Sing (and live) along
with Sum 41

By Walt Mueller

It was 40 years ago that pop culture icons the Beach Boys captured the playful reality of the teen years as they harmonized about the free-spirited young lady who was going to "have fun, fun, fun ‘til her daddy takes her T-Bird away." Even though the adolescent years are full of the pain and confusion that come with the change of growing from child to adult, most kids find a way to cope. A not-yet-fully-developed maturity oft-times combines with a desire to let loose and play in a way that can temporarily divert a teenager's focus away from the hassles of adolescent life. It's not surprising that as a changing and increasingly complex world has made life that much more difficult and confusing for kids, more and more of their music reflects these escapist themes.

Enter Sum 41, a quartet of young mid-20-something males seemingly locked in a state of suspended adolescence who are issuing a musical and lifestyle rallying call for kids to forget manners, decency and convention and to, instead, party hard and have lots of fun. Self-defined as "crazy," this group of "punk pop hooligans" (Karen Bliss, rollingstone.com) has been described by Rolling Stone magazine as "self-discovered middle-class brats who care about three things: punk rock, heavy metal and where the party is at" (Rolling Stone, 10/11/01). Judging from their increased popularity in the mainstream popular music scene and growing young fan following, the line of kids keeping step with these musical pied pipers is only getting longer. With the release of their most recent album and its debut in the top 10 on the charts, Sum 41 have captured the listening and impressionable ears of today's youth culture.

Because they are maintaining and growing their influential presence in the world of our children and teens, the band known as Sum 41 deserves our attention. What is it about Sum 41 that has facilitated their meteoric rise to recognition and fame? What message and worldview does their music and high-profile lifestyle teach and reflect? Can their music help us better understand the realities young people face as they grow up in today's rapidly changing and confusing world? And, can Sum 41 teach us anything about how and what we must teach the members of the emerging generations we know and love?

The Sum 41 story

Because their music reflects who they are, where they've come from and what they believe, it's imperative that their music be examined in the context of their history. Like most of their musical brethren in the pop punk musical genre, Sum 41's story is one of adolescent alienation and rebellion. The natives of Ajax, Ontario—a small town 30 miles east of Toronto that the group describes as "boring"—have known each other their entire lives. Each of the band's members was somewhat of a nerdy outcast who found their identity in the local skateboard culture and release from boredom in playing music. After playing in different bands while growing up in Ajax, the guys first came together as a group during the summer of 1997. In fact, they chose their moniker based on the fact that the birth of their band came exactly 41 days into the summer vacation before their senior year of high school. They've been together ever since.

The band's front-man is 24-year-old Deryck "Bizzy D" Whibley, a guitarist/vocalist who has written most of the band's music and looks like a cross between Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and Leonardo DiCaprio. While growing up with his single mother, Whibley loved music so much that he used his G.I. Joe action figures to make imaginary rock and roll bands. His involvement playing in a series of bands began at age 11 when he started a rap trio he called the "Powerful Young Hustlers." His relational pain led to a not-so-surprising love for Kurt Cobain and Nirvana as he entered his teenage years. He was also drawn to the sounds, fury and message of punk music. He began writing his own poems and songs out of the hurt of living in a broken family and the experience of not getting along with his mother's boyfriend. Today, Whibley serves as Sum 41's lyricist and songwriter, writing and recording the music before coming up with the lyrics. His high-profile lifestyle has placed him square in the public eye of the popular music and entertainment world. Sum 41 fans can tell you that Whibley dated Paris Hilton for a while and has more recently been romantically linked to fellow-Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne, although he doesn't like to talk about it. Fans also know that Whibley drinks excessively and unapologetically. Fellow band member Steve Jocz says that when Whibley drinks, "he turns into a completely different person. He goes from being reserved and quiet to being completely out of control. It's like baby-sitting a two-year-old … I'm usually with him doing it, so I think it's just funny … I wish he'd do it more often to be honest" (mtv.com).

Twenty-three year-old drummer Steve "Stevo 32" Jocz is known as the clown of the band. He left his job working in a local grocery store when the band was finally signed. A vegetarian, Jocz graces the cover of the band's first three albums and plays drums "like a rabid animal that needs to be subdued" (Gavin Edwards, rollingstone.com). As already mentioned, Jocz shares Whibley's love for the fast life. He says, "Our parents thought that playing rock music meant that I must be doing drugs. And they were right. I just want to sit them down and say, ‘It's all true. It's all bad. And I'm an a__hole. I love you to pieces, but you raised an a__hole'" (Rolling Stone, 12/6-13/2001).

Dave "Brownsound" Baksh is Sum 41's 24-year-old guitarist. The son of Guyanese immigrants, he is seen as the band's most responsible member. As a child he grew up loving heavy metal and was in a death metal band before joining Sum 41. His love for heavy metal can be heard as an influence in the band's sound. Before Sum 41 was signed, Baksh was selling jewelry in his uncle's store.

It's not surprising that little is known about 24-year-old bassist Jason "Cone" McCaslin, as he is the quietest and most reserved member of the band. The former movie theater usher got his nickname in high school because he ate an ice cream cone every day at lunch.

After building a loyal local following in the Ajax music scene by playing numerous live gigs, the band decided to try to score a record contract by developing and distributing their own homemade press kit. The kit featured videos of live performances along with numerous clips of the guys performing outlandish and sophomoric stunts like shooting unsuspecting pedestrians drive-by style with Super Soaker water guns. Just before they were ready to sign with independent Canadian label Aquarius, Island Records stepped in and offered a contract after seeing the band's electronic press kit. After releasing their first album in 2000 and getting exposure on the Van's Warped Tour, the band then toured extensively while opening for a variety of other bands including Blink 182, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Offspring and Social Distortion. Since then they've released three more albums, developed an alter-ego heavy metal parody band known as "Pain For Pleasure," and garnered numerous awards including recognition from Rolling Stone magazine readers and critics in 2001. In a not-so-shabby showing for such a new band, Sum 41 finished second behind U2 as Reader's Pick for "Artist of the Year," "Band of the Year" and "Best Album."

