Stay Together for the Kids

"Stay Together for the Kids"
Single by Blink-182
from the album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
Released February 19, 2002
Format CD single, Enhanced CD
Recorded 2000-2001
Genre Alternative rock, punk rock
Length 3:59
3:53 (Greatest Hits Version)
Label MCA
Writer(s) Tom DeLonge
Producer Jerry Finn
Blink-182 singles chronology
"First Date"
(2001)
"Stay Together for the Kids"
(2002)
"I Won't Be Home for Christmas"
(2002)

"Stay Together for the Kids" is the third single from pop punk band Blink-182's record Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. Although Mark Hoppus sings the song's two verses, Tom DeLonge, who sings the choruses, wrote this song about his parents' divorce during his teen years.

Contents

Background

During the 2009 tour, Mark dubbed the song as a definition for their reunion, stating that the band has done exactly what the lyrics of the song state: that they have been together, broke up suddenly and unexpectedly, and then reunited to continue doing what they love most.

Music video

The band originally started shooting the video for the song on September 10, 2001, and originally featured the band playing in a derelict house that was hit by a wrecking ball and fell apart during the song's progression. The next day when they went to finish the video, the September 11 attacks occurred, and both the band and director Samuel Bayer opted to re-shoot the video, as they felt the images of the house coming down were too similar to the images of the attacks in New York. The original version of the video is only available on a few of the band's DVD releases, as well as on YouTube.

They re-shot the video several weeks later with a similar theme, although this time the house used wasn't on the verge of falling down. Instead, winds swept through the band's performance during the song's chorus, and the house didn't come down during the video. The same extras were used in both versions of the videos. The scene where the house is hit by the wrecking ball can be also seen in the video for "Not Now".

In the video for the song, Skellie, the mascot of the punk rock band Social Distortion, can be seen in the empty pool.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Blink-182

Single track listing
No. Title Length
1. "Stay Together for the Kids"   3:59
2. "The Rock Show" (Live in Chicago) 3:06
3. "Anthem Part Two" (Live in Chicago) 3:47
4. "First Date" (Video) 3:17
EP track listing
No. Title Length
1. "Stay Together for the Kids"   3:59
2. "The Rock Show" (Live in Chicago) 3:06
3. "Anthem Part Two" (Live in Chicago) 3:47
4. "First Date" (Live in Chicago) 3:28
5. "Carousel" (Live in Chicago) 2:55
6. "First Date" (Video) 3:17
7. "Stay Together for the Kids" (Video) 3:50

Chart positions

Chart Position
Billboard Hot 100 116
U.S. Modern Rock Tracks 7
UK Singles Chart 117
Germany Singles Chart 73

External links