Rebel Girl

Album: Rebel Girl (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Angels And Airwaves frontman Tom DeLonge's interest in UFOs and aliens is well-documented: He is the president and CEO of To The Stars Academy, an organization that employs a team of experts to study extraterrestrial life. This space-age love song was inspired by his enduring obsession.
  • If you want to dance my love
    My little rebel girl
    Come a little closer now
    And let me in your world


    The song is the title track of Angels & Airwaves Rebel Girl album. Tom DeLonge explained to Kerrang that the tune is part of a motion picture and concept album combination:

    "It all centers around what's out there, and that there's so much more beyond the five senses that we always talk about, and different life forms that exist, and different ways of experiencing life and understanding that there's so much more than just going to work from nine-to-five and going to a sports game on the weekends.

    There's a magic in the way that the universe is built, and a lot of stuff that I've been doing with my company and everything on the side is about bringing all that stuff out. All the songs that go on it, and the movie that goes with it, will capitalize on, frankly, a bunch of information that I have that I've been amassing over the years working with people from the Central Intelligence Agency."
  • The song was inspired by Tom DeLonge's childhood love of new wave.

    "I grew up on punk rock music, but before I was in punk, it was new wave," the former Blink-182 guitarist told ABC Radio. "But the beginnings of new wave were punk bands that kinda discovered synthesizers, so the simplicity and the edge and the kinda youthful wonder was in a lot of those bands, like New Order and early Depeche Mode."

    DeLonge added that with "Rebel Girl," he aimed to replicate what his favorite new wave bands did, combining soaring synth riffs with a punk rock attitude.

    "I really tried to live within the world I grew up in," he said. "My hope is that people are responding to it because they hear it as not just some electronic dance song - it still sounds like a band."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"They're Playing My Song

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it?" Another songwriter told Jonathan to change these lyrics. Good thing he ignored this advice.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.