The Sum 41 party life

With music serving as a powerful directive force in the lives of today's children and teens, one of the lessons coming through loudest and clearest to the young Sum 41 audience is one that comes through the lifestyle promoted by the boys in the band. From their music, to their DVDs, to their online journal, to their interviews and to their concerts, these are guys who love to live the party life and they let people know it. Their message to kids is, "Come on, have fun with us! We're there to have fun. We're happy and we're having fun. You want to join the party? You're invited" (mtv.com). And just what kind of "party" are they inviting kids to? The main ingredients in their recipe for fun are drugs, alcohol and sex. In fairness to the quartet, they have recently stated their desire to tone down the party life a bit since they all now have girlfriends. Still, their call to "come and follow" is coming through loud and clear.

Steve Jocz says the band loves drinking and isn't afraid to flaunt it and they want to be all about strip clubs and booze (rollingstone.com). Whibley told Entertainment Weekly that, "I can't remember the last time I went on stage sober—maybe when I was 17. If I go up there without a drink, I'm really shy" (12/13/02). Postings on the band's Web journal invite fans into their antics: "Today—Steve-O from jackass came by the club to do a photo shoot with us for the cover of Kerrang magazine. Five minutes after showing up, he'd already drank half a bottle of Jack, smoked two joints and countless cigarettes, taken off most of his clothes, p___ on the floor and then attempted to p___ on Cone. It was hilarious. Why doesn't Cone ever laugh when I try to p___ on him? Then he left. All before 3pm. Steve-o is funny … and … two stripper fights ... I then OD'd in our hotel room. A Playboy photo shoot (with an actual girl!) and many other strange things have happened so far on this tour."

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Jocz talked about how the guys in the band worship rocker Tommy Lee and desire to mimic his debauchery: "If you're going to have somebody tell you advice, it might as well be Tommy Lee—he's done everything there is to do. He f_____ Pamela Anderson! Who hasn't j_____ o__ to Pamela Anderson once? And he f_____ her! Me and Deryck, we actually have pictures of Tommy … in our bunks, so that every morning I'll wake up and look at the picture of Tommy and think, ‘Today I have to be like you.' Instead of ‘What would Jesus do?' it's ‘What would Tommy do?'" (Gavin Edwards, Rolling Stone, 12/6-13/2001).

The band's record company knows their partying and the resulting antics can sell records. In fact, "Lyor Cohen, president of Island/Def Jam Music Group, has made them an offer. Jocz repeats Cohen's proposal: ‘I want you to go out there and f___ s___ up. I will pay for it.' Cohen's one condition is that the band must record its mayhem on videotape, so it can be shared with the youth of America" (Gavin Edwards, Rolling Stone, 10/11/2001).

The Cross Your T's and Gouge Your I's DVD—that was included with 2002's Does This Look Infected album—provides viewers of all ages with over one hour of the band's video-recorded mayhem. Along with the famed Super Soaker drive-by shootings, there are videos of the band involved in all kinds of partying including drinking, strippers, naked groupies, masturbation, lesbian kissing, going to a college campus and picking up girls, sexual antics, urinating off cars, etc. In one highly publicized scene, Whibley throws a hot dog at an unsuspecting fan at a minor league baseball game. Scenes of the angry man's response are caught on tape. The incident resulted in a lawsuit against Sum 41.

Sum 41 loves, lives, celebrates and promotes the no-holds-barred rock and roll lifestyle of limitless excess.

Sum 41's music

When punk music first came on the scene back in the mid-1970s it was a genre out on the extreme fringe that was embraced by kids who didn't fit into the mainstream of youth culture. Disenfranchised, relationally broken, angst-ridden and with nowhere else to go, these kids found in punk and its subculture an expression of their feelings and a place to belong. In the early 1990s punk burst back onto the music scene in more mainstream fashion. Leading the charge was the flag-bearing group for this neo-punk movement, Green Day. Marked by the same fast-paced three-chord musical torrent and disturbing themes of punk's original incarnation, neo-punk music found a home far from the fringes where it used to live. Thanks in part to a combination of heavy marketing but more so the personal identification of a greater number of kids with punk's unsettled pain, the genre was embraced by conventional youth culture. Since then, a series of high profile neo-punk bands have been playing punk, having fun and inviting a young audience into the music and lifestyle.

Sum 41 is no exception. Sonically, they play pure power pop punk music, although they have infused elements of heavy metal and hip hop in a way that's given them a signature sound. At times, their voices and guitars scream. The music is driven by catchy and infectious hooks. The drums are frenetic. The harmonies are always perfect. The music is never sloppy. These guys pour themselves and all their energies into the music. It all adds up into a musical package that critic Rob O'Connor has called "Beach Boys on speed" (launch.com).

Their high-energy concerts get fists pumping and fans jumping up and down. Whibley, McCaslin and Baksh jump, pogo and spin around on the stage without letting up. As the audience gets revved up, they give the band the two-handed "Sum 41 salute"—4 fingers up on one hand and just the middle finger up on the other. The audience participates with the band. At times, female fans will fulfill the band's request to come up on stage and make out with each other.

Looking at Sum 41's albums with a critical and discerning eye yields insight into how the band is both directing and reflecting the culture and lives of our children and teens.

Half Hour Of Power (2000)

The title of the band's initial EP release tells all about the disc's content—it's a 30 minute musical barrage filled with 11 short, fast-paced power punk songs. The band's commitment to a life of fun is captured on the CD's cover. There's a photo of t-shirt and boxer short clad Jocz wielding a Super Soaker. Inside, the liner jacket includes a four-panel collage of photos featuring the quartet in a variety of high-energy hi-jinx as they do the two things they love the most—playing their music and just playing around.

While simple in structure, the lyrics are from time to time rather cryptic in nature, paving the way for young listeners to interpret and apply the songs' messages however they wish.

The album kicks off with the minute-long fast-paced instrumental piece, "Grab The Devil By The Horns And **** Him Up The ***. The song's title—which is almost longer than the song itself—captures the essence of the band's commitment to stretch the lines of decency in their music and lifestyle.

Their commitment to the party life is the theme of "Machine Gun." Whibley sings about the hangovers his life of endless partying leaves him with every weekend. He wakes up in someone else's house on the floor to sing, "I'm up and I don't know why/But I guess that's all that counts/Looking round as I'm holding my head/And I'm in somebody's house." His headache and vomiting ("It's going out the way it came in") leave him thinking he's ready to move on from this cycle he finds himself in week after week: "I can't keep this up/I've had enough." But judging from the band's lifestyle and music they've continued to live this habitual and addictive pattern even though they bemoaned it in this, the first vocal on their first album.

