Blink-182's "Bored To Death" Is A Summer Anthem

No one could ever accuse Blink-182 of being boring, and their new single doesn't disappoint. "Bored To Death" is the band's first release with new member Matt Skiba (formerly of Alkaline Trio) following the departure of original member Tom DeLonge. While it's certainly strange to think of Blink-182 making music without DeLonge, their sound is still on point, and the single has fans excited for their new album California, due July 1. So what is "Bored To Death" by Blink-182 about? Does it touch on all of the themes you've come to expect from a Blink-182 song, or are there any lyrical shifts now that Skiba has joined the band?

As is often the case with Blink-182 songs, the band's latest single seems to talk about a relationship that might be about to end, and a person who has outstayed their welcome. It also delves into major themes like the transience of life. And at the song's core there's a reminiscence of a simpler time — when a guy met a girl in a bar, and they hit it off in self-deprecating conversation. Upbeat with a hint of darkness, the song is peppy, rocky, and completely catchy. I'm excited to hear more from Blink-182's new line-up on the strength of this single.

Here's an echo pulling out the meaning Rescuing a nightmare from a dream The voices in my head are always screaming That none of this means anything to me

From the first verse, there's a real darkness to Blink-182's new single. It'd be pretty difficult to interpret the screaming in this scenario as positive, and the fact that "none of this means anything to me" seems to strongly indicate that the speaker no longer feels the way they used to. Something has changed, with nightmares blurring into dreams, and it basically summarizes what the end of a relationship feels like, and probably what the break-up of a band feels like too.

And it's a long way back from seventeen The whispers turn into a scream And I'm, I'm not coming home

The bridge is pretty final with the speaker claiming that they're "not coming home." Whether this is the end of a relationship, or a friendship going wrong, there is no peaceful resolution here. Most telling is the mention of being "seventeen," as this is the age that Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus were when they formed Blink-182 in 1992. Could "Bored To Death" be about DeLonge leaving the band?

Save your breath, I'm nearly Bored to death and fading fast Life is too short to last long Back on Earth, I'm broken Lost and cold and fading fast Life is too short to last long

Even though the song is upbeat, the lyrics in the chorus are totally sad. Being "bored to death and fading fast" isn't a good sign in a relationship or friendship, or in any situation really. That "life is too short to last long" seems to refer to a relationship that has gone on too long. Life is short, so why stay in a terrible situation longer than you need to?

There's a stranger staring at the ceiling Rescuing a tiger from a tree The pictures in her head are always dreaming Each of them means everything to me

The relationship in "Bored To Death" seems to head the way every bad relationship does. One person is "staring at the ceiling," and they've become "a stranger." There's a bit more positivity though in the last two lines of the second verse, with one person "always dreaming," and her dreams seem to hold a lot of importance for the speaker. Could there be some hope after all?

I think I met her at the minute that the rhythm was set down I said I'm sorry I'm a little bit of a letdown But all my friends are daring me to come over So I come over and over and over So let me buy you a drink and we'll pretend that you think That I'm the man of your dreams come to life in a dive bar And we'll go over and over and over

The final stanza contains more positivity, and seems to refer to a couple's meet-cute. From meeting in a bar, and joking that he's "a little bit of a letdown," the speaker is returning to the start of a relationship, perhaps to examine what went wrong. The line "pretend that you think that I'm the man of your dreams," implies that he really isn't, and perhaps that's where the problems started.

"Bored To Death" is such a catchy song, and the fact that it keeps us guessing lyrically only makes it better. Veering between romance gone wrong, and friendship disintegrating into nothing, "Bored To Death" sounds like a summer anthem in the making.

Watch the full lyric video below, and enjoy the new Blink-182 line-up right now.