FeaturesJanuary 14, 20255,191 views

I (Still) Don’t Want to Grow Up: The Descendents' Sophomore Album Turns 40

Revisiting the Descendents' 'I Don't Want to Grow Up' 40 years later and tracking its continued influence on the worlds of pop-punk and hardcore

Descendents retro

By Noah Dominguez

The word "legendary" tends to get thrown around a lot these days, but it's hard to think of another word that adequately describes the Descendents and their impact on punk rock. Birthed from the Southern California hardcore scene, the Descendents were among the first to inject a more melodic sound into that style of music, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become pop-punk. Their 1982 debut album, Milo Goes to College, remains one of the most influential hardcore records of all time. But it's with their 1985 sophomore album, I Don't Want to Grow Up, that the Descendents' legacy truly begins to take shape.

While subsequent releases arguably surpassed it – 1996's Everything Sucks and 2004's Cool to Be You, for instance, are both fantastic albums in their own right – I Don't Want to Grow Up is the perfect microcosm of who the Descendents are. The album is still hardcore, but not afraid to be humorous. Still punk, but not afraid to be vulnerable. A bit juvenile in some of its lyrical content, maybe, but unmistakably earnest.

What's more, I Don't Want to Grow Up represents an early crossroads in the Descendents' discography. It finds the band revisiting where they had already been in their then-young career, while also offering glimpses of where they were going – and the bands they would inspire. Upon re-listen, it's no wonder why this record continues to influence the punk and hardcore scenes four whole decades later. What's amazing is that, had the chips fallen in a slightly different way, I Don't Want to Grow Up may have never been made at all.

For context, let's rewind a bit. The title Milo Goes to College refers to the fact that after recording the Descendents’ debut album, lead vocalist Milo Aukerman did indeed leave the band to pursue higher education. They apparently still played live every now and then, but the Descendents were effectively on hiatus after dropping their first LP. While things were in limbo, Descendents drummer and principal songwriter Bill Stevenson joined fellow SoCal hardcore band Black Flag, replacing Chuck Biscuits behind the kit. Stevenson was arguably Black Flag’s most prolific drummer, as he recorded five of their seven studio albums.

Coincidentally, it was Black Flag’s fifth album, Loose Nut – the fourth to feature Stevenson on drums – that would serve as the catalyst for a Descendents reunion. While recording Loose Nut in early 1985, Black Flag invited Aukerman to record backing vocals on the title track. It was during these recording sessions that he and Stevenson got to talking. Stevenson mentioned he had written some songs that would be much more at home on a Descendents record than a Black Flag one. And while a Henry Rollins vocal version of "Silly Girl" is certainly an interesting prospect, there was no need – Aukerman was officially back in the game.

Not long after the Loose Nut sessions, the Descendents were back in the studio for I Don't Want to Grow Up. Aukerman and Stevenson once again got the chance to record with bassist Tony Lombardo. However, the album also featured some new blood in the form of guitarist Ray Cooper, who had previously filled in for Aukerman on vocals during the hiatus era. This time around, Cooper replaced founding Descendents guitarist Frank Navetta, who himself had quit the band in dramatic fashion. Even so, Navetta did write the lyrics to "Rockstar," which was featured on I Don't Want to Grow Up.

But let's start at the beginning. I Don't Want to Grow Up kicks off with a track called “Descendents” – which is equal parts song and mission statement. The only track on the record where all four members of the band are credited writers, "Descendents" is a charmingly self-deprecating affair that lays out the eponymous punk outfit's goal for all to hear: "play hard, play fast." It also leads directly into the title track, "I Don't Want to Grow Up." This song was fittingly written by Lombardo, who was far and away the oldest member of the band. It's a defiant anthem about rejecting the conformity typically expected of those in the grown-up world. It even has a deliberately childish refrain that feels like it's literally thumbing its nose at adulthood. To that end, "I Don't Want to Grow Up" feels like a more jovial version of "Minor Threat" by, well... Minor Threat.