While partying will continue as a theme in Sum 41's music, the disc's third cut introduces another of the band's thematic staples that resonates with young listeners. In "What I Believe," Whibley bemoans a relational breakdown and the hurt of discovering the truth that he's been lied to: "Lies and deceiving is what I'm believing/Up to my knees so hard to breathe/It helps that you aren't here." He believes that the lies have given him reason to move on: "I've left what I'm leaving/Guess that's just what I believe."

"T.H.T."—an abbreviation for "tables have turned"—is a speedy 42-second diatribe against someone who has consistently pointed the finger of blame at the singer: "You don't have the answers but you're always blaming me." The words could be directed at an old lover, parents or an authority figure. Whibley tells them, "Don't point the finger at me." The song ends with a loud and angry Whibley yelling, "SHUT UP!!!"

"Makes No Difference" is a call to face reality and move on instead of lingering in the past. The singer tells listeners that life gets harder as you get older and that there will be more problems to face and bear. Instead of holding on to the past, listeners are told to live in the future: "With most things so basic you might as well face it." The song's video gives hints to the song's message as it depicts images of the band in concert interspersed with scenes of the band having fun while smashing stuff, holding up a pizza shop with their Super Soakers, running around defiantly in school, and a variety of other juvenile stunts. The message is that one can escape one's problems through the diversionary activity of boundary-less "fun."

Relational breakdown is revisited in "Summer," a song that seems to discuss the reasons for a breakup. He claims, "I can't relate to your mistakes" and "excuses are so lame." He also tells her that things are not as simple as she thinks: "You say things are simple/We both know they're not." While she can't let him go, the singer explains why they must part ways: "It's not in what you do, it's more in what you say."

"32 Ways To Die" is an interesting title for the next cut, an instrumental piece featuring a drum solo by Jocz and the sounds of the band's powerful guitars.

In "Second Chance For Max Headroom," Whibley laments a relational breakdown as he sings the fact that he's tried but she has lied. She needs and asks for time to think it over but the singer is not sure if he wants to continue on with her or not: "I can't go on pretending it's still the same." Still, the song's title seems to indicate that he wants a second chance. The song incorporates horns in a nod to the influence of ska music and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on Sum 41.

"Dave's Possessed Hair/It's What We're All About" opens with a question: "Ever get the feeling no one's got your back?/Caught up in themselves livin' lies besides the fact?" The song resonates with Sum 41's young and disenfranchised followers who struggle on the home front as it seems to be directed at the band's parents and their desire for their sons to go to school, get an education and then move on to a "real" job that will provide middle-class economic security. The song criticizes those who make the conventional path to economic security their primary objective: "You think you see between the lines/But you can't see through dollar signs." The song ends with a criticism of parental directives and a declaration of independence: "What I do is what I choose which makes it my decision/If your life was a book your story would be fiction." Musically, the song expands Sum 41's horizons as they rap quite effectively in a manner reminiscent of The Beastie Boys.

"Ride The Chariot To The Devil" is another instrumental piece, this one lasting 54 seconds. It sounds like a punk variation on "The William Tell Overture."

The disc ends with "Another Time Around" (See lyrics on page 6.), a song that asks "What's up with you, what's up with me?" in a search to get through confusion in order to discover the meaning of life. It's interesting that in this musical cry for redemption a band so young would ask the question, "What would I be if I did it all again?" The question is a sign that already they are wondering if they've made correct decisions and taken the right path. The song could be used to spark discussions with teens about the meaning and purpose of life.

All Killer No Filler (2001)

At 32 minutes and 19 seconds long, the band's "full-length" album debut is only two minutes and 19 seconds longer than their previous EP. This is the album that put Sum 41 on the pop culture map as it rapidly became the most popular punk album of the new millennium. Not surprisingly, the disc focuses heavily on Sum 41's normal thematic fare of living life to its fullest by partying and pranking.

The opening cut, "Introduction To Destruction," is a spoken word piece featuring tolling bells announcing the arrival of Sum 41 in youth culture's consciousness. Then, a deep and eerie male voice says, "Children of the beast embrace/To scorn and hate the human race/Consume the light that hugs the earth/And aid the womb in giving birth/To a group that will appear and guide you through this final year/The dark armies then will come/When the Sum is 41."

Whibley longs for happiness in the midst of a painful existence on "Nothing On My Back." He addresses "both of you"—which might be a reference to his parents and their marital breakup, or his difficulty with his mom and her boyfriend—as he sings, "I might as well belong to both of you/And the mess you seem to drag me through." In his confusion and searching he asks, "Was happiness a fad?/Or was it in the lost and found behind the issues?" He goes on to lament, "We're all addicted to our tragedy." His experience of the universal longing for redemption comes through as he sings, "My mind's about to crack/Cause what I thought could not be found."

"Never Wake Up" is a 50-second statement of adolescent apathy and angst. After screaming several unintelligible lyrics, Whibley sings "I feel like never waking up" over and over again. The song is a sad window into the world of adolescent depression and pain.

Voted as the #1 "Best Single" by readers of Rolling Stone magazine in 2001, the band's breakout single and video hit "Fat Lip" (See lyrics below.) addresses themes of teen rebellion and anarchy, particularly against society and parents. The song was written by the band as a diatribe against their parents, who were pushing the guys to go to college and get jobs. The song is a clear statement of the fact that they refuse to listen to their parents and they won't do what their parents want them to do. "Fat Lip" serves as an example of how the rebellious message of punk's original music is now packaged and sold in pop form for the teenage masses. The video features the band in an outdoor concert/party setting in a variety of anti-authority scenes, including a confrontation with police. The band's musical versatility is featured as they combine elements of punk, ballad and hip-hop into the song.

Relational breakups are the subject of "Rhythms" as he addresses his former love about his certainty over the relationships: "I know what I want, and that's more than you can say." As usual, she just takes "me through the motions" in a series of regular "rhythms" as she continues to let him down.

"Motivation," another hit single off the album, confesses, celebrates and proclaims a lack of motivation. Life is futile as, "every step I take is too small … I feel like I don't give a s___." Trying is "all just a waste of time in the end" as it gets you nowhere. The singer proclaims, "I don't care so why should I pretend."

