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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did dumpweed say to its date? You're trash to me.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Dumpweed"
Song by Blink-182
from the album Enema of the State
ReleasedJune 1, 1999
GenreSkate punk
Length2:23
LabelMCA
Songwriters
ProducerJerry Finn
"Dumpweed (Live)"
Promotional single by Blink-182
from the album The Mark, Tom and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back)
ReleasedNovember 2000
RecordedNovember 4, 1999 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California
November 5, 1999 at Universal Amphitheatre, Universal City, California
Length2:50
LabelMCA
ProducerJerry Finn

"Dumpweed" is a song by American rock band Blink-182. It is the opening track from their third studio album, Enema of the State (1999). A live version of the song was released as a promotional single in November 2000 supporting the band's live album The Mark, Tom and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back). Although never released as a true single, "Dumpweed" has become one of blink-182's signature songs and a staple of the band's live performances.

Written and sung by guitarist Tom DeLonge, the song opens the album with a fast-paced pop-punk arrangement that juxtaposes chiming verses with explosive double-time choruses, built around palm-muted guitar riffs, melodic bass lines, and Travis Barker's driving drumming. Its lyrics, centered on the refrain "I need a girl that I can train," present an immature narrator struggling to reconcile insecurity and romantic longing. The song was produced by Jerry Finn.

Critics have praised it as an effective introduction to Enema of the State, citing its energetic musicianship, melodic pop hooks, and Barker's performance as establishing the album's musical and thematic blueprint. The song has also attracted critical discussion for its controversial refrain, with commentators variously interpreting it as satire of adolescent male insecurity or as reflective of the album's treatment of women.

Background

[edit]

Though credited to both guitarist Tom DeLonge and bassist Mark Hoppus, the song was written and sung by DeLonge. The song originated as a collection of unrelated guitar riffs, which he considered "catchy and intricate but simple", bridged with what he felt was a "very nursery rhyme" riff to augment the verse. The song opens Enema of the State; DeLonge, in the 2016 documentary The Pursuit of Tone, felt it was a good indication of the direction the band was heading in, and called it "probably the best opener we've ever had."[1]

The song is based around the hook "I need a girl that I can train."[2] DeLonge later framed the lyric as intentionally self-deprecating, suggesting that men are less perceptive than women and joking that "the dog is the only thing men are smarter than."[3] In an interview with MTV News the previous year, he clarified that the line did not refer to his girlfriend: "I got a lot of shit from her for that one."[4]

Composition

[edit]

As the opening track on Enema of the State, "Dumpweed" establishes many of the musical and lyrical themes explored throughout the album.[5] Lyrically, "Dumpweed" explores frustration with women.[6] It follows an ambivalent narrator contemplating both the pain and the liberation of ending a relationship. Nitsuh Abebe of New York characterized the song as "a callow complaint about girls not always doing exactly what you wish they would."[7]

Musically, "Dumpweed" is an up-tempo pop-punk song built around palm-muted guitar riffs, melodic bass lines, driving drums, and shouted choruses,[5] creating what the Chicago Tribune described as "jittery dynamics."[8] The song opens with a series of distorted guitar chords before launching into a fast-paced verse. The arrangement is driven by Barker's tight snare work and fast, driving beat, which establish the song's energetic tempo from the opening measures.[5] Barker's performance incorporates syncopated, shuffle-inspired rhythms that distinguish it from the band's earlier recordings.[9]

Gavin Edwards of Rolling Stone described the song as being driven by an "unstoppable staccato rhythm."[10] Journalist Joe Shooman described the song as opening with a "warm-but-crunchy" guitar figure before accelerating into a double-time chorus showcasing Barker's drumming. He also highlighted the song's comparatively complex bridge.[11]

Reception

[edit]

Robbie Woliver of The New York Times identified "Dumpweed" as one of the album's "energetic bubblegum-punk hits."[12] Writing for The Guardian, Dom Phillips described "Dumpweed" as evidence of blink-182 at their most effective, praising the song's dynamic shift from chiming verses to a "double-speed pile-up" of a chorus.[13] Reviewing the live single in 2000, Michael Paoletta of Billboard described "Dumpweed" as "frantic, manic ska at its adolescent best."[14] Stereogum's Jeff Yerger called it a "captivating opener,"[15] while Jeremy Gordon of Pitchfork described "Dumpweed" as "catchy as hell."[16] Luca Cimarusti, writing for a blog for Riot Fest, described "Dumpweed" as a quintessential pop-punk album opener, praising the interplay between DeLonge's guitar work, Barker's drumming, and Hoppus's bass.[17] Writing for Tidal, Dale Eisinger praised Barker's energetic performance and argued that his melodic, technically intricate approach immediately distinguished blink-182's new lineup: "his hi-hats are almost visibly dripping sweat, finding a shuffle somewhere between ska and techno, his naked ambition transmuted to technique, the breakdowns replete with bells and toms."[9]

