Not Now

Last updated
"Not Now"
Blink-182 - Not Now cover.jpg
Single by Blink-182
from the album Greatest Hits
ReleasedNovember 28, 2005 (2005-11-28)
Recorded2003 [1]
Studio
Genre
Pop-punk
Length
  • 4:09 (original edit)
  • 4:23 (alternate edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Jerry Finn
Blink-182 singles chronology
"Always"
(2004)		"Not Now"
(2005)		"Up All Night"
(2011)

"Not Now" is a song by American rock band Blink-182. It was released in November 2005 as the sole single from the group's first compilation album, Greatest Hits (2005), through Geffen Records. "Not Now" explores concepts of death and its impact on those one leaves behind, and was written from the perspective of an out-of-body experience. Stylistically, it builds heavily around the band's trademark power chords and guitar riffs, and also employs a church organ to achieve a funereal atmosphere.

Contents

"Not Now" shares writing credits between the band's three members: guitarist Tom DeLonge, bassist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Travis Barker. It was produced and mixed by Jerry Finn. "Not Now" would be the band's last single before their four-year hiatus from 2005 to 2009. As the band had broken up by its release, the song's music video recycles clips from their past videos, concerts, and tours.

An outtake from the band's untitled 2003 album, "Not Now" had previously been released as a standalone single for iTunes and elsewhere prior to its inclusion on Greatest Hits. The song reached number 18 on Billboard 's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

"Not Now" was originally recorded by the band for its self-titled 2003 album. [2] According to DeLonge, the song is about an out-of-body experience after death, [3] and being able to visualize your loss and its impact on loved ones. An early rendition, captured on a webcam, depicts DeLonge working through developing the song's words; an early rendition went "let's dance until I’m gone / I'm here hold on / to me, goodbye I'm leaving." [4]

Composition

The song's guitar riffs were compared to the Descendents by journalist Joe Shooman, and are interspersed by verses containing a church organ. [5] Matt Mitchell of Paste also noted the similarities to the Descendents, dubbing the song "a tight, riff-heavy, pop-punk performance". [6]

Release and commercial performance

"Not Now" was first released for download on the nascent iTunes Music Store on the day of the album's release. [7] It was included as a bonus track on the UK edition of Blink-182, although it is unclear why it was originally left off the track listing of the international edition. [5] The song was also included on Atticus: ...Dragging the Lake, Vol. 3 (2005), a compilation album released by DeLonge's clothing company, Atticus Clothing. [8] Both of these physical releases are a slightly shorter edit, where the bridge is shortened, making it roughly 15 seconds shorter.

When the song was selected to be a single for the band's post-breakup Greatest Hits album, it ran into trouble with the trio's management, which were split between DeLonge (who remained with original Blink manager Rick DeVoe) and Hoppus/Barker (who switched to Irving Azoff to handle their new project, +44). [9] The Azoff camp lobbied for the Hoppus-led "Another Girl, Another Planet" as the lead single, while DeVoe argued for "Not Now", which eventually won. [9] "Not Now" was released to radio on October 18, 2005. [10]

The song peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart. [11]

Critical reception

"Not Now" received positive marks from contemporary music critics. Kieron Passaway in Kerrang! called it among the band's best, observing, "You can feel and hear the friction in the track [...] DeLonge appears to be pushing a separate sonic agenda which he eventually realized with Angels & Airwaves, while vocalist/bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker are busy reinforcing the trademark Blink sound." [12] Matt Mitchell of Paste interpreted it as suggestive of the band's impending demise, writing, "DeLonge sings from the perspective of the song's protagonist, who, on the brink of death, much like the band at the time, keeps his loved ones close and promises to wait for them once he passes on." [13]

Music video

The music video features clips of the band's past music videos, concerts, and tours. [14] There are two released versions of this video, but the only significant difference between them is that different clips from all of their videos are used.

There is also a third, possibly unofficial, video; this is seen on Australia's Channel [V]. In this version, the video is black and white and is made up of some of the band's previous music videos as well as some footage of their live performance in the 2000 Big Day Out during the bridge of the song. [ citation needed ]

Format and track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2005)Peak
position
Canada Rock Top 30 ( Radio & Records ) [15] 29
European Hot 100 Singles ( Billboard ) [16] 88
Ireland (IRMA) [17] 49
Italy (FIMI) [18] 39
UK Singles (OCC) [19] 30
UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [20] 2
US Modern Rock Tracks ( Billboard ) [21] 18

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United StatesNovember 15, 2005 Alternative radio Geffen [22]
United KingdomNovember 28, 2005
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [23]

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References

  1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20040203170807/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1476576/20030811/blink_182.jhtml
  2. ↑ "Bizkit, Blink 182 Look Back With Retrospectives". Billboard. September 26, 2005. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  3. ↑ Ryder, Taryn (July 27, 2021). "Mark Hoppus plays bass for the first time since cancer diagnosis: 'Wow'". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  4. ↑ Steinberger, Marc; DeLonge, Tom (March 18, 2004). “TOM'S ACOUSTIC RECORDING.” (Web video). MCA Records. Archived from the original on May 4, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Shooman, 2010. p. 124
  6. ↑ Mitchell, Matt (June 20, 2022). "The 25 Best Blink-182 Songs". Paste . Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Blink 182 Expand Australian Tour". Ultimate-Guitar. May 21, 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  8. ↑ Shooman, 2010. p. 139
  9. 1 2 Ken Leighton (March 30, 2006). "Hackers' Delight". San Diego Reader . Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  10. ↑ "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  11. ↑ Rogers, Jack (October 21, 2022). "blink-182 Achieve First UK Top 40 Track In 17 Years With 'EDGING'". Rock Sound. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  12. ↑ "8 lesser known but brilliant blink-182 songs everyone needs to hear". Kerrang!. March 25, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  13. ↑ "The 25 Best Blink-182 Songs". Paste Magazine. October 11, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  14. ↑ Piers, Ryan (May 11, 2020). "Here are blink-182's music videos ranked in order of greatness". Alternative Press Magazine. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Radio & Records Magazine" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 18, 2005. p. 60. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Blink-182 Chart History – Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  18. ↑ "FMQB – Available for Airplay Archive". FMQB. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  19. ↑ "The Schedule: Singles". Music Week . November 26, 2005. p. 17.

Bibliography

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