The band's smash hit "In Too Deep" asks questions about a relationship that's stalled. It wonders if they should keep going or stop, and if they are just trying too hard. Whibley sings, "Seems like each time I'm with you I lose my mind/Because I'm bending over backwards to relate/It's one thing to complain/But when you're driving me insane/Well then I think it's time that we took a break." The singer doesn't want to drown in the relationship: "I'm in too deep, and I'm trying to keep/Up above my head, instead of going under." The band's resolve to make light of the situation by keeping their diversionary sense of humor going is evident in the song's video. The video version depicts the band competing in and winning a diving competition against a team of athletic jocks. Proof that it connected with young viewers is evident in the fact that the video was the #1 Rolling Stone Readers' Pick for "Best Video" in 2001. The video finished as the second-place choice of critics.

"Summer" is a remake of the same tune on the Half Hour of Power disc.

A relationship soured is addressed on "Handle This." Whibley sings, "You say in doubt/We're fading out/Forgetting who we used to be." The singer takes the blame: "I will bring you down … I don't think you can handle this … it's never what you had in mind." The song reflects what so many kids feel and believe, that is, that human relationships are redemptive and able to bring lasting peace to an uneasy and restless soul.

The title "Crazy Amanda Bunkface" captures the angry tone of this break-up song addressed to a girl to which he declares his intent and resolve to walk away and move on: "I don't wanna hear you b____ no more/I was better off a year before/No matter how I try I can't ignore/But every time I think my brain gets sore/When I'm with you." One confusing line at the latter part of the song might be a reference to the fact that the girl's menstrual period is late, she's lied about it before, and, therefore, he doesn't care nor is he responsible: "It's not like it's my problem that you're late/Why can't you just spare the lies I hate?"

"All She's Got" is a cryptic and confusing break-up song where he confesses that time's run out on the relationship and he's only been pretending. Listeners are led to wonder what it is that's "all she's got." It seems that "all she's got to keep things right" could be a sexual relationship, or perhaps just memories of their past together.

Since life has no meaning anyway, listeners are called to escape on "Heart Attack." In this nihilistic song listeners are told to "forget reality" and stay in bed as "waking up is hard to do." The song's last verse captures the worldview of many young people: "What's a day when it all ends up the same, and lasts forever?/Can't complain when there's nothing there to blame, and things can't be better/Summer evenings, teenage grievings, got no problem with the life that I've been leading/No concentration on hesitation/I can't make time when nothing's new/Cause waking up is hard to do so!"

The disc comes to a close with "Pain For Pleasure," a heavy metal song that satirizes their metal heroes Iron Maiden and also serves as the name of Sum 41's alter-ego heavy metal parody band. While the song is mostly done tongue-in-cheek, its dark themes contain some theological truths about the enemy: "The seas have parted/The endings started/The sky has turned to black/A killing spree through eternity/The Devil stabs you in the back/It's midnight now you must escape somehow/Torture is his leisure/Don't try to hide he'll make you subside/As he exchanges pain for pleasure/Pain for pleasure/He's the hunter you're the game/Pain for pleasure/Satan is his name!" While the song recognizes the reality of Satan, it leaves listeners in a hopeless and fearful lurch as it offers no hope from the Rescuer/Redeemer.

Does This Look Infected? (2002)

After touring the world and growing up musically a bit, Sum 41 picks up where they left off with the last song on All Killer No Filler with this 31-minute long album whose sound is clearly more influenced by heavy metal. "It's a lot more heavy metal, but not new metal," says Dave Baksh. "It's like circa Metallica when they were writing good metal songs" (rollingstone.com). Does This Look Infected? is "crazy, catchy and clever" (Rob O'Connor, launch.com), adjectives that describe all of Sum 41's music. The album's cover features Jocz made up to look like a bleeding zombie from an old B horror film. The liner notes feature all the band's members in a variety of similar bloodied horror-film poses. The album's title is a reference to nothing other than what the guys thought might be a good title after seeing Jocz's cover photo.

The disc kicks off with "The Hell Song," written about one of Whibley's former girlfriends who found out she has HIV. The serious song reflects on how quickly life can change. Whibley says, "Things are way more fragile and we're more vulnerable than we expect or think" (mtv.com). That reality is reflected in the song's lyrics: "I feel I've come to realize, how fast life can be compromised … Am I the only one who hates to stand by?" The band's sense of responsibility to do something led them to pay for all of the girl's treatment and medication. At the end of the song, the singer compares his life to hers, gains perspective and concludes, "suddenly I don't feel so insecure." The song could be used to spur discussion with teens about changing circumstances and the fragility of life. In the song's video, the group gets playful as only dolls, action figures and puppets appear on camera. While the song itself shows some steps towards maturity, the strange video does not as action figures depicting the band get urinated on by a dog and have whiskey poured into their faces. A George W. Bush puppet is depicted holding a missile. A Jesus action figure dances with Marilyn Manson.

"Over My Head (Better Off Dead)" was originally titled "Butthole." Whibley says the song is about "regretting something you said, usually the night before. Like, a lot of times, I wake up and think, ‘What did I do last night?' Then I'm like ‘f___ … better off dead.' It's not like I got into a fight or anything. I just got drunk and did something stupid—better off dead than this embarrassment" (mtv.com). Whibley says the issue is not that he regrets what he's done, but rather that he regrets having to hear about it. In the song, he directs his negative comments to the person who's doing the talking about him: "And now I can see, how fake you can be/This hypocrisy's beginning to get to me." In true postmodern fashion, the singer isn't discouraged or upset about his actions at all. It's simply the fact that someone has brought those actions up to him the next day.

In "My Direction" the singer confesses that "perfection is my direction," and even though he realizes he's not perfect nor can he achieve it, life really isn't so bad. That message is sent out as an anti-suicide call to hopeless listeners who are ready to let go and take their own lives. While the song clearly voices the frustration of so many kids ("Stuck in disarray can't find hope for better days … When will all my problems disappear? … Oh my oh my I'm going far past the brink/This pressures like a weight and I still can't think straight."), the band tells kids to keep forging on because, "I just know that life's not so bad."

