Planted and Enchanted: Vol. 12 - February '21

Planted and Enchanted
Written By Evan Hammonds
 
“No one should take themselves so seriously
With many years ahead to fall in line
Why would you wish that on me?
I never want to act my age
What’s my age again, what’s my age again?”
— What's My Age Again?, blink-182
 

You can enjoy the Planted and Enchanted: Vol. 12 playlist in its entirety on Spotify. Just click on the included Spotify plugin.

Playlist Highlight: What’s My Age Again?, blink-182

Sometimes I wonder whatever became of blink-182 fans.

The California-based, pop-punk band reached the height of their popularity in the late 90’s and early 2000’s before fading (I’m pretty sure the correlation coefficient between the prominence of blink, Tamagotchi’s, and Pets.com is like .99…Yes I’m aware you have to be a statistics, punk rock, pop culture, and stock market nerd to get that joke, but I’m really proud of it so I’m leaving it in.)

Their reputation then was the same as it is now. A band that mostly produces uptempo songs with catchy guitar licks that are oriented around sophomoric, angsty, and often toilet-related lyrics (fittingly enough, the band claims that “What’s My Age Again?” – this month’s playlist highlight – only took five minutes to write.)

Nevermind that a 2011 New York Times article argued that “No punk band of the 1990s has been more influential than Blink-182” or that their 2004 hit “I Miss You” layers in thoughtful lyrics alongside piano, string, and jazz elements to produce a song as formidable as any to come out of the genre since Cobain died.

No, let’s just stick with the narrative:

blink is immature, more geared toward teenagers than topical acne cream and no “serious” person should take them seriously.

I’ll be the first to admit, one could make that argument just using “What’s My Age Again?” as their primary piece of evidence. The album it appears on is entitled “Enema Of The State.” The music video has the gang running through the streets of Los Angeles in the nude. The song’s theme appears to be about a guy who just won’t grow up and suffers from “Peter Pan syndrome” (nearly the song’s title before the label made them change it.) There’s even a lyric that glibly cites a pre-Obergefell v. Hodges state statute.

If you only consider the above, then yes, the narrative fits. Just know it’s ignoring the following:

This is an expertly crafted song with elite instrumentation. The arpeggiated guitar that opens the first ten seconds is signature. I defy anyone to share a song that has an intro that exceeds it.

Travis Barker - who Rolling Stone Magazine identified as one of the top 100 drummers to ever walk the face of the earth - makes his inaugural appearance on a single for the band and goes on an absolute tear. Tune out the lyrics and scorching guitars for a moment and try to have your ears just focus on his drums starting right about here.

These are clear signs of a band whose instrumentals have matured over several years.

Instruments aside, when you put the lyrics under the microscope, it becomes obvious that the “juvenile” lyrics are intentional and aren’t just a novelty gag. They are (a) meant to be humorous (what the hell is call id?) and (b) make a larger point about how friends, family and society pushing people to “act their age,” while probably well-intentioned, is ultimately misguided.

The closing lines are the most critical for understanding the piece:

That's about the time she broke up with me

No one should take themselves so seriously

With many years ahead to fall in line

Why would you wish that on me?

I never want to act my age

What's my age again, what's my age again?

The narrator’s girlfriend broke up with him because of his immaturity, but the takeaway isn’t that he needs to “grow up” if he ever wants to have a successful relationship, but instead, it’s sympathy toward his (now) ex that takes things “too seriously.” One can surmise she probably doesn’t laugh or play or enjoy her life nearly as much as the narrator does.

Dr. Brian Sutton-Smith, former president of The American Psychological Association, once wrote, “The opposite of play is not work; it is depression.”

This is the songs thesis statement, hidden under a blanket of drums & guitars and a juvenile reputation. It’s why the line “Why would you wish that on me?” is the crux of the entire saga.

So where are all of the blink-182 fans now? I’m not sure, but I hope that for them, every time “What’s My Age Again?” comes on they turn it up loud, sing every lyric, laugh at the silly jokes, admire the guitar intro and world class drumming, think back on their younger (cringy and angstier) years with nostalgia, and above all else, forget to act their age… if only for two minutes and twenty-eight seconds.

What is Planted and Enchanted?

If you’re anything like me, you surely have a “junk drawer” somewhere in your home. It probably consists of an old flashlight with dead batteries in it, a handful of rubber bands alongside some pens running low on ink, enough loose keys for you to qualify as a middle school janitor, some birthday cards given to you years ago (how quickly can I throw these away without it being rude? Better wait another decade just to be safe.), the box to your old iPhone simply because it’s a pretty darn cool box, and a small library of service manuals for among other things: your refrigerator, hot water heater, and that Instant Pot you used just the one time.

I don’t consider my junk drawer “worthless” mind you, but rather see it a collection of delightful discoveries (Hey! I didn’t know I had a yo-yo!), and delightful rediscoveries (So that’s where my playing cards were!).

That’s my aim for this playlist series: Planted and Enchanted. A monthly track list consisting of songs that likely won’t fit perfectly together in a classic album sense, but are useful in planting the seeds of discovery of new genres, artists, and songs as well as the unearthing of music you loved but had long since forgotten about. Who knows, there may even be a hidden theme or two that the savvy listener can piece together. The best part about this playlist? If you don’t like it, that’s okay. We’re talking about junk after all.

If you have a specific song that you’ve recently discovered or come to love, we’d love to hear from you. Just email us at freshcutfinds@gmail.com. We’re planning to roll out more content and a new playlist series in the coming months. Stay tuned!

Each month, we put together a playlist of our favorite discoveries new & old. Each playlist will be about the length of a mix CD (80 mins) and will be sent around the 15th of each month. Subscribe with your email address to receive the monthly Planted and Enchanted playlist, plus other occasional speciaty playlists.

Evan Hammonds
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Planted and Enchanted: Vol. 13 - May '21
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Off the Beaten Path: Vol. 5 - The Raconteurs