Spin argued that songs such as "Dumpweed" demonstrated the band's ability to pair punk instrumentation with highly melodic pop hooks, contributing to Enema of the State's crossover appeal.[18] PopMatters singled out the song's opening guitar riff as the beginning of what it considered one of blink-182's strongest albums.[19] In a retrospective review, Alternative Press acknowledged the song's juvenile and controversial lyrics but praised its "buoyant punk hooks," ranking it among the greatest opening tracks on a punk album alongside Green Day's "Burnout" and NOFX's "Linoleum."[20] Reviewing a reunion-era performance, Mischa Pearlman of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "Dumpweed" captured the central paradox of blink-182's music, pairing catchy melodies and humor with an underlying melancholy.[21]

Retrospective writers for Billboard have consistently described "Dumpweed" as establishing the musical and thematic template for Enema of the State. Chris Payne called it a "scintillating sample" of the album's "bubblegum angst,"[22] Jon O'Brien praised its combination of hooks, juvenile lyrics, and Barker's drumming for setting the tone for the record,[23] while Andrew Unterberger argued that despite its controversial opening refrain, the song reflected the band's comparatively vulnerable approach to adolescent relationships amid the more overt machismo of late-1990s rock.[24]

Criticism

[edit]

Critics have long differed in their interpretation of the song's controversial refrain. Writing in The New Yorker, Kelefa Sanneh characterized "Dumpweed" as an example of blink-182's early tendency to write spiteful breakup songs in which adolescent male frustrations are directed at women, contrasting it with the band's later songs that instead turn inward and question the narrator's own shortcomings.[25]

In her contemporary review of Enema of the State, Ann Powers of The New York Times argued that while "it's a nasty idea," the remainder of the song makes "it obvious he is the one at heel."[26] Writing for The Recording Academy, Dan Weiss similarly argued that the refrain is tempered by lyrics portraying DeLonge's narrator as fearful and emotionally immature.[27] O'Brien also argued that the song's controversial refrain is best understood as satirizing its immature narrator rather than endorsing misogynistic attitudes.[23] By contrast, Gordon of Pitchfork viewed the lyric as emblematic of the album's treatment of women.[16] Kerrang!'s Sam Law argued that its exaggerated portrayal of adolescent male attitudes made it difficult to take at face value,[28] concluding that "Dumpweed" captured the pre-millennial adolescent male mindset, portraying suburban teenage life through exaggerated machismo and melodrama.[29]

Legacy

[edit]

The band have used the song as an opener at live shows.[30][31][32][33]

The song's influence has also been acknowledged by later musicians. Singer-songwriter Goody Grace called it his favorite song by the band,[34] while musician Mod Sun has cited "Dumpweed" as formative, recalling that seeing blink-182 open with the song at the 2001 Warped Tour "solidified" his desire to pursue a career in music.[35] All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth called it a "song that changed [his] life,"[36] revealing, "the second I hear it kick in I get pumped and want to kick things over."[37] August Burns Red guitarist JB Brubaker cited "Dumpweed" as a song that reminds him of his teenage years, recalling that Enema of the State became a formative album as he was first getting into punk music.[38]

Several artists have covered the song. Easycore outfit Four Year Strong performed a cover of the song for the tribute album A Tribute to Blink 182: Pacific Ridge Records Heroes of Pop Punk (2005).[39] Indie singer-songwriter Madi Diaz included the song in her full album cover of Enema of the State in 2025.[40] Cameron Hurley, of We Are The In Crowd, covered the song in the style of The 1975.[41]

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "Dumpweed" (Live) – 2:50
  2. "Interview With Blink-182" (Hosted By Michael Halloran)
  3. "Interview With Blink-182" (Answers Only -- No Host)