Immediately, Sum 41 launches into a song bemoaning the fact that the world is a pretty awful place. "Still Waiting" (See lyrics on page 8.) is the first video and radio single release off the disc. The tune is a post 9/11 anthem that addresses not just the sad events of that day, but the general hatred that exists in the world. Whibley says, "It's about the war on everything. It's about the world as we know it. It's no secret that the world doesn't get along and there's all this hatred. It's everything to do with how this world functions" (mtv.com).

Originally titled "A__hole," "A.N.I.C." is an acronym for "Anna Nicole is a c___." Interestingly, the hate-filled 37-second-long song follows the band's anti-war anthem. The angry screaming song addresses the blonde model and reality TV star: "You look like a__ you smell like s___/So why are you such a d___/You walk around like you're the t___/You always make me sick/Bound for agony/Your life's a catastrophe/You're an a__hole." When asked about the song, Baksh says, "She's a f______ loser. Look what she's doing to herself" (rollingstone.com).

The angry mood carries over onto "No Brains," a song Whibley wrote to an old band member with whom he had a falling out. He describes it as "a basic f___ you, I'm done kind of song" (mtv.com). He sings, "I hate you today/I can't find a way/Don't drag me down now/Goodbye/I've had enough frustration/I won't get stuck/Goodbye/This dead end situation/Is just not worth my time … All this tension not to mention/I'm so sick of you."

Baksh says "All Messed Up" is about "just what we feel when we're on drugs" (rollingstone.com): "Another day wasted out of time/I can't get out of this/Altered state of mind/I'm going overboard/My conscience meets decline/Into reality/I know this can't be fine … I can't go on like this/Living like the dead." Still, while they feel messed up, they continue the cycle: "Well I hold my only enemy as closely as a friend." The singer does ask for help so that he can slow down on his busy lifestyle and on his use of drugs: "Can anyone help me drag my heels?"

Whibley says "Mr. Amsterdam" is about the complacency of pop culture: "We depend so much on new technology to make sure that we don't have to do anything. Everything's being laid out so we can sit at home and do nothing and never leave our homes. You can order all your groceries from the computer. You can do anything you want. You can just sit there and become fatter. And I think that's bad" (mtv.com). The song reveals the insufficiency of popular culture's failed attempts to answer the groans for redemption: "This world's a sinking ship/And our baggage is too heavy/I can't stop believing there's something to be said/What are we achieving with the bulls___ that we're fed? … We're prisoners to our homes/The outside's so unknown/I can't find the answers to save humanity." Sadly, the song ends as the words "So here's a resignation from me" are repeated over and over again. In the end, there's nothing to do but to give up.

"Thanks For Nothing" is addressed to the status quo who sell the lie that a life of material gain is fulfilling. The band rebels against that middle class lie, something that in the past they've accused their parents of pushing them into: "All I know is I've heard this all before/Reality's a bore/You ask me to believe in something fake … I won't take part in the businessman illusion … No patience this nation's obsessed with exploitation … Don't pick our future for us or act like we're the same." This is a song that could serve as a catalyst for discussion on the emptiness of materialism.

"Hyper-Insomnia-Para-Condroid" is a nihilistic cry for help that will resound with the band's disenfranchised and hopeless-leaning listeners: "The silence is still ringing in my head/Stuck on repeat/Not much longer I'll be dead so just forget me/I'm losing my mind and I don't think you could save me this time/And it goes on and on and I just feel helpless/How long will this take to wear out/On and on/When will I get through this?/Welcome to my own down and out/I'm crawling deeper in this hole/to disaster."

The spiraling-down continues on "Billy Spleen," a song about the trap of addiction. The singer addresses the object of his addiction: "This fake reality/I never can make up the time that you take up/It's my worst enemy/I'm on a mission to feed my addiction/So sick of thoughts so empty." Based on the band's past music and history, the song could be interpreted on two levels. On the one hand, the addiction could be at the level of a relationship where "no matter what I say, you turn you back away." Or on the other, the lyrical mention of "lines" and a "mirror" could be taken as a reference to a cocaine habit. Either way, it is clear that neither come through for him and they both let him down.

"Hooch" tells us that "hate breeds with nothing to believe in." The angry song reveals the singer's hurt from misplaced trust in a relationship that's fallen apart: "I should've known right from the start/That you'd take this trust and rip me apart." This sentiment explains why so many young people are hesitant and afraid to enter into deep and meaningful relationships. As the song comes to a close, Whibley laments over and over, "I'll fall into you, but don't believe that this is real."

Chuck (2004)

Released in October of this year, Sum 41's latest album reflects the fact that the group continues to be changed by their experiences and that they are slowly but surely starting to show some more maturity in their music. Derek Whibley says, "We've always written from our life experiences. In the beginning all we did was go to school and party, all that stupid s___, but as we get older, some serious stuff is happening to people around us" (rollingstone.com). As a result, there's a new element of seriousness found in their music. "When we started out, we were just getting out of high school," says Steve Jocz. "When you are in high school, your bubble is very small. As you get older, you start reading the newspaper, and in our case, we've traveled the world like four times, and we've seen all these different places and different cultures" (mtv.com).

Without a doubt the experience that's put Sum 41 into a sudden growth spurt is the experience that occasioned the disc's title. During the spring of 2004 the band traveled to the civil war torn Democratic Republic of the Congo to film a documentary for the Canadian nonprofit organization War Child Canada. While filming the movie, fighting erupted and the band had to retreat and huddle for hours in a hotel that was coming under heavy fire. Whibley remembers, "A bomb hit the hotel. Mirrors smashed off walls, and we all dove onto the floor. I had my hands over my head. I kept thinking, ‘We came here to do such a good thing, and we're going to die for it.' Nothing made any sense" (Rolling Stone, 7/8/2004). A United Nations Peacekeeper by the name of Chuck Pelletier saved the lives of 45 people including Sum 41 by evacuating them through gunfire into armored tanks. The guys feel they owe Pelletier their life. In a gesture of thanks, they named their latest album "Chuck."

The CD's cover and liner features drawings of war scenes and children. The album's lyrical content is more serious than the band's earlier records. The band's sound has evolved as well. The disc is more thrash-sounding and features a variety of new-to-Sum 41 instruments including strings, acoustic guitars and piano.

