Weezer: Make Believe (2005)

Weezer: Make Believe (2005):

Rivers needs some Prozac

I actually really do like Weezer, believe it or not. I got into this band during the Junior year of high school when I found my dad's copy of the Blue Album. From there, I discovered the rest of their discography; from Maladroit to the Red Album to Pinkerton. In fact, Pinkerton changed my perspective on what music can do just because of how bluntly honest it is. Like any long time band, Weezer's had their fair share of highs and lows over the years. Make Believe is one of those lows.

Reviewing a band like Nickelback isn't hard for me because I don't have that personal connection to them. By contrast, this is the worst kind of review to do: where you really do love the band, but still come to the realization that an album is terrible. It's like falling in love with a girl... only to realize she kicks kittens. 

That's the boat I'm in with Make Believe.

Of course, there were a few good tracks on this album. As much as people pick on "Perfect Situation" for not having a chorus, it's still a great song about heartbreak. The same goes for "This is Such a Pity," I'm a sucker for those New Wave-y synths. Even "Peace" is a pretty good song.

But my major problem with this album is the tone. I'm not opposed to a sad song by any means. Some of the best music is sad stuff (Joy Division, The Cure, Sunny Day Real Estate, etc). But the key to making good "sad music" is to make it a cathartic experience for the listener, or at least making the subject matter relatable enough that you can empathize with the songwriter. Even Weezer's lead singer, Rivers Cuomo, knew this on past albums. Especially for Pinkerton. 

The main problem with Make Believe is that it's sad, but not relatable. So what happens is that you walk in to this album happier than when you come out. Truth be told, I never made it through the album in one go before this review. If you listen to this album, do it in short bursts. If you don't pace yourself, you might overdose on SAD!

Let's get this (depressing) album review started...

Track 1: Beverly Hills

Is a piece of crap!

A lot of Weezer fans seem to think this is one of the worst songs they ever made. Although I think they have made worse over the years, they are right to criticize this song. There's a lot wrong with "Beverly Hills"

This was the first track from Make Believe to be released as a single. And honestly, I don't think it's a good representation of the album. As you'll soon see, most of the album sounds a lot more downbeat than this track. So it's a little odd to see this song as not only the first track on Make Believe, but the first single issued by the record company.

A lot of people take issue with the lyrics in this song. Most of the song is focused on a guy daydreaming about being a successful celebrity. And Rivers apparently appreciates the finer things in life:

Look at all those movie stars 

They're all so beautiful and clean 

When the housemaids scrub the floors 

They get the spaces in between

This isn't the first thing I'd think of when I think about Weezer, that's for sure.

However, my major problem with this song is that the instrumentation is so goddamn dull. It's just two chords played again and again throughout the entire song. There's no variety in the composition at all; even the solo doesn't distract you from the fact that it's just two chords. If Rivers really wanted to utilize such a basic guitar part, then the rest of the instruments should have brought something interesting: maybe a more complicated drum part, expressive vocals, or an interesting bass line. The rest of the band is ultimately what kills this track for me.

In short, the lyrics are unrelatable, and the instrumentation is about as interesting as watching bread mold.

Track 2: Perfect Situation

It's so odd to think the worst song on Make Believe is followed by the best song. And yet here we are.

Before I got into Weezer's back catalogue and this song would come on the radio, I genuinely enjoyed it. I could tell there was a lot of emotion behind the music. It really resonated with me, and for a long time I wanted to find out who made this track.

The song's subject matter is about a guy who blew his chance with a woman. And let's just say he didn't take it too well:

In the Perfect Situation

I let love down the drain

This is one of the few songs on the album that is both sad AND relatable. It's a pretty common experience to fall for someone, only to take it hard when you think you blew it. 

The song continues by describing Rivers' feelings of inadequacy.

Though I can't satisfy all the needs she has

And so she starts to wander...

Can you blame her?

