Singled Out: Twin Berlin (Travis Barker)

Unfortunately, I think I write the best when life is the worst. Around the time I wrote "Can't Take, Take, Take", I was feeling stuck in a rut. I was going to college just to keep everyone off my case, since most of the people around me thought that the only way to any manner of success or happiness was through school. During that time, I isolated myself, going straight from work to home. I'd work on songs for a few hours, drive myself to a low-key bar named Snapper Magee's, drink by myself, then go home again and continue to work on songs until I was tired enough to sleep. I was totally fed up with the way things were going.

One night, I came home from the bar and started playing the opening riff to "Can't Take, Take, Take". I recorded it on my 8-track, plugged in my mic, and started singing over it. After three vocal takes, I had the majority of the melody pieced together along with a handful of lines. In hindsight, it was probably awful to listen to, since when I sit down to write a song, I don't have a specific idea in mind - it's mostly limited to me mumbling over guitar parts, trying to establish a melody. But, inevitably, a few lyrics stick and I can expand on those. Once I'm done it comes together into a representation of my life at that moment in time.

A major theme in this song is isolation from girlfriends and friends, stemming from my attitude that things normally don't work out, so why even bother? My living situation definitely played a role in shaping that belief. I was unhappy with my situation, hated a lot of people around me, and just wanted to get out. Since I couldn't, the next best option, as I saw it, was to avoid everyone, drink, and write songs alone in my room. This sentiment eventually evolved into "Can't Take, Take, Take", and I hope people are pleased with the result, and can identify with it, despite its somewhat lonely origins.