After an instrumental "Intro," the band launches into "No Reason," a song that immediately shows the band's new and more serious side. The band says there are complex and not-so-easily solved problems in the world: "The future's not so bright/Some can't make the sacrifice/It's more than just black and white/And I won't follow." The protest song asks people to change in order to make the world a better place. There's a definite anti-war sentiment: "Times like these I've come to see how/Everything but time's running out … Tell me why can't you see it's not the way/When we all fall down it will be too late/Why is there no reason we can't change/When we all fall down who will take the blame/What will it take … We've been wrong for so long/We've know this all along."

Inspired by the band's brush with death in the Congo, the single release "We're All To Blame" casts greed as the great sin of America and lays blame for the world's condition on everyone: "How can we still succeed taking what we don't need/Telling lies as alibis/Selling all the hate that we breed/Super size our tragedies/You can't define me or justify greed/Bought in the land of the free." Anti-government sentiments ring out when they sing, "Realize we spend our lives living in a culture of fear/Stand to salute and say thanks to the Man of the Year." Sonically, the song's flow captures what the band mates experienced in the Congo. "The song is so frantic and fast and then it goes calm and then out of nowhere picks up again," says Whibley. "That's basically what it was like—a minute or two of constant rapid fire and then just silence for like 10 minutes. And just when you think it's over, out of nowhere there's bombs and machine guns and it's just crazy" (Maclean's, 9/20/2004). Rather than play the blame game, in the end Sum 41 says the blame for greed and the world's condition is widespread: "Cause we're all to blame/We've gone too far from pride to shame/We're trying so hard we're dying in vain/We want it all, everyone, don't we all." Ironically—and perhaps sarcastically—the song's video pays tribute to a television show popular in the "me-decade" of the materialistic and greedy 1980s—Solid Gold. The band appears to be playing on the show while surrounded by the excessive and greatly exaggerated dance moves of the Solid Gold Dancers.

"Angels With Dirty Faces" deals with an obsession that is destroying the singer: "Obsession has begun/Possessed by destruction/How did I get so low/Believe me no one knows/Sometimes I can't hold on/And no one can help me … It feels like I need some help/It's too late to save myself/Now it's got a hold of me/I don't think I can make it through this." The obsession that has a death grip on the singer is unstated. All that's known is that it's put him in a "perfect hell." What might the obsession be? In light of the album's theme, it could be an attitude of domination or superiority over another. Or, based on past Sum 41 songs, it could be a drug addiction. Whatever it is, the singer longs for release from his burden.

Kids in the transition period of adolescence are given a philosophy of life in "Some Say." Among other things, the song tells listeners that, "Some say we're never meant to grow up" and "we're better off without knowing what life is about." Rather than listening to that advice, the singer tells young listeners that the pressures will always be there, they don't go away, things won't change, and as you get older you'll find that much of what you believed and were told was a lie. The only way is to ultimately make it on your own: "I can do this on my own/And if I fall I'll take it all/It's so easy after all."

"The Bitter End" (See lyrics at left.) is a nihilistic anthem about death. The end of life is inevitable and bitter and your prayers won't save you. The singer asks, "Who will greet you when you're at the bitter end?" The song could spark a lively discussion on issues of death, hope and life after death.

It wouldn't be a Sum 41 album without at least one break-up song. In "Open Your Eyes," his post-break-up ponderings leaving him feeling their relationship has become nothing but a "bad dream." He's helpless, not himself, hopeful things can be rekindled, and he's fallen apart: "Lately I'm not quite myself/Maybe I do need some help/It's just my confusion/I trust my delusions/Don't you regret you met me/I'll go through these steps to get me/Back to where we start/Before I fall I fall apart."

"Slipping Away" (See lyrics at left.) is a very touching and sad cry for redemption. It's a hopeless song that puts a face on our culture's cry for hope.

The dead-end of greed and materialism are revisited on "I'm Not The One." Sum 41 states the problem ("Welcome to obsession/It makes the world go ‘round/We're made up by the people we surround/We live and die for s___ we don't need/Well maybe that's the price of envy."), asks how it got to be this way ("When did we begin/To let ourselves give in/How'd it come to this/Miserable bliss."), and emphatically states their resolve to not get caught up in the vicious and deadly cycle ("Don't wait for me/Cause I won't just sit by/While you just bleed myself and others dry/Don't wait for me/To be there in the end/When you don't see the truth you just pretend/Don't wait for me.").

Life is depicted as hell in "Welcome to Hell." If heard in the context of political protest, the song is clearly a message to President Bush in the midst of an election year: "As your blood's running thin your time's running out/No one will be listening not even when you shout/When your angels turn to devils you'll finally figure out/That no one will be with you in the end."

In "Pieces" the singer tries to convince his former love interest that even though he's broken, lonely and alone, he's better off since their relationship ended: "I'm trying to let you know/That I'm better off on my own … this place is so empty."

Sum 41's belief that life is a vicious cycle without any hope or solutions is the theme of "There's No Solutions." The singer longs to escape his pain: "If just for one day I wish I could disappear/Just take me far from here … This constant pressure that keeps hanging over me/It makes me feel so empty." Ultimately, the cries for redemption will go unanswered: "There's no solution/Give me truth to my conviction/Is my own confusion reality or fiction/Am I out of my mind?"

The disc's final cut, "88," laments broken love and looks for release: "I feel like a prisoner/Trapped inside your broken world … Take this aggravation that I've thrown myself into/Change this situation just cause I need something new." As the song closes out and the album ends, Whibley sings the very telling words, "I'm losing control, I'm losing control," over and over again.

What's the draw?

Why is it that Sum 41 is so popular on the landscape of today's youth culture? What have they done to facilitate their connection with kids? What is it about their music that resonates so well with young people?

First, kids love music made by kids. The guys in Sum 41 are kids themselves. Sure, the guys in the band are all in their early twenties. But they have all admittedly been stuck in extended adolescence. While their recent trip to the Congo has sparked the maturation process, they've been making music as kids for kids for the last several years. Their juvenile antics have endeared them to young listeners. And, music perceived as "made by one of us" always sells in the youth market.