Though I haven't been in a serious relationship yet, I know how it feels to have to compete for someone's attention. As it turns out, it's not a lot of fun. I know that one the one hand, Rivers' relationship with this girl is probably hosed because he can't keep her happy. On the other hand, I can relate to this character and really want to see him get the girl. This is the kind of song I can get behind.

If the rest of Make Believe were as relatable as "Perfect Situation," I would honestly love the album far more.

Track 3: This is Such a Pity

This song leaves me feeling a little ambivalent. On the one hand, I love it. But on the other, I hate it.

On the one hand, I really love the use of synthesizers in this song. It gives this song a really interesting 1980s throwback feel akin to The Cure. Considering that I already have a love of that 80s new wave/post-punk sound, Weezer's extensive use of synths in this song was obviously going to appeal to me.

On the other hand, the lyrics are pretty awful:

I know how to pick on you 

You pushed me over the edge

The theme of this song is that Rivers and Mystery Girl should try to reconcile and get their relationship back on track. But considering that the lines I quoted above say these two bring out the worst in each other, I'm not so sure it's worth saving.

This is such a pity 

We should give all our love to each other 

Not this hate that destroys us

They love to hate each other? Yeah, that's not normal.

Also, as someone who has listened to quite a bit of Weezer, the thought of Rivers picking on a woman seems a little out of character. Granted, it's not as if Rivers has never done anything regrettable as far as women are concerned, but I have trouble believing he's done anything malicious. Especially considering that lines like "Everybody thinks we're crazy/They're about to call the police" sound like domestic abuse. 

Didn't Weezer use to be a fun, goofy band? What happened to that?

Track 4: Hold Me

"Hold Me" is the epitome of what is wrong with Make Believe. According to interviews, Rivers wrote this song after fasting for 24 hours. And while I'm sure that not eating or drinking for a whole day would put you in a bad mood, it just comes off as dark for the sake of being dark.

The first two lines in the song are:

I am terrified of all things

Frightened of the dark

How am I supposed to relate to a full grown man who's afraid of a wet paper bag? 

Come to think of it, was this written by an adult? I have a hard time believing that considering he said he's afraid of the dark.

And then there's the way the chorus kicks in. I think Rivers was trying to put all his pain into saying "Hold Me" to maximize the emotional punch, but the way he wails the chorus combined with the band kicking in hits you like a brick wall. A brick wall that really needs Prozac.

Please don't listen to "Hold Me" without some antidepressants near by. I can't be held responsible for what happens next...

Track 5: Peace

To be honest, this track is pretty alright. It seems to be about a troubled relationship (when has that ever happened on this album?), but it seems to be pretty decently done. It's not dark for the sake of being dark, which usually peeves me.

It's one of the better song on Make Believe. I wish more of the album were like this.

Track 6: We Are All on Drugs

According to Rivers, the song is about how we are all overstimulated and addicted. In the case of this song, "drugs" are anything that could be considered addictive: smartphones, social media, writing a blog for terrible music reviews, drugs.

There is an interesting idea to be had there, but the problem is that Rivers' argument doesn't translate to the lyrics. It just sounds like people are doing drugs everywhere: driving in a luxury car, listening to music, showing up late to school, and pretty much any other activity you can think of. And depending on your version of the album, you may also have been graced with these lines:

I want to confiscate your drugs 

I don't think I can get enough 

So... Rivers wants to confiscate your drugs to get high off them?

I have several questions...

This album is really weird.

Track 7: The Damage in Your Heart

Well, come on. That intro is just melodramatic!

At least it fits the music. The song is basically about a girl with emotional baggage, and Rivers trying to console her.

One more tear 

Falling down your face 

Doesn't mean that much to the world

I can't be the only person who reads this as "nobody cares that you're sad." 

Isn't that reassuring?

Rivers' heart may be in the right place, but he applied the wrong solution. It's like going to the mechanic to get your check engine light looked at, only for the mechanic to give you the car back with no engine and say "well, at least you don't have to worry about the check engine light."

Track 8: Pardon Me

Sometimes I can be the meanest person in the world

Really now?

