Weezer’s self-titled “Blue Album ” was released on May 10, 1994. It was their debut album in the alternative rock world, and it skyrocketed them to the 16th spot on the Billboard 200. It was also their most successful album, selling 15 million copies worldwide. It is an amazing album—41 minutes long and filled with fantastic guitar and vocals.
One of their best-known songs and one of my favorites is “Surf Wax America.” This song discusses the writer’s love for surfing. He says that when other people go to work, he goes surfing. He says this when he sings, “You take your car to work / I’ll take my board.” This sticks with me because this is their thing they have found the thing that brings them full enjoyment in life. Overall, this song has an amazing and very catchy guitar melody.
Another song that I think is very powerful is “Undone – The Sweater Song.” This song is about someone’s mental state coming undone. In this song, the sweater is a symbol for the writer’s mental health. When he leaves someone, they can destroy his sweater or his mental state. This is shown through the line, “If you want to destroy my sweater / hold this thread as I walk away.” When the person is leaving him, it is starting to untangle him. When this person does eventually leave him, he is as he says in the song, “Naked,” which is him saying that he is very vulnerable. The full line that is said is, “Watch me unravel / I’ll soon be naked / Lying on the floor, I’ve come undone.” This shows that when they walked away, they left him feeling vulnerable and naked. I like this metaphor because it just outlines how much one person’s actions can do to another person.
Overall, this album is an amazing blend of guitar and bass paired perfectly with vocals that tie the songs together. These songs, though not slow or even super sad, convey amazing messages to the listener to not only move them but to also make them start to be more introspective.
