The Worst Teenage Angst

Teenage rebellion takes many forms. Whether that is shouting at your parents, getting drunk or simply sleeping until the afternoon. Regardless of where you sit on the spectrum, we can all agree that those teenage years are a challenge. For some, it is a challenge to stay on the straight on narrow, and for others, such as me, it is a struggle to fit in.

Music provided and still does provide many teenagers with an outlet. Whether that is through a jog-proof CD player (remember those) or mini walkman, we have been able to scream along to our favorite bands. MTV, Kerrang, and Scuzz were visual representatives of the change in me, helping me find four bands and songs that have lasted a lifetime.

The Pretender

No matter how old I get, the Pretender by the Foo Fighters is still one of my favorite songs. Dave Grohl with his long hair shouting into the microphone about pretending, which is something we all do as teenagers. Whether that is pretending about the number of women we have slept with (zero for me at the time), or how drunk we were at the weekend (never until University).

I wanted to be Dave Grohl as a teenager. The rebelious spirit embodied through the screaming and ability to connect to the audience. It drew me in and never let go. I even grew my hair like him and thought that I was the coolest human in the room.

Spoiler: I was not the coolest human in the room and kept my hair until the last year at University. It did not help me with the women and I left University still holding onto my teenage insecurity with the opposite sex.

As soon as I cut my hair I was able to put my insecurities in the past and move on. It is for this that the Pretender remains a top song in my library.

Faint

Linkin Park. Another screamo favorite, with their hit first album and ability to scream their lungs dry. They embodied what you felt as a teenager, ignored and simply trying to fit in with the crowd around you.

This song, Faint was my favorites as the rhythm just reached out and slapped me in the face to pay attention. 'I won't be ignored'. I mean the song was created for the teenage audience and I could not get enough.

Even now the song is one of my favorites and when I hear it, I regret.

I regret the fact that I did not go to see them live when I had the chance. A friend had tickets to see them at Milton Keynes but as it was the Jay-Z era of collaboration, I said no. I thought that it was going to be a joint gig, but it turned out that Jay-Z was only involved in the encore.

With everything that has happened since then, with regards to Chester, I will never be able to hear them perform. It is regret and a reminder to always take your chances when offered. A life lesson if there ever was one.

Rollin

Following on from the theme of screaming is another of my favorites, Rollin by Limp Bizkit. It is arguably one of their most famous songs and is the title that put them on the radar, or at least it did for the teenage me. It is also helped that a famous wrestler adopted Rollin as his entrance theme song at the time.

I was a huge Undertaker fan during my teenage years. It helped that he had changed his image up during this time to appeal to my demographic. It made him relatable and somehow, cooler. He was mysterious, would walk in and punch you in the mouth, before riding off into the sunset.

Whilst I never wished to see Limp Bizkit in concert, I certainly wished to see the Undertaker perform. It is unfortunately another regret in my life. On Sky Box Office I was able to watch him live but I missed the chance to do so in person and now very much doubt if I will be able to have another shot.

Pretty Fly for a White Guy

A song title that I imagine would be frowned upon nowadays, but at the time this was another go-to classic. Not in the same manner as the others songs in this list, as there is no screaming, just a jaunty rhythm combined with a humorous music video.

My favorite Offspring song was the Kids Aren't All Right, as it was a lot more traditional in the teenage angst sense, but it was Pretty Fly that always won the day. It was something different, offering a break from all the screaming to remind me that life is not all doom and gloom. It was a link from the past to the present. A welcome handshake on your way to bed.

A Final Thought

Music was a huge part of my life when I was 18. It helped me through the years of insecurity by convincing me that long hair and trying to be someone else was my path in life. It was not but through it all, I learned a great deal.

Music taught me who I was and whilst I cannot listen to it today without being a little depressed, I still have the odd afternoon in which I want to look back and relive those teenage years.

I have since lost the long hair, found love, and work in a corporate job for a monthly salary, but the spirit of creativity and independent thought is still alive. I look back on my time as a teenager and smile now. There was little responsibility, apart from the pressure of finding who I was.

I have regrets, but who doesn't? I never look back and hate who I was, I look back fondly and smile that at least I tried, I took part and said hello.