Sure, Rivers is a socially awkward guy. We've known that since he sung a song about hanging out alone in his bedroom in 1994. But honestly, I don't think Rivers is the "meanest person in the world." After all, this is the same guy that didn't want to tip over cows because he might make them sad. So you might say I'm a little skeptical.

These lyrics go to pretty dark places:

So I apologize to you 

And to anyone else that I hurt too 

I may not be a perfect soul 

But I can learn self-control

Uh, Rivers? You okay there, buddy? Seriously, I doubt it's all you.

At his worst, Rivers Cuomo seems to have the opposite problem of Chad Kroeger. When Chad writes a terrible song about women, it makes me want to vomit from his blatant, creepy sexism. Kroeger also seems to be completely oblivious to this fact. On the other hand, Rivers seems to always blame himself for all the woes of a relationship, when in reality he's probably just dating terrible women.

Track 9: My Best Friend

Seriously, what's this song doing here? It doesn't fit the downer tone of Make Believe. I think it got lost on the way to a different album.

Apparently, this song was supposed to be on the Shrek 2 soundtrack, but it got cut because it didn't fit the film. Rather than just scrap the song entirely, it was instead included on Make Believe. If it had just been a random b-side to a single, or just scrapped entirely, Make Believe would have been tighter writing-wise. But as is, this song feels a little out of place.

We're wearing red to this thing, right?

Track 10: The Other Way

The lyrics are pretty blunt in "The Other Way," but not in a Pinkerton way. Take this line for instance:

I have many fears about rejection

You can't just announce how your characters feel! That makes me feel angry!

One of the most basic rules of story telling is Show, Don't Tell. That means that it's far better to show a character grappling with an emotion than to have the character announce "I'm grappling with an emotion." But this song seems not to understand that basic tenet of storytelling. A little more subtlety would have been appreciated.

Track 11: Freak Me Out

We have officially reached peak sad. This is not a drill!

Even on a musical level, I can tell this song is going to be a downer. The guitar harmonic motif at the beginning sounds sad. 

The harmonica at the end of one of the choruses reminds me a lot of Weezer songs like "My name is Jonas". But unlike "My Name is Jonas" it isn't a unique, charming touch, it just makes this song sound even more sad.

Speaking of sad, as near as I can tell, this song is about Rivers walking down the street and getting startled.

No, really:

City streets at night

Can be so intimidating

I'm not the toughest guy 

I gotta keep my eyes open 

You came out of nowhere

Man, you really freak me out

I was just kidding about Rivers being frightened by a wet paper bag! I didn't think he was actually that skittish...

Track 12: Haunt You Every Day

How do you wrap up Make Believe? By making the saddest possible song you can to finish the album! Everything from the moody piano at the beginning to the band kicking in around the chorus somehow screams "sad" even more than the last track.

As far as the lyrics go, the terrible relationship described throughout this album has finally ended. Unfortunately, Rivers hasn't got over the girl.

Ohhh 

So alone in love 

So alone in love 

I'm going to haunt you every day  

Haunt you every day

I know I'm supposed to sympathize with Rivers here, but I'm not so sure the relationship ending was such a bad thing. Just based on the story in Make Believe, it almost seems like a good thing. After all, they do bring out the worst in each other. 

In other words, "Haunt You Every Day" is the closest thing to a happy ending the album can muster, and it's still depressing!

I really need to listen to something happy right now.

Conclusion:

To conclude, I don't hate Weezer. Quite the opposite: I love this band a lot, and they'll always have a special place in my heart. But this album is still a complete downer to listen to. If you have some antidepressants (or a very optimistic nature), then it's safe to listen to this album in moderation.


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Sauce:

http://www.azlyrics.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_Believe_(Weezer_album)

NOFX: The War on Errorism (2003)

"Somewhere in Texas there is a village without its idiot" -- The runout groove of The War on Errorism [1]

Nothing like some good old fashioned Dubya Punk!

