Feeling This

Lore & Background

The song originated on the very first day of producing the album in early 2003. Bassist Mark Hoppus asked an engineer to explain Pro Tools, as it was the band's first time recording digitally. As DeLonge and Barker arrived, they added tracks immediately, writing the entire song in one day. The lyrics were crafted separately: Hoppus wrote the choruses while DeLonge wrote the verses, neither discussing the content beforehand. Surprisingly, both had written about sex, creating a unique juxtaposition where the verses represent lust, the bridge passion, and the chorus romance. Barker described his drum track as "super in respect to John Bonham," specifically mimicking eighth-note triplets on the bass drum similar to Led Zeppelin's "Good Times Bad Times." Engineer Ryan Hewitt noted that the track features four distinct drum sounds created via old-school tape editing.

In Their Own Story

During recording, the band experimented with a faster-paced drum 'n' bass groove before settling on their signature sound. Barker initially included a cowbell in the chorus as a joke, expecting Hoppus and DeLonge to hate it, but it remained in the final mix. The song's conclusion features a unique accident: an engineer automated the music to fade but forgot the vocal tracks. Inspired by the Beach Boys, Hoppus loved the resulting a cappella interplay, and all members agreed to keep it. Guitarist Tom DeLonge performed a memorable off-key vocal line loudly in a 30-foot-long living room with microphones placed 10 to 15 feet away. The production utilized two tape machines to achieve flanged drum effects "the old school way," avoiding computer technology despite its availability.

Reader's Guide

"Feeling This" is composed in E major at 173 beats per minute, with a vocal range from E3 to B4. It opens with flanged drums and a sample from the game Captain America (1990) saying "Get ready for action!" The verses feature "half-barked" delivery reminiscent of hip-hop over stabbing guitar rhythms, while the chorus introduces a syncopated Latin-flavored backbeat. Commercially, it debuted at number 40 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart on October 18, 2003, jumping to number 13 in its second week. It peaked at number two on November 29, 2003, remaining there for two weeks behind Linkin Park's "Numb." The track spent twenty-six weeks on the Modern Rock chart and eight weeks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, peaking at number two on December 20, 2003. It also reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. Critically, it received acclaim for its vocal interplay and energetic production, becoming a concert staple that has opened hundreds of live performances.

Did You Know?

• The song was written entirely in one day on the first day of pre-production.
• Blink-182 accidentally titled a version of the song "Action" for the Madden NFL 2004 soundtrack due to an error by their label.
• The cowbell in the chorus was added as a joke by Travis Barker, who thought the other members would hate it.
• The iconic a cappella ending at the end of the song was kept because an engineer forgot to mute the vocal tracks during the fade-out automation.
• Tom DeLonge performed his loud, off-key vocal line in a 30-foot-long living room with microphones placed 10 to 15 feet away.