Bouncing Souls - True Believers
(download)
When this came out, I always thought of it in the context of that time. It was right about when, in the popular mind, the definitions of punk and pop punk merged into one, devaluing the former into devastation that it's proud legacy never deserved. Blink 182 was the biggest guitar-based band in America, hundreds of Mtv-approved copycats were enjoying their 1.5-hit-wonder moments, and rebellion was brought to you by Nike, Coke and the letters F & U.
That's just how I heard it at the time, because one wouldn't naturally think of The Bouncing Souls as a band to create a timeless song. Despite the first stanza's direct reference to friends, it applies to virtually anything that one can believe in. That portion disappears before the real song even starts, leaving you with the indelible notions of independence and dedication as the only themes. It's no "Imagine," but you have to admit that this punk's got a point.