Blink-182 cut through the merriment, joy and cheer with a delightful downer of a holiday anthem, “Not Another Christmas Song.”
The track is mostly vintage Blink, with chugging pop-punk riffs during the verse opening up into a full-throated chorus — although there are some expertly placed sleigh bells in the mix as well. Lyrically, Hoppus turns the Christmas season into a symbol of the ceaseless churn of time as the narrator ruminates on more adventurous younger years and a crumbling relationship in the present. “And now you’re always angry,” he sings, “And I’m always saying, ‘I’m sorry’/Depression’s such a lonely business/Why can’t we get divorced for Christmas?”
“Not Another Christmas Song” marks the second Christmas track Blink-182 have gifted fans over the course of their career, following “I Won’t Be Home for Christmas,” which first arrived as a promo single in 1997 but got a more official release in 2001. Their 2001 album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket also featured “Happy Holidays, You Bastard,” although that song was about feeling angry, angsty and horny at Christmas and Labor Day.
Blink-182 released their most recent album, Nine, in September.