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My iPod #202: The Offspring – Come Out and Play

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I was born a year after “Smash”, The Offspring’s breakthrough album came out. I first heard “Come Out and Play” when its video played on MTV2.

One main thing went through my head whilst watching it. That was why Dexter Holland thought that having dreadlocks was a good look. All the time I saw an Offspring video, he had spiked up hair and to see the previous hairstyle he had before was a bit strange.

Apart from that the song was much different to any Offspring song I had heard before. I was a big fan of songs like “Pretty Fly”, “Hit That” and “Original Prankster” to name a few, and they were all songs with quite comedic and sarcastic subject matter.

“Come Out and Play” is more menacing in tone, but is made cooler by the Arabian-sounding guitar that plays during the instrumental break. The song is simply about gang culture, I can’t say anymore on that. It is a song of a very serious matter, no matter how engaging the song’s title is.

My iPod #201: Feeder – Come Back Around

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Today has been such a bore; I haven’t done anything of any use at all. I am thinking that this has been the case for many other people out there.

We all get so excited at Winter awaiting Christmas Day. Children get excited and start making the lists for Father Christmas, decorations are put up, food is prepared. The day comes, the food is eaten and the presents are received and we all sit around watching our favourite soaps and films on the TV. Then it is all over, and then follows…. Boxing Day erghh. Boxing Day is the absolute worst. Just because the intense build-up of enjoyment disappears. Christmas is gone. Bargains are going on in plenty of shops. Now we wait another 364 days to do it all over again. It is going to take a while to come back around. (I think that should be a suitable indication to start talking about the song).

“Come Back Around” was the first single from the Welsh band Feeder’s fourth album “Comfort in Sound”, released in 2002. Their drummer Jon Lee had sadly died earlier that year, and the album is an expression of lead singer and main songwriter Grant Nicholas’ feelings on the loss of his friend.

The track is one of determination and self-perseverance. About losing oneself in a moment of desperation, but still remembering to snap back into reality. At least that’s what I get from the verses anyway. The chorus is Grant’s call out to Jon, a constant reminder that he misses him and will never forget the times they shared. It is very sad and yet musically, it is very uplifting.

It reached #14 in the UK.

In the video, Nicholas jumps while holding his guitar before the finial choruses. Freeze it when that happens and you have the album cover for “The Singles”. You can also pause it when he sings “burning away” at Taka, the bassist, is bowing down with his instrument. Then you have the image on the back of the liner notes.

That’s a magnificent album cover.