Second, their original non-originality has been a recipe for success. On the one hand, they play pop punk music, a style that has been selling well and connecting with kids for over 10 years. In that sense, there's nothing new and original about Sum 41. They've followed the tried and tested recipe for success. But by incorporating some musical originality into the pop punk genre, they've become a curious and interesting new twist on an old theme. Specifically, they've incorporated elements of heavy metal and hip hop into their musical package, a move that's set them apart from other pop punk bands and endeared them to a wider listening audience.

Third, they've grown up with their audience and know adolescent reality. Because they've been writing and singing as they've gone through the confusing years of their own adolescence, their music has an authenticity that reflects the reality experienced every day by their legion of young fans. Because they are in the thick of growing up themselves, their music about the struggles, angst, challenges, choices and problems of the teenage years accurately reflects and verbalizes much of what their young audience feels but can't put into words themselves. Deryck Whibley says of Sum 41's music, "The verses are really about what we do: growing up in the suburbs, going to parties and hanging out with our friends, and causing trouble. A lot of people say they relate to that" (Billboard, 5/19/2001).

Fourth, if you shoot straight about painful relationships, you're bound to connect. Today's emerging generations have experienced brokenness and heartache at unprecedented rates at the most basic foundation of human relationships—their family. So many have been let down by parents who have turned their backs on their commitments to each other and to their kids. A natural consequence has been that those who feel the brokenness the most are aggressively seeking relational wholeness through intense interpersonal and romantic relationships with their teenage peers. Numerous factors—including developmental immaturity and unhealthy dependence—make relational difficulty and breakups that much more traumatic. Sum 41 has not only been there, but these difficulties are the subject of much of their music. Consequently, they have put into words their experiences and feelings, a reality that's facilitated an instant connection with kids who experience and feel the same things.

Fifth, Sum 41 doesn't take themselves too seriously. One difference between neo-punk music and its original 1970s ancestor is that while today's neo-punk deals with many of the same angry, alienated and anarchal themes, many of today's pop punk musicians keep a smile on their face and a determination to have fun. While the adolescent years are difficult and confusing, they are also about having fun. Sum 41 has never forgotten that fact and they've gone out of their way to play. It's that playful spirit that's endeared them to an audience that not only hurts, but wants to smile.

Sixth, the music serves as emotional anesthesia. Popular music has always "ministered" to kids by providing a temporary therapeutic diversion from the realities of life. For example, teens who are angry often report listening to aggressive and rage-filled music as a way to deal with and vent their aggression. In the case of Sum 41, the frenetic beat and pace of the music may serve that same purpose for their young listeners. In addition, the band's humor and playful spirit may serve as a temporary diversion for kids whose circumstances might make it difficult for them to normally smile and laugh. Humor has always been used as a way to temporarily forget a painful reality, and the guys in Sum 41 have certainly gone out of their way to exemplify how to live, laugh and temporarily forget.

Seventh, extensive touring always builds a loyal fan base. Like most young pop punk bands, Sum 41 continues to maintain an aggressive schedule of live concerts. These high-energy events provide a way for the band to connect with fans and vice-versa in a setting where they can sing, dance, laugh, mosh and pump a collective fist at those outside the adolescent world. Typically, once a kid attends a concert, they are committed to loving and following the band.

Eighth, the music is a rush. In a day and age where more and more kids are turning to extreme sports and other risky activities in order to "feel alive," Sum 41 is making music that oozes energy and excitement. Their songs are short, catchy and breath-taking. Like other adrenaline-producing activities engaged in by kids, this is music for the times that can be almost addictive.

Ninth, Sum 41 captures the spirit of teen rebellion. Through their direct and indirect statements against society's status quo, Sum 41 rallies the young troops to collectively say to the adult world, "We don't want or need what you tell us we want and need. Instead, we'll live life our way." As teenagers pass from the dependence of childhood into the independence of adulthood, Sum 41 taps into and reflects that idealistic drive for independence.

Finally, heavy exposure always helps. Sum 41's music and story are all over the radio airwaves, MTV and teen magazines. This saturation has facilitated their popularity and guaranteed their musical success.

How should we respond?

There are great lessons we can learn from an analysis of Sum 41 and their music. If we are willing to look, the music can open our eyes to the realities and ministry needs of kids growing up in today's youth culture. Believe it or not, their music can help us develop a sensitivity to the children and teens we know and love. And, Sum 41 can guide and shape our response to young people so that our ministry efforts to communicate God's Good News can be heard, understood and received by the emerging generations. That said, what follows are suggestions and analysis drawn from an examination of Sum 41.

First, Sum 41 calls us to recognize that music is much more than just noise. Popular music is much more than background music for kids finding their way through adolescence. Instead, it serves as a map for kids going through their childhood and teenage years. Sum 41's brand of pop punk music is replacing the sounds of formulaic pop as the dominant music presence in the lives of children and teens, especially those who are very young. Five years ago, naïve moms and dads were turning their seven- and eight-year-old kids on to Britney Spears, Christian Aguilera, The Backstreet Boys and others like them. Relatively speaking, that was a more innocent choice at the time. Today, Sum 41 and others like them are making the "entry level" music that serves as the initiation point for new young music fans. But much more than that, their musical message is shaping vulnerable "believe anything" young children, and vulnerable "looking for guidance" teens.

Second, we must cite Sum 41 as a benchmark for maturity. The road from childhood to adulthood is confusing. Sadly, the road is getting longer for many in culture, leading to what has been labeled as "extended adolescence" and "delayed adulthood." Sum 41 seems to be locked into their teenage years. They've made a conscious decision to party, play and have fun as long as they can, thereby providing kids with an example that's both unhealthy and irresponsible. We must expose Sum 41's immaturity and resulting reckless behavior. Then, we must discuss what it means to be a mature adult, all the while using the band's low bar as a mark of what to move above and beyond. Fortunately, the band seems to be making a conscious move beyond the immaturity of their past as a result of their facing the reality and tragedy of world events. Even though it's still too early to tell where they'll wind up, the band's gradual move forward could serve as a worthy example of the need to gain a global perspective on life that sees the world as much bigger and more complex than the typically narrow and selfish field of vision characteristic of so many who are still young. We must lead young people to emotional and spiritual maturity.