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ DeLonge, Tom (2016). The Pursuit of Tone: Tom DeLonge (television). Audience Music. Event occurs at 22:50–24:32.
  2. ↑ "Blink-182's Peter Pan Complex". The Ringer. July 31, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  3. ↑ DeLonge, Tom (2000). Blink-182: The Mark Tom and Travis Show 2000 Official Program. MCA Records. p. 14.
  4. ↑ Wallace, Brian (June 21, 1999). "Blink-182 Clean Up Their Act on New LP". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Blistein, Jon (August 17, 2011). "Second Look: Blink-182 – Enema of the State". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on April 23, 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  6. ↑ Chonin, Neva (July 8, 1999). "Enema of the State". Rolling Stone. No. 816. New York City: Wenner Media LLC. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  7. ↑ Abebe, Nitsuh (September 25, 2011). "Sentimental Education". New York. Archived from the original on December 12, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  8. ↑ Gendron, Bob (May 7, 2023). "Review: Blink-182 at United Center: Back together but still finding their edge". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Eisinger, Dale, Blink-182's 'Enema of the State' at 20, retrieved July 4, 2026
  10. ↑ Edwards, Gavin (January 20, 2000). "Punk Guitar + Fart Jokes = Blink-182". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  11. ↑ Shooman, Joe (June 24, 2010). Blink-182: The Bands, The Breakdown & The Return. Independent Music Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-906191-10-8.
  12. ↑ Woliver, Robbie (May 21, 2000), Footlights; A Walk on the Punk Side, ISSN 0362-4331, retrieved July 30, 2026
  13. ↑ Phillips, Dom (September 15, 1999). "Blink 182". The Guardian. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  14. ↑ Michael Paoletta, ed. (November 11, 2000). "Reviews & Previews: Rock Tracks: Blink-182 – "Dumpweed"". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 46. p. 31. ISSN 0006-2510.
  15. ↑ Yerger, Jeff (October 26, 2025). "Enema Of The State Turns 20". Stereogum. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  16. 1 2 Gordon, Jeremy (January 12, 2020). "Blink-182: Enema of the State". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  17. ↑ Cimarusti, Luca (June 27, 2019). "21 Years Later, 'Enema of the State' Stands the Test of Time". Riot Fest Corporation. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  18. ↑ "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)". SPIN. May 11, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  19. ↑ "The 100 Most Memorable 1999 Albums » PopMatters". PopMatters. May 1, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Fan poll: 5 best album opening songs". Alternative Press. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  21. ↑ Pearlman, Mischa (September 12, 2013). "What's Their Age Again? Blink-182's Songs Prove Timeless at Brooklyn Charity Gig". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  22. ↑ Payne, Chris (May 30, 2014). "Blink-182's 'Enema of the State' at 15: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  23. 1 2 O'Brien, Jon (June 1, 2024). "Blink-182's 'Enema of the State' at 25: All the Songs Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  24. ↑ "The 50 Best Deep Cuts of 1999". Billboard. April 11, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  25. ↑ Sanneh, Kelefa (July 25, 2016). "Blink-182: Punk for All Ages". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  26. ↑ Powers, Ann (June 18, 1999). "Album of the Week". The New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  27. ↑ Weiss, Dan (June 11, 2019). "Blink-182's 'Enema Of The State' Will Never Actually Turn 20". The Grammys. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  28. ↑ ""Being thought of as a joke band is better than an 'art band'": The…". Kerrang!. June 1, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  29. ↑ "The 50 best albums from 1999". Kerrang!. July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  30. ↑ Letkemann, Jessica (August 31, 2009). "Blink-182, Weezer Rock FreeFest". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  31. ↑ Varga, George (October 7, 2011). "Revitalized blink rolls through rousing show". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  32. ↑ Varga, George (August 29, 2016). "Blink-182 re-emerges polished, with ambitious stage presence". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  33. ↑ Garin, Nina (May 12, 2000). "Blink-182 Kick Off Tour With Hometown Show". mtv.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  34. ↑ Campbell, Rachel, blink-182 join Goody Grace as he bares his heart on "Scumbag", retrieved July 31, 2026
  35. ↑ "MOD SUN: The 10 songs that changed my life". Kerrang!. March 23, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  36. ↑ "The Songs That Changed My Life: 24 Special Playlist". Alternative Press. June 1, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  37. ↑ Blog, NME (April 6, 2011). "All Time Low Take The Facebook 30 Day Song Challenge". NME. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  38. ↑ "August Burns Red's JB Brubaker: The 10 songs that changed my life". Kerrang!. March 29, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  39. ↑ Crane, Matt (September 17, 2014). "13 pop-punk bands covering other pop-punk bands". Alternative Press. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  40. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (November 10, 2025). "Madi Diaz Releases Blink-182 Covers Album for Charity". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  41. ↑ Hudelson, Molly (November 24, 2017). "Blink-182's "Dumpweed" done in the style of The 1975 is the cover song you need this week". Substream Magazine. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
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