Before anyone skins me alive, I just want to say that I'm not going to be tearing this album apart as something bad. Quite the opposite, actually. I think this is actually a really great, if somewhat lesser known album. After all, when people think of angry punk albums from the Bush Jr years, the one that first comes to mind is Green Day's punk opera American Idiot. But The War on Errorism is a fantastic album too.

For those of you who don't know, NOFX are a punk band who formed in the San Francisco area in 1983, and are lead by bassist and singer Fat Mike. Unlike a lot of punk bands at the time, NOFX mostly formed their identity by doing humorous songs like “Liza and Louise” and “Shower Days”. There were a few political songs on NOFX's past albums, like “Perfect Government” and “The Black and White” as well, but they were never the focus of an entire album.

Part of why I'm going to be reviewing this isn't just because of the quality of the music and lyrics, but politics. Really, I can't think of a timelier album review than The War on Errorism considering current events. Even though this album is definitely about the Dubya years, a lot of it is still surprisingly relevant to the present. In fact, this album was responsible for getting me through the 2016 horror election cycle, and will evidently be getting me past the next four years.

Even though this album is far more focused on politics than anything NOFX released before it, their humorous side isn't totally lost. Even the album title is a pun on Bush's “War on Terrorism” that followed 9/11. Songs like "She's Nubs" or "Anarchy Camp" still hit that funny spot. But for the most part, the observational part of humor is typically redirected to make something far more profound.

Let's begin this (positive) review...

Track 1: Separation of Church and Skate

The track begins with a father and his two small children trying to figure out what to do:

“Hey, kids!” 

“Hey, Dad!” 

“Well, what do you want to do today?” 

“We don't know!” 

“Do you want to go to the matinée?” 

“No.” 

“Do you want to go to the amusement park?” 

“No!” 

“Do you want to go to the punk rock show?” 

“Yeah! Let's go to the punk rock show!”

The track leads into a fast guitar riff which sounds like something The Dead Kennedys would have played.

The song itself is about how the hardcore punk scene was so watered down by all the pop punk bands in the early 2000s. It's apparently gotten so bad that punk shows have really just turned into bubble-wrapped little kid stuff:

Why don't we put pads on the kids, helmets, head gear and mouth pieces 

Then we could pad the floors and walls, (put cameras inside bathroom stalls) 

We make sure only nice bands play, (make every show a matinée)

In short, this is a really great album opener. It sets the mood of this album perfectly, and the energy gets you excited to listen to the next track.

Track 2: The Irrationality of Rationality

Like the first track, this album is also really energetic. It starts with the bass riff for a few measures before the guitars and drums come in at full force. It's everything a great punk song should be.

The first section of the song is actually a great commentary about how atrocities are justified by the people in power. The first is about a CEO named Frank who commits terrible atrocities for the sake of the almighty dollar and appeasing shareholders. He exploits thousands of people just to make a buck off them. And let's just say that Fat Mike isn't really a fan:

When one makes twenty million, and ten thousand people lose 

What keeps that one from swallowing a shotgun?

It's kind of surprising to see this line coming from the same guy who made a song about lesbians having kinky sex 11 years earlier.

The second section of the song follows a guy named Dan, who commits atrocities not because of some quest for the almighty dollar, but because he needed to support his family. In short, doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.

'Cause Danny had a mortgage, and a boss to answer to 

The guilty don't feel guilty, they learn not to

Even though this section of the song is clearly about the Military-Industrial Complex, it brought to my mind something different: the big banks' questionably ethical activities before the 2008 crash. Morality was never a concern for the big banks to begin with, just supporting themselves and keeping stock holders happy. The line “the guilty don't feel guilty, they learn not to” has stuck with me ever since I heard this song as an explanation to those banks' apparent lack of remorse.

The song takes a brief break after this section before jumping into the third section. Helen is a mother who doesn't have a house or a job, so she's trying to get by via any means possible.