Third, we must use Sum 41's Congo experience as a prompt for discussions on Christian social responsibility. Band member Dave Baksh says of the band's experience, "There is no way to describe how it feels to sit across from someone who is telling you these things about their life (war, rape, persecution, etc.), then come back to Canada where kids are worrying about what pair of Nikes to buy next" (hour.ca). Baksh's words and the band's experience remind us how easy it is to focus solely on ourselves while ignoring the needs of others. The band's wake-up call is not only something we can discuss with our kids, but something that should cause us to aggressively seek to involve students in missions and service opportunities. To gain and act on God's missionary heart for the world is a crucial step in forming and cementing the faith of the young.

Fourth, we must look for and affirm positive elements in Sum 41's music that reflect those things we know are good, true and honorable. Like all cultural elements, Sum 41's music reflects the way and will of the Creator as well as the mark of the fall. Sadly, Christians typically focus on and only see the latter elements in any music that isn't labeled as "Christian." By doing so, we miss out on how God's will and way might be found and reflected in the music of artists who make no conscious effort at all to reflect the mind of Christ. A closer look at Sum 41 should lead us to affirm their commitment to help others through their charity work, to affirm their growing understanding that materialistic greed is empty and wrong, and to affirm their accurate recognition of the fact that life is indeed fragile.

Fifth, we must hear Sum 41's music as a reflector of our culture's growing postmodern moral schizophrenia. In true postmodern fashion, Sum 41's music is full of consistent inconsistencies. Sadly, in a postmodern world, consistent inconsistencies are not seen as consistent nor are they seen as inconsistencies. Still, we must point out to our young where Sum 41 contradicts themselves and use those contradictions as a way to force kids into seeing their need to make a choice. For example, while Sum 41 at times sees and trumpets the dangers of drugs, they don't go far enough in condemning their abuse. In fact, their lifestyles serve as a call to get involved in substance abuse as a way to get through life and have fun. In addition, Sum 41 calls kids to hope but the band gives them nothing truly hopeful in which to have hope, leaving them to wallow in their own hopelessness.

Sixth, we must encourage youthful idealism within the context of respect for authority. One of the great aspects of adolescence is the idealism so many kids feel. Sometimes that idealism can quickly grow into a dissatisfaction with anything established or "old." When that happens, idealism can quickly turn into anti-authoritarianism. While it is a good thing to examine and question the status quo, that should always be balanced with a healthy respect for God-ordained authority, whether that be for parents, teachers, government or God. As we love and minister to our children and teens we must celebrate their idealism, listen to their ideas, interact with them on their thoughts and beliefs, answer their questions, and challenge them to never lose respect for authority as that will only bring them and our culture one step closer to anarchy.

Seventh, if young people are mad at the world, we must ask them "why?" When popular music reflects anger toward institutions, situations and ideas, we must be quick to listen and slow to speak. Sometimes the angry spirit and unconventional approach will make us uncomfortable or lead us to scream back a quick and equally angry response. In a world where young people's biggest complaints about parents, adults and the church are that we don't listen and we don't understand, we must go out of our way to listen and understand in a Christ-like manner. Since Sum 41's music puts into words what many of their young listeners feel but can't verbalize on their own, we must invite them to tell us the "what's" and "why's" of their anger. Then, and only then, will we open the door for them to hear our response, and will we be able to offer answers to their dissatisfaction that truly reflect a biblical world and life view.

Eighth, if young people are hurting, we must ask them "how?" Again, popular music has an ability to express what many kids aren't able to express themselves. If our children and teens are attracted to music from Sum 41 that expresses hurt, we must ask if that music is expressing their hurt as well. In effect, the music will serve as a pathway into their lives and a diagnostic tool for understanding their struggles and pain. By knowing specifics, we can love specifically by applying Christ's healing words and touch as we serve as His ambassadors.

Ninth, we must teach our kids that relationships are hard work. Like so many other popular musicians, Sum 41 sings about the pain and heartache of relational brokenness. Sometimes it's at the level of family. At other times, it's a romantic breakdown. Sadly, a growing number of today's young people have nothing close to a realistic idea of what is normal, healthy, and to be expected in family and romantic relationships. We must teach them that love is a commitment rather than a feeling. We must teach and model the biblical design and order for love, family, marriage, etc.

Tenth, we must teach our kids that human relationships are not ultimately redemptive. Without living in a restored relationship with their Creator, Sum 41 and their youthful followers will continue to groan for restoration and redemption. Like so many other musicians, the hope that Sum 41 feels when entering into romance is always short-lived as human love and relationships can never fill the God-shaped vacuum. We must continue to preach the message that while healthy human relationships are wonderful and necessary, they are never ultimately fulfilling. Then, we must seize the reality of their emptiness to proclaim the message of Christ and His redemptive mission.

Eleventh, we must help students see the temporary nature of Sum 41's diversions. The boys in the band have made it clear from day one that they're throwing a party and everyone's invited. The party, their humor and everything that goes with it are clearly a misguided attempt to escape from the realities of growing up, the need to take responsibility for one's self, and the pain they feel in their lives. Our kids need to realize that temporary diversions are never a permanent fix. At some point, the anesthesia wears off. Not only must we go out of our way to make this fact known to students, but we must point to the spiritual emptiness as the source of their yearnings. Then, we can point them to the message of the Cross that will fill them with a permanent hope and peace.

Finally, we must teach our kids to make wise music choices. Our goal should be to get our kids to think Christianly and biblically about their music and media consumption. Because of their vulnerability and inability to make good decisions on their own, young children who express a desire to listen to Sum 41—and there are lots of them—should be directed away from listening to the band. Overall, the content is inappropriate for young children. When our kids are young, we must think for them, thereby helping them to make healthy decisions. In this case, it is best to say "no." For our older kids who express an interest in Sum 41, we must sit down to listen to the music with them. Then, we must think with them by guiding them through the process of filtering the band's music and message through the framework of God's Word.

At some point, Sum 41 will be relegated to the ranks of "has beens" and their music will be relegated to the rack marked "oldies." That's the nature of change in the world of pop music. But until that day, Sum 41 is determined to keep making music and to keep touring until they are no longer having fun. They've just launched a nationwide tour with fellow pop-punksters Good Charlotte, a move that is sure to only increase their listening audience and cast the net of their message even wider. Our responsibility as those who love and minister to kids is to point them to the Truth and keep them from getting caught in the lies. For that reason, we can't ignore Sum 41 and our need to discuss them with our kids.

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