]

Personnel

Adapted from the liner notes for Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.[21]

Locations

Blink-182

Additional musicians

Technical

References

  1. ↑ Frehsée, Nicole (March 5, 2009). "Pop-Punk Kings Blink-182: Reunited and Ready to Party Like It's 1999" (PDF). Rolling Stone. New York City: Wenner Media LLC (1073): 20. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Blink-182 Opens At No. 1, Sugar Ray Debuts High". Billboard. June 2001. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  3. ↑ Graf, Gary (May 24, 2001). "Blink-182 Drops Its Pants". ABC News. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Kyle Ryan (October 8, 2013). "Blink-182 took punk to No. 1 for the first time with a masturbation pun". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  5. ↑ "@markhoppus on Twitter". Twitter. April 21, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  6. ↑ Mehle, Michael (August 16, 2001). "Blink 182 is older but still mining teen issues". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Scripps Howard News Service. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Kot, Greg (December 7, 2001). "Blink-182 just wants to have fun". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  8. ↑ Sculley, Alan (September 1, 2001). "Spotlight on Blink 182 – Band takes song craft seriously; saves antics for fans at concerts". The Morning Call. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  9. ↑ Vivinetto, Gina (August 4, 2001). "A rock show rebellion". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  10. ↑ Lewis, Randy (September 18, 2001). "Blink-182 Gets Back to Its Punk Business". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  11. ↑ Augusto, Troy J. (September 20, 2001). "Blink-182". Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  12. ↑ Hoppus, Mark; DeLonge, Tom; Barker, Travis (2011). "Digital Sheet Music – Blink-182 – Anthem Part Two". Musicnotes.com/Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc.
  13. ↑ Darren Ratner. "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket: Review". All Music Guide. AllMusic. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  14. ↑ Aaron Scott (June 29, 2001). "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket: Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  15. ↑ Steven Wells (June 18, 2001). "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket: Review". New Musical Express. London: IPC Media. ISSN 1049-0434. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  16. ↑ Klein, Joshua (June 20, 2001). "Lite Salad Days With Blink-182". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  17. ↑ Kaplan, Ilana (November 20, 2020). "10 Pop-Punk Artists On The Genre's Essential Tracks". Nylon. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  18. ↑ Hamilton, Jack (February 18, 2020). "I Can't Believe I Used to Like That Song". Slate. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  19. ↑ Jagernauth, Kevin (June 26, 2014). "All The Songs In Richard Linklater's 'Boyhood' Including Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, Coldplay, Wilco & More". IndieWire. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  20. ↑ Curto, Justin (September 10, 2020). "How Stereogum Made the Best Covers Compilation of the Year". Vulture. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  21. ↑ Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2013 Vinyl Reissue) (liner notes). Blink-182. US: Geffen / Universal Music Special Markets. 2013. SRC025/SRC026/SRC027/SRC028.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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