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Not Now

{{Short description|2005 single by Blink-182}}

{{about||the 1936 animated short|Not Now (film)}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Not Now

| cover = Blink-182 - Not Now cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Blink-182

| album = Greatest Hits

| released = {{start date|2005|11|28}}

| recorded = 2003 https://web.archive.org/web/20040203170807/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1476576/20030811/blink_182.jhtml

| studio =

| genre = {{flatlist|

Pop-punk

}}

| length =

  • 4:09 (original edit)
  • 4:23 (alternate edit)

| label =

| writer =

| producer = Jerry Finn

| prev_title = Always

| prev_year = 2004

| next_title = Up All Night

| next_year = 2011

}}

"Not Now" is a song by American rock band Blink-182. It was released in November 2005 as the sole single from the group's first compilation album, Greatest Hits (2005), through Geffen Records. "Not Now" explores concepts of death and its impact on those one leaves behind, and was written from the perspective of an out-of-body experience. Stylistically, it builds heavily around the band's trademark power chords and guitar riffs, and also employs a church organ to achieve a funereal atmosphere.

"Not Now" shares writing credits between the band's three members: guitarist Tom DeLonge, bassist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Travis Barker. It was produced and mixed by Jerry Finn. "Not Now" would be the band's last single before their four-year hiatus from 2005 to 2009. As the band had broken up by its release, the song's music video recycles clips from their past videos, concerts, and tours.

An outtake from the band's untitled 2003 album, "Not Now" had previously been released as a standalone single for iTunes and elsewhere prior to its inclusion on Greatest Hits. The song reached number 18 on Billboard{{'s}} Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

"Not Now" was originally recorded by the band for its self-titled 2003 album.{{cite magazine | title=Bizkit, Blink 182 Look Back With Retrospectives | magazine=Billboard | date=September 26, 2005 | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/bizkit-blink-182-look-back-with-retrospectives-61325/ | access-date=April 22, 2023}} According to DeLonge, the song is about an out-of-body experience after death,{{cite web | last=Ryder | first=Taryn | title=Mark Hoppus plays bass for the first time since cancer diagnosis: 'Wow' | website=Yahoo Entertainment | date=July 27, 2021 | url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/mark-hoppus-cancer-diagnosis-music-blink-182-222621081.html | access-date=April 22, 2023}} and being able to visualize your loss and its impact on loved ones. An early rendition, captured on a webcam, depicts DeLonge working through developing the song's words; an early rendition went "let's dance until I’m gone / I'm here hold on / to me, goodbye I'm leaving."{{cite AV media |people=Steinberger, Marc; DeLonge, Tom|date=March 18, 2004|title=“TOM'S ACOUSTIC RECORDING.”|url=http://www.blink182.com/community/video_comment.asp?AssetID=548779 |access-date=December 2, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060504133316/http://www.blink182.com/community/video_comment.asp?AssetID=548779|url-status=dead|archivedate=May 4, 2006|type=Web video|publisher=MCA Records}} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34DOVJrEgvo Alt URL]

Composition

The song's guitar riffs were compared to the Descendents by journalist Joe Shooman, and are interspersed by verses containing a church organ. Matt Mitchell of Paste also noted the similarities to the Descendents, dubbing the song "a tight, riff-heavy, pop-punk performance".{{Cite web|url= https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/blink-182/blink-182-best-songs|first=Matt|last=Mitchell|work=Paste|title=The 25 Best Blink-182 Songs|date=June 20, 2022|accessdate=May 26, 2023}}

Release and commercial performance

"Not Now" was first released for download on the nascent iTunes Music Store on the day of the album's release.{{cite web |title=Blink 182 Expand Australian Tour |publisher=Ultimate-Guitar |date=May 21, 2004 |url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_tours/blink_182_expand_australian_tour.html|access-date=April 27, 2014}} It was included as a bonus track on the UK edition of Blink-182, although it is unclear why it was originally left off the track listing of the international edition.Shooman, 2010. p. 124 The song was also included on Atticus: ...Dragging the Lake, Vol. 3 (2005), a compilation album released by DeLonge's clothing company, Atticus Clothing.Shooman, 2010. p. 139 Both of these physical releases are a slightly shorter edit, where the bridge is shortened, making it roughly 15 seconds shorter.

When the song was selected to be a single for the band's post-breakup Greatest Hits album, it ran into trouble with the trio's management, which were split between DeLonge (who remained with original Blink manager Rick DeVoe) and Hoppus/Barker (who switched to Irving Azoff to handle their new project, +44). The Azoff camp lobbied for the Hoppus-led "Another Girl, Another Planet" as the lead single, while DeVoe argued for "Not Now", which eventually won.{{cite news |author=Ken Leighton|title=Hackers' Delight |newspaper=San Diego Reader |date=March 30, 2006 |url=http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2006/mar/30/hackers-delight/|access-date=April 27, 2014}} "Not Now" was released to radio on October 18, 2005.{{cite web|url=http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16771|title=FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock|publisher=Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated|access-date=October 30, 2016}}