It's hard to think clearly when it's 38 degrees 

Desperate people have been known to render desperate deeds

Eventually, something inside her snaps, and she kills an entire family just so she and her children can have a home. Just like Frank and Dan, she also commits an atrocity. Yes, her children do need a home, but the way she got it was awful. The newspapers, having no knowledge of all the factors which led to her predicament, pin it all on “Dementia.”

For a two and a half minute punk song, there sure is a lot to digest here. It's kind of a common theme with this album, actually.

Track 3: Franco Un-American

This song is a bit of a change in pace. Instead of another guitar-driven track, which may have gotten monotonous, the main piece of this is driven by a synthesizer. This is also the only track on the album to be given a music video.

The song itself is actually about how Fat Mike was driven to care about politics. Like I said, NOFX aren't a very political band, but were driven into it because Fat Mike considered Bush to be “the most ridiculous president in the history of presidents.” [2] So, you know, he had an opinion about the guy.

Like Fat Mike before the making of this album, Franco Un-American is a character who starts off having little interest in effecting change or getting into politics:

I don't want changes, I have no reactions 

Your dilemmas are my distractions

But as the song wears on, Franco begins to become more aware off all the things around him that have gone wrong while name-dropping a bunch of people I keep meaning to looking into:

I never looked around, never second-guessed 

Then I read some Howard Zinn now I'm always depressed 

And now I can't sleep from years of apathy 

All because I read a little Noam Chomsky

The more the song progresses, the more Franco begins to question his predicament, Noam Chomsky aside. He realizes he's eating terrible food, wearing uncomfortable shoes, and begins to change his ways:

I'm eating vegetation 'cause of Fast Food Nation 

I'm wearing uncomfortable shoes 'cause of globalization

By the end, this song even goes for the if-he-wins-I'm-moving-to-Canada threat that seems to pop up every four years:

I want to move north and be a Canadian 

Or hang down low with the nice Australians

This caricature is made very well.

Really, though, this song is about anyone who felt themselves getting pulled into politics last year. Before 2016, I didn't even know I had strong opinions about politics, but evidently I do.

Track 4: The Idiots are Taking Over

As much as I'd like to avoid current politics in this blog, there's really no escaping it this time. Especially considering how inherently political The War on Errorism is.

This song really encapsulates everything wrong with the last couple years of politics, and the title of the song has a really simple explanation why:

There's more stupid people running around!

Lines like "the world keeps getting dumber/ Insensitivity is standard and faith is being fancied over reason" honestly apply to either extreme of the political spectrum today. Neither side wants to logically look at the data (reason) to reach conclusions, they would rather rely on their feelings (faith) to determine policy. And both sides demonize and antagonize the other (insensitivity).

And considering all the protests over the new president post-inauguration, the line “now angry mob mentality's no longer the exception, it's the rule” rings very relevant.

When the song finally slows down around the middle, more nuggets of wisdom are dispensed:

There's no point for democracy when ignorance is celebrated 

Political scientists get the same one vote as some Arkansas inbred 

Majority rule, don't work in mental institutions 

Sometimes the smallest softest voice carries the grand biggest solutions

That last line is especially important. It's all to easy for the soft voices in politics to be lost in the crowd.

But don't worry, NOFX doesn't keep the serious mood for long...

Track 5: She's Nubs

What are nubs?

True to every NOFX album before it, The War on Errorism has its share of gag songs. This one is about a girl who keeps showing up to NOFX shows. She parties, has a great time, and the band always enjoys seeing her in the audience. She's just like any other girl with one crucial detail: she has no arms or legs!

'Tis a flesh wound!

The song is mostly written speculating about how she can live her life. The longer is goes on, the more absurd it gets. Honestly, my favorite part is when she has to leave a bar:

It was time for us to leave, so I grabbed and shook her sleeve 

and told her I'd see her at the next club she got into a pack 

and some guy put her on his back, she said goodbye and kinda waved her stub

I really don't know what else to add here, this mental image is perfect. "She's Nubs" makes for a great addition to NOFX's museum of absurdly funny songs.

