Some music you grow out of, other music grows up with you. Bleed American is an example of the latter.
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Have you ever heard someone say, “This is my jam!” when a song comes on. Essentially, what they are saying is that the song that just came on is one their favorites.
When it comes to favorite music, Jimmy Eat World has been mine for a long time. One of the reasons that they are my favorite band is that both 13-year-old Nick and 30-year-old Nick have said “This is my jam!” when one of their songs have come on.
Because of this, I’ve concluded that some music you grow out of while other music grows up with you. Bleed American is an example of the latter.
Bleed American is the fourth album by Jimmy Eat World. It released on July 24th, 2001. It is also my favorite album.
On the 18th anniversary of Bleed American, I want to share about three of my “jams” from this album. These are songs that I grew up with and that in some ways have grown up with me.
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“The Middle“ was the first song that I ever heard from Jimmy Eat World. I was 13-years-old and it was love at first listen. Being a teenager can be an awkward “middle” stage in-between adolescence and adulthood. As a new teenager, the chorus was my anthem…
It just takes some time // Your in the middle of the ride // Everything will be just fine // Everything, everything will be alright //
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“A Praise Course” was a song that I use to skip past. As a teenager I saw it as the song in-between the title track and “The Middle.” However, at 25-years-old I had a lot of insecurities about going back to college. Because of this, the first verse resonated with and the new season I was in…
Are you going to waste your time thinking // How you’ve grown up // Or how you missed out? // Things are never going to be quite what you want // Even at twenty five you got to start sometime //
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“Cautioners” isn’t a song listen to often. However, on the night of an unexpected breakup I had it on repeat. In that moment, it felt like Jim Atkins had written the second verse about me.
I’m making my peace // And making it with distance // But maybe that’s a big mistake // You know I’m thinking of you // I miss you //
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“The Middle“ is usually the song that Jimmy Eat World closes their live sets with.
I saw them for the third time last month (Did I mentioned that they’re my favorite?). As I had recently transitioned out of my job and ministry, I once again found myself in an in-between stage (see my post called, “THE HALLWAY”).
With my arms on the barriers, singing along up front, I found that I was once again saying to myself, “This is my jam right now!”
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What is your favorite album or ”jams”?
What memories or moments do those songs remind you of?
Nick Chellsen 