The song peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.{{cite web | last=Rogers | first=Jack | title=blink-182 Achieve First UK Top 40 Track In 17 Years With 'EDGING' | website=Rock Sound | date=October 21, 2022 | url=https://rocksound.tv/news/blink-182-achieve-first-uk-top-40-track-in-17-years-with-edging | access-date=April 22, 2023}}

Critical reception

"Not Now" received positive marks from contemporary music critics. Kieron Passaway in Kerrang! called it among the band's best, observing, "You can feel and hear the friction in the track [...] DeLonge appears to be pushing a separate sonic agenda which he eventually realized with Angels & Airwaves, while vocalist/bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker are busy reinforcing the trademark Blink sound."{{cite web | title=8 lesser known but brilliant blink-182 songs everyone needs to hear | website=Kerrang! | date=March 25, 2020 | url=https://www.kerrang.com/8-lesser-known-but-brilliant-blink-182-songs-everyone-needs-to-hear/ | access-date=April 22, 2023}} Matt Mitchell of Paste interpreted it as suggestive of the band's impending demise, writing, "DeLonge sings from the perspective of the song's protagonist, who, on the brink of death, much like the band at the time, keeps his loved ones close and promises to wait for them once he passes on."{{cite web | title=The 25 Best Blink-182 Songs | website=Paste Magazine | date=October 11, 2022 | url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/blink-182/blink-182-best-songs | access-date=April 22, 2023}}

Music video

The music video features clips of the band's past music videos, concerts, and tours.{{cite web | last=Piers | first=Ryan | title=Here are blink-182's music videos ranked in order of greatness | website=Alternative Press Magazine | date=May 11, 2020 | url=https://www.altpress.com/blink-182-music-videos-ranked/ | access-date=April 22, 2023}} There are two released versions of this video, but the only significant difference between them is that different clips from all of their videos are used.

There is also a third, possibly unofficial, video; this is seen on Australia's Channel [V]. In this version, the video is black and white and is made up of some of the band's previous music videos as well as some footage of their live performance in the 2000 Big Day Out during the bridge of the song. {{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

Format and track listing

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

;US Enhanced CD (2005)

  1. "Not Now" – 4:09
  2. "I Miss You" (Live In Minneapolis) – 3:57
  3. "I Won't Be Home for Christmas" – 3:16
  4. "Not Now" (music video)

;UK CD single (2005)

  1. "Not Now" – 4:09
  2. "Dammit" – 2:45

{{col-2}}

;UK 7" single part 1 (2005)

  1. "Not Now" – 4:09
  2. "Dammit" – 2:45

;UK 7" single part 2 (2005)

  1. "Not Now" – 4:09
  2. "All the Small Things" – 2:52

{{col-end}}

Charts

= Weekly charts =

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
scope="col"| Chart (2005)

!scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"|Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records){{cite web|title=Radio & Records Magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2005/RR-2005-11-18.pdf|publisher=Radio & Records|date=November 18, 2005|page=60|access-date=October 6, 2019}}

|align="center"|29

scope="row"{{singlechart|Billboardeuropeanhot100|88|artist=blink-182|song=Not Now|artistid={{BillboardID|blink-182}}|accessdate=2012-07-18}}
scope="row"{{singlechart|Ireland|49|artist=Blink 182|song=Not Now|week=48|year=2005|accessdate=2012-07-18}}
scope="row"{{singlechart|Italy|39|artist=Blink 182|song=Not Now|accessdate=2015-02-01}}
scope="row"{{singlechart|UK|30|artist=Blink-182|song=Not Now|date=2005-12-10|accessdate=2012-07-18}}
scope="row"{{singlechart|UKrock|2|date=20051210|accessdate=September 12, 2023}}
scope="row" | US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=blink-182|chart=Alternative Songs}}|title=Blink-182 Chart History – Alternative Songs|access-date=March 19, 2015|magazine=Billboard}}

|align="center"|18

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format(s)

! scope="col"| Label(s)

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"| United States

| November 15, 2005

| Alternative radio

| Geffen

| {{cite web|url=http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16771 |title=FMQB – Available for Airplay Archive |work=FMQB |access-date=April 24, 2017}}

scope="row"| United Kingdom

| November 28, 2005

| {{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD}}

| {{hlist|Geffen|Island}}

| {{cite magazine|title=The Schedule: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=17|date=November 26, 2005}}

References

{{Reflist|colwidth=45em}}

Bibliography

{{Refbegin}}

  • {{Cite book

| last = Shooman

| first = Joe

| title = Blink-182: The Bands, The Breakdown & The Return

| date = June 24, 2010

| publisher = Independent Music Press

| isbn = 978-1-906191-10-8

}}

{{Refend}}

External links

  • {{YouTube|HvcOuExmeJg|Official music video}}

{{Blink-182 songs}}

{{Blink-182}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Blink-182 songs

Category:2005 singles

Category:2003 songs

Category:Geffen Records singles

Category:Island Records singles

Category:Songs written by Mark Hoppus

Category:Songs written by Tom DeLonge

Category:Songs written by Travis Barker