September 30, 2022

An actual conversation (well, with maybe minor edits for aesthetic reasons) in real time.

David: Lincoln, get down here. I need you.

Lincoln: Oh, God, what?

David: I'm a desperate man and ready to use a Blink-182 song for my blog's song series.

Pix: What are you guys going to do with Blink-963?

David: Blink-182, dear. {David and Lincoln both roll their eyes.} By the way, is there a stupid hyphen in the name or not? I have seen both.

Lincoln: There is. Pull up "Ghost On The Dance Floor" from YouTube.

David {while waiting for YouTube ad to end}: "Ghost on the Dance Floor?" No "Brohemian Rhapsody?" Poor Freddie is rolling over in his grave.  How about "Dumpweed?" No "Shut Up?" No "What's My Age Again?" What's your age again, Lincoln?

Lincoln: A hell of a lot younger than you, Boomer.

David: O.k., I do like that slight synth line right out of the gate.  Did they steal that from The Killers or did The Killers steal it from them? Looks like this song is 7 years after Hot Fuss. Advantage: Killers.

Lincoln: That's one reason I like the song a lot.

David: I admit that this is getting interesting. A good central conceit of your loved one's ghost on the dance floor. Who would have guessed that those guys who had to run naked through videos might actually have a little depth?

Lincoln: Of course a band can have depth. By 2011, they were in their mid-thirties. You can't write joke songs about jerking off for the rest of your life.

David: Ray Stevens might have disagreed.

Lincoln: Who?

David: Boomer guy, Lincoln, never mind. From what I have read, it sounds like they had a lot of bad stuff going on.

Lincoln: Yeah, Barker was in a bad plane accident; I think another one was going through a bad divorce. And of course band issues.

David: That's why we had VH1's "Behind The Music." Someone has to profit off a band's misery.

Lincoln: That is true

David: There is something about that vocal, though, something a little snarky for such a moving song. Do you hear it?  Especially with "boy."

Lincoln: Yeah, it sounds snarky but I really like the backing vocals of Mark Hoppus, such as with the line "without a place to go."  In the second verse, they do it again with a different line.

David: O.k. you're sucking me in. Solid song in instrumentation, melody and overall lyric. The bass line is especially wicked.

Lincoln: Full on agree.

David: Full on agree? WTF? Spoken like a true Blink fan.

{Lincoln rolls his eyes.}

David: Ugh! Am I betraying my coolness by admitting that I am getting the very chills that "God invented."

Lincoln: If you're a smart man and you like good music.

David: Well, duh!

Lincoln: Whatever, Dr. David Fleming.

David: So, what is it about punks getting all soft ruminating about death? Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends," The Clash's "Death Is A Star," the Ramones' "Pet Semetary."  O.k., maybe not that last one?

Lincoln: Even punks gotta feel sad.

David: Well, that's their whole gimmick.

Lincoln: In all seriousness, I think a lot about my generation of punk and post-punk. Like, who is the better band, Blink or Green Day? Green Day tried to turn away from their stardom that came with Dookie, and went to full-on punk for a couple of CDs. However, Blink-182 stayed true to the popular elements of their songs, which ultimately were catchier and more radio friendly. Blink feels more like a complete band effort in terms of how they sound.

David: Sheesh, look at you getting all profound. Maybe you should take over this whole damn blog. I am getting tired of coming up with stuff. Hence, while I called you down.

Lincoln: No way, Boomer.

Blink-182. "Ghost On The Dance Floor." Neighborhoods.  Interscope, 2011. Link here.

Day 186: The Royal Guardsmen "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron"

Day 188: Paul McCartney & Wings "Let Me Roll It"

Unfinished list here.