Track 6: Mattersville

I love this song, although there's definitely a bittersweet mood to it. It's about a gated community for old punk rockers called “Mattersville.” They have everything they could ever want: they can party all they want, they have nice mansions, and fancy cars. Some of them can still skateboard.

But it's bittersweet because it feels like the end of an era: never once do they mention going “against the system” or making music of any kind, punk or not. They're just content to “spend their golden years in Mattersville.” It's the metaphorical death of the part of these musicians which was “punk”.

It's really a loss because some of the best political punk is satirical. And I think that satire is a necessary part of society: it points out the absurdity of the world around us that we don't even realize is there. The opening track already established that the new punk rockers are only really focused on love songs, so there's nobody in the next generation to “carry the torch” of criticizing authority. A world with less great satirists would be a poorer one indeed.

Track 8: Medio-Core

In terms of the instrumentation, this song can be divided into two halves. The first part of this song is a slow, mellow section made up of a drum, electric guitar and electric bass.

Just like “Separation of Church and Skate,” this song could be interpreted as being a knock against the pop-punk scene, especially the kinds of bands who copied blink-182. The lyrics are centered around the fact that all the punk bands sound like they're just going through the motions. Just listen to Fat Mike's ringing endorsement:

How was the band? 

They were okay (okay) 

Not great (all right) 

But pretty good 

They played the songs I knew they would

He sure sold me! /s

However, there is definitely another subtext going through this song. While it's still a song about every band sounding like watered down versions of each other, it's also cleverly satirizing American politics. Going back to the lines I showed above, the Medio-Core bands are a metaphor for politicians; the disappointment in the bands mirrors our disappointment for politicians. The line "The melody's been stolen/ Remind me of songs sung in the 70's" is about how politicians have repeated the same lies to us for decades, hoping we'd never catch on.

The second half, meanwhile kicks into a fast punk song. It also has a tonal shift in the lyrics. It goes from a feeling of disappointment to one of anger:

(Medio-core) It's under powered 

The riffs are all deflowered 

(Medio-core) It's spreading faster 

Than British tooth decay 

(Medio-core) Are you ready to rock? 

How y'all doing tonight? 

(Medio-core) Your condescending fucks 

Make me wanna laugh and puke at the same time.

Just like the rest of the album, great lyrics abound. “It's spreading faster than British tooth decay” may be one of the best analogies I've ever heard put to lyrics.

Track 9: Anarchy Camp

Another one of The War on Errorism's great gag songs, it takes the punk ideal of anarchy and ironically makes an entire camp devoted to making rules on what anarchy is:

Rules of Anarchy Camp: reckless abandonment, 

Random acts of dumbness will be rewarded 

If you see somebody taking charge, you'll be expected to beat them

Like “Franco Un-American,” this song features a change in NOFX's usual instrumentation, this time by using a saxophone and an organ for the main melody instead of guitars.

Track 10: American Errorist (I Hate Hate Haters)

A bit of a change of pace from the last two tracks, this song kicks right back into the high-energy punk that you would expect from NOFX. This is one of the most energetic tracks on the whole album, it comes at you like a train.

What really makes this a great track instrumentally is the guitar work. I don't know where the stereotype of "punk rock guys don't know how to play" comes from, because guitarist Eric Melvin's playing is such a great counterargument. The pre-verse riff at the beginning, the main riff and the guitar solo at the end are a joy to listen to. Likewise, Fat Mike's bass playing is also wonderful to listen to; it's going a mile a minute and doesn't just mirror Melvin's guitar work. Like any good bassist, Fat Mike does a fantastic job of serving the song while doing his own thing.

Subject wise, "American Errorist" is a call to action to expose "errorists," meaning Bush and anyone who is like-minded:

It's up to us, we must expose,

Humiliate American Errorists

We'll start with one

The war has just begun!

It doesn't get any more direct than that! This is the kind of song you'd play before a revolution!

Track 11: We Got Two Jealous Agains

A song that's about a record merger on the surface, and a relationship just under the surface.

