Dive Back into the 90s with the Offspring

Who doesn’t love to hear the nostalgic rhythm of the drums with the increasing guitar and bass riff that represents the punk era of the 90s? There are certain songs that when you hear it, you can remember a particular moment in time and space that is embedded in your memory that you totally forgot you even had that experience. "Gotta Get Away" is a nostalgic song for many age groups, including myself, a 20 year old female who grew up with a twin brother who loved all things music. This song brings me back to mp3 players with my next door neighbour but also to my first touch screen cell-phone, where I continued to listen and cherish artists of the punk rock genre.

The Offspring first viewed music as a passion, a hobby, and something to enjoy with their friends, just as I did with their music. Dexter Holland tells the story in an interview with Bravo magazine where they went to Greg’s cousins house instead of a sold out punk show. “We went down to the garage, set the amps on max, and started screwing around with the guitars. We “played” for two hours, and felt much better afterward. The “Manic Subsidal” was born. We didn’t even know any guitar chords, we learned gradually.” (Bravo, http://www.geocities.ws/CollegePark/2638/Offspring/bravo.html)

"Gotta Get Away" is a part of The Offspring’s 1994 album smash that was one of the most successful punk rock albums released in 1994 next to Green Day’s Dookie. "Gotta Get Away," along with the entire album, allowed punk rock music to be received with enthusiasm and a head-banging passion. The song progresses through the various instruments and talents within the band. The song starts with Ron Welty’s powerful rhythm and intense beats that leads into the echoing bass and guitar riffs by Greg K. and Noodles, or Kevin John Wasserman. This opening sequence represents the technique of punk style with an edgy, almost electronic rhythm that is sure to make your heart pump and your mind jump.

As for the lyrics, they make your heart pump in a different way. The lyrics of this song express the effects of stress and mental instability. This song is an edgy anthem to anyone involved in the punk rock scene. The delusion of time and physical spaces allows us to see the chaotic state of speakers mind. References to paranoia can be found in imagery of shadows, people following him, avoiding friends, and the guy that’s on his shoulder that he just can’t shake. The speaker is trying to get away from himself, away from the confined spaces, the demons in his head, and the tight shoes. The phrase “I gotta get away from me” shows that the speaker recognizes the source of the negativity and paranoia comes from himself. Dexter openly addresses these intense thoughts, which allows the audience to recognize that it is okay to express yourself and any mental instability, while encouraging his audience to pinpoint where this instability might come from. The open discussion of mental health was only starting to begin in the 90s. The Offspring allowed their audience to express themselves through their lyrics and find their own voice. This song not only represented the punk rock style of music, but the expressive and vulnerable culture that comes with it.

The members of the Offspring love music just as much as you and I, and after ten years of learning how to play instruments and create music from square one, The Offspring became a globally recognized band that sold millions of copies of Smash in 1994, allowing them to sign onto a record label which ultimately changed their lives, and the history of punk rock music.