Jump to content
 

After all is said and done, I think Stay Together for the Kids might be blink's best song


M!ke

Recommended Posts

I'm genuinely not sure what tops it.  I've argued Kaleidoscope is up there in the past, but STFTK just kinda hits all the checkboxes for what what makes a great blink song great.  It hits the catchy angst that made blink so iconic at the turn of the millennium, but it also nails blink at their most serious, while at the same time having that great dynamic of Mark and Tom's voices contrasting between verses and chorus.  Couple all of that with a relatable theme of a kid experiencing the pains of their parents' divorce, and you're just left with a sound that encompasses blink that also speaks from the heart at the same time.  I don't think they've ever truly topped this song, in blink or any of their other projects.  In the past I might not have said as much, but I've been on a kick of this song lately, and while I've always loved it, I find myself having an even greater appreciation for it today more than ever.

edit: relistening to Kaleidoscope to contrast, and I totally get why I would say it was possibly their best song too.  They're both fantastic, I'd fucking have loved an album full of songs like the 2 of them.  I'm not sure I truly can choose a favorite of the two, but STFTK definitely should get more recognition than I feel like it does these days.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't consider it my absolute favorite or their best, but I think it's definitely ONE of their best songs. One of the best examples of Mark and Tom's vocals contrasting so wonderfully in the same song. It truly feels like the precursor to Box Car Racer too, imo. I always liked the song, but when my parents got divorced in 2014 this song ended up being my most played song that year according to last fm. The song became painfully relatable at that point and took on a whole new meaning to me. It's definitely a top-tier blink single. Plus, the intro riff is fun to play!

also @Elisa I love that version so much too. I wish blink would still do that kind of thing at shows so much. Their extended outros to Down, their extended bridge to The Rock Show, this amazing bridge in STFK, I love it all and I miss it badly.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been pretty vocal in the past about not liking the TOYPAJ album as much as Enema and the smiley face album. It's full of crappy lyrics and topics but instrumentally it's a perfect album. The melodies are great too.

Stay Together for the Kids on the other hand is one of the songs they got right on the album IMO. It's riff is so catchy and so unique. I've never heard anything like it. Then there's the hip hop drums during the mellow verses. The chorus is just outstanding. It's probably one of the more heavier blink tracks because of it and then there's the bridge... That bridge is just one of my favourite bridges of blink's catalogue. It's definitely in my top 10 anyway.

As for the lyrics, none of it is cringe whatsoever. Most songs that are about your youth which were written by fully grown men just don't seem to work for me. It's one of the reasons why I can't get into California and most of the lyrics of TOYPAJ. But this song was done right just like Mark's lyrics in Cliff Diving (a song about his youth) or Tom's lyrics in When I Was Young.

Stay Together for the Kids isn't my favourite song on TOYPAJ. That spot goes to Every Time I Look for You. But it's definitely a top tier blink song. That song and Adam's Song showed just how different blink can be. Those two songs were the ones that proved that blink could progress towards a darker sound. They were always more than just a joke immature pop punk band.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

yeah, i’ve always really disliked STFTK. aside from the well meaning but ultimately ham fisted message, it’s just never been something i’ve been crazy about. it definitely did feel like another super serious third single, like adams song, which seems disingenuous. the verses are fine, and i enjoy the chorus a lot, but it’s just always seemed a little melodramatic. the piano outro just underscores this 

no offense to you, but there’s so many other songs i can think of that fit the bill as among blink’s best: feeling this, aesthenia, not now, GATC, waggy...

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rarely agree with Mike but I do here. ST4TKs has always felt very powerful, the chorus especially. Lyrically the verses are quite clunky but the chorus is kind of perfect. It's instrumentally gorgeous, and huge, and hits the best parts all 3 members bring to the table. It's not my favourite but it's definitely one of their best. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get the Adam's Song comparison in the sense that the verses are more mellow than a typical blink song, but other than that it's very different than Adam's Song to me. The chorus is way more explosive and powerful and contrasts way more with the verses than the choruses in Adam's Song do. STFK feels more angsty or angry, which is why it feels like a precursor to Box Car Racer to me. Adam's Song doesn't feel like that.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Cheerios4u98 said:

I get the Adam's Song comparison in the sense that the verses are more mellow than a typical blink song, but other than that it's very different than Adam's Song to me. The chorus is way more explosive and powerful and contrasts way more with the verses than the choruses in Adam's Song do. STFK feels more angsty or angry, which is why it feels like a precursor to Box Car Racer to me. Adam's Song doesn't feel like that.

Totally a precursor to BCR and I Feel So.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it was the only song on the record being about how hard is it to be a kid sung by mid 20's to 30-year olds I would have ranked it higher but on a record filled with songs about hating your teachers, jocks and adults in general it just feels like they were in a brainstorming session and came up with topics that junior high schoolers would relate to and divorced parents was one of them.

The only thing missing is a song about how your mom sucks because she is making you clean your room or mowing the lawn.

But 14-15 year old me whought it was a really deep and impactful song so i guees it worked out for them.

"Mom and dad they quite don't understand it..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...