Mutt (song)

Guitarist Tom Delonge wrote the song for a surfer friend.

"Mutt" was written primarily by guitarist Tom DeLonge. "Mutt" was written for DeLonge's friend and former roommate,[2] surfer Benji Weatherly. The two lived together in Pacific Beach, California for three years in the mid-1990s; an editorialist for Men's Journal described the duo's reputation for "wine, women, and song" as the stuff of "local lore".[3] Weatherly was known as "Mutt" among friends, a nickname co-created by musician Jack Johnson,[3] and his popularity among women inspired the song. "It's just a song about a guy and a girl who like to have sex and who don't really care about much of anything else," DeLonge said in 2000.[4] The song soundtracks Weatherly's appearance in the Taylor Steele surf film The Show (1998).[4]

"Mutt" tells the story of a popular, affluent, amorous couple. The narrator possesses a "loathsome" view of their behavior, which Billboard contributor Chris Payne describes as acting as though "they're in constant audition for a porn flick."[5] The song opens with a drum fill, followed by a bass riff from Hoppus that alternates between the chords A₅ and D₅.[6] DeLonge begins the first verse by introducing the male character, purportedly inspired by Weatherly: "He pauses shaving and he tells himself that he is the bomb."[2] According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Kobalt Music Publishing America, "Mutt" is written in common time with a tempo of 212 beats per minute, and is set in the key of A major. DeLonge's vocal parts span from G♯₄ to E₅.[7]

An early version of "Mutt", with original Blink percussionist Scott Raynor behind the drum kit, was recorded with producer Mark Trombino and appears on The Show's 1998 soundtrack.[8] It was recorded at Big Fish Studios, a studio the band had previously utilized when recording their 1997 album Dude Ranch with Trombino.

The band later that year re-approached "Mutt" with producer Jerry Finn and drummer Travis Barker, who replaced Raynor midway through a 1998 tour. The band had signed on to make a cameo appearance in the upcoming teen film American Pie, then in pre-production and titled East Great Falls High. DeLonge and Hoppus had read the film's screenplay and found it hilarious. The trio recruited Jerry Finn, a veteran punk producer who had worked with Green Day, to record a new version of "Mutt". They were impressed with his production and mixing work, which they viewed as "phenomenal",[9] and hired him to produce their next album, Enema of the State. Drummer Travis Barker receives no songwriting credit, as he was considered a touring musician at this point in their career.[10] He later grew to dislike the song's final recording, as he was very new to the band and had yet to write a better drum part. In live versions, Barker has often changed the song's breakdown to a more hip hop-inspired beat.[11]

"Mutt", as stated above, first appeared as part of the soundtrack for The Show, a 1998 surf film directed by Taylor Steele, and released through Theologian Records. The trio performed the song later in the year on the Australian music program Recovery, first aired May 16, 1998. The re-recorded version of the song appears as part of Enema of the State, released on June 1, 1999. This edition also was synced for placement in American Pie, released on July 9, 1999; its soundtrack features "Mutt" as well and was issued by Uptown Records on June 29, 1999.[12]

"Mutt" played a significant role in the band's mainstream breakthrough, according to Andy Greene, writer for Rolling Stone.[13] Billboard contributor Chris Payne considered it one of the less memorable songs on Enema.[5] A 2016 Rolling Stone reader's poll placed the song at number nine on a top-ten ranking of the band's best.[13]