Track 12: 13 Stitches

I'll be honest, of all the great tracks on this album, this is the only one that fell a little flat. And I hate saying that too, because this album's been pretty solid. 

I want to love you, "13 Stitches," but loving you is so hard!

Production-wise, they made the odd decision to high pass the entire song so that there's no bass whatsoever. Granted, I don't have a problem with bands high passing a song, but it's only meant to be at the beginning of the song. When you start the song high passed and turn the effect off, the band will sound even fuller by contrast. It's best used before a chorus kick in, or sometimes in the middle of an instrumental. You wait the entire length of "13 Stitches" for the high pass effect to be turned off, but then the song ends. So it feels like all build up and no payoff.

Lyrics-wise, my problem with this song is that there's not really a narrative flow to it. It's just about Fat Mike seeing various punk bands. And don't get me wrong, I'm sure they were great shows and bands. But the problem is that there's really no end to the story, it just kind of stops. So you listen to nearly two minutes of a song that sounds like it should pay off, but it never does.

Track 13: Re-Gaining Unconsciousness

Another one of the great songs on the album, NOFX waited until near the end of the album. Lyrics-wise, it's every bit as good as "The Idiots are Taking Over".

There's a really interesting (though pessimistic) message in this song about how people would rather bury their heads in the sand than fight for progress. I can even see a few thematic strings between this track and "Franco Un American," when the other song states "I don't want changes, I have no reactions/Your dilemas are my distractions" it's the same kind of obliviousness, but a lot more intentional.

          The sad truth is 

          You'd rather follow the school into the net

         'Cause swimming alone at sea 

         Is not the kind of freedom that you actually want

It's pessimistic, but true. Humans would rather do what's comfortable than attempt to change the world around them.

This song also has some of the best metaphors I think I've ever heard. When is the last time you heard the phrase "mental midgets" slipped into casual conversation?

Track 14: Whoops, I OD'd

In addition to NOFX putting a few gag songs on their albums, they also have a tradition of putting one emotional track near the end of the album, such as "Falling in Love" or  "Scavenger Type." The War on Errorism is no exception to the rule.

Drugs are a common topic for NOFX because of Fat Mike's well known issues with addiction. Quite a few of NOFX's songs are about addiction or trying to get clean, like "Pharmacist's Daughter" and "Quart in Session," respectively. So they've covered a lot of ground as far as the thematics of addiction.

The instrumentation of this track is very simple: it's just Fat Mike's vocals and an electric guitar strumming along. A song like this really does benefit from the simple presentation, it doesn't detract from the message.

The title of the track basically explains the subject matter: it's about someone who took too many drugs, and well, overdosed. These lines don't shy away from the dark details, either:

Whoops I OD'd,

Shortness of breath.

Call ambulance,

Tell my wife I [love her]. 

 Error in judgement cut my life,

 No second chance, no guiding light.

Yeah, safe to say that this probably won't be a cheerful track. The song goes on, and explains the hospital trip:

Six minutes down,

Breathing machine,

Brain not feel right.

The look on you is killing me 

If you haven't taken some antidepressants, now would be the time! Trust me, you'll thank me afterward.

The song then jumps ahead a year:

          A year has passed, like photographs.
       My life is just a scrapbook,
       Of old friends and faded memories.
       Looks like I pulled the rug from under myself. 

There is no god.

Okay, that got a little dark. But it's definitely a pretty heavy track to close your album on.

Conclusion

Overall, while The War on Errorism doesn't have as much focus as a punk opera like American Idiot, I still think this is a very solid album that should have a little more recognition outside of punk rock and NOFX fans. For an album from a band that used to make joke songs, it's surprisingly complex and well made. And if you have a love of punk bands poking fun at Republicans, you'll probably love this album.

Plus you'll know you're not the only one who wonders how a quadriplegic gets around at punk shows!

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Sauce:

https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/373858640?ev=bp_det [1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_Mike#Punkvoter.com [2]

Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/