That brings us to another interesting point. While the Descendents have never claimed to be a straight edge band, some of their early lyrics honestly wouldn't feel out of place on a Minor Threat record. If you look at Milo Goes to College, cuts like "I'm Not a Loser" and "Bikeage" express a clear disdain for the culture surrounding drugs and alcohol. (That's something else the Descendents have in common with Black Flag. See also: "Annihilate This Week" from Loose Nut or "Drinking and Driving" from In My Head.) This trend continues in I Don't Want to Grow Up, albeit in a more positive way, with “GCF” – or, “Good Clean Fun” – which appeals to the idea that punks don't need to indulge in those vices to have a good time.

Circling back to "I'm Not a Loser," though, it's no secret that some of the Descendents' earlier songs haven't aged particularly well from a lyrical standpoint. And the band themselves have acknowledged as much. In recent times, the Descendents have made the conscious choice to change the lyrics of certain songs when they play them live, or remove those songs from the setlist altogether. One such song off I Don't Want to Grow Up is the libido-driven "Pervert." But while the song doesn't see any live play these days – perhaps understandably so – there's a distinct probability it helped introduce a whole new generation of listeners to the Descendents.

"Pervert" was included in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V as one of the songs featured on the Channel X radio station... which is honestly the perfect place for it. The track may not have a place on the Descendents' setlist anymore, but it certainly feels right at home in the raunchy, off-color world of GTA. It doesn't hurt that GTA V has been re-released multiple times in the decade-plus since its initial launch. Appropriately enough, the DJ for Channel X is none other than original Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris – a man who is very familiar with Bill Stevenson and the Descendents.

Though Morris and Stevenson were never in Black Flag at the same time, the two are lifelong friends. They also eventually formed the offshoot band FLAG alongside fellow Black Flag alumni Chuck Dukowski and Dez Cadena, as well as current Descendents guitarist Stephen Egerton (who replaced Ray Cooper in 1986). On top of that, Morris' own band Circle Jerks have gone on a number of co-headlining tours with the Descendents as of late. This all speaks to not only the Descendents' longevity as musicians, but also their unimpeachable place in the annals of hardcore.

But while there is a certain level of raunchiness on display, the true heart and soul of I Don't Want to Grow Up lies in its more sentimental offerings. Despite its title, this album seems acutely aware of the fact that getting older is an inevitability – and that it's not always going to be a smooth ride. This idea is on full display in the Stevenson-penned "Can't Go Back," a criminally underrated, upbeat track whose conversely bitter lyrics lament a loss of innocence. This sort of introspection regarding the passage of time and one's own life experience would become a staple of Stevenson's songwriting career, from "When I Get Old" in 1996 to "Without Love" in 2016.

All that being said, it's tracks like "Silly Girl" and "Good Good Things" that exemplify why the Descendents are considered the godfathers of modern pop-punk. These are pure, unabashed love songs that few hardcore bands would have been brave enough to put out back in the day. But the Descendents didn't care about maintaining any kind of macho image. In fact, doing so would have been completely antithetical to their identity as a band. They simply made the music they wanted to make, and we're better off for it. The Descendents not only stood by this approach as their career progressed, but encouraged others to do the same.

Blink-182, the biggest pop-punk band to ever lace up a pair of Vans, have often cited the Descendents as being among their biggest inspirations. Moreover, bassist and co-frontman Mark Hoppus has specifically pointed to "Silly Girl" as a song that shaped who he is as a musician. This influence is on full display in Blink's work, particularly in their earlier releases. Records like Cheshire Cat and the Buddha demo are Descendents down to their bone marrow. Basically, if you're someone who has ever loved Blink – or any of the bands they in turn inspired – you have the Descendents to thank. And if you want a taste of where that sound came from, I Don't Want to Grow Up is a great place to start.

These songs remain incredibly meaningful in the world of hardcore as well. It was only in 2023 that NorCal hardcore outfit Drain covered "Good Good Things" as part of their second studio album, Living Proof. Drain's intense, thrash-influenced sound is miles removed from anything the Descendents ever did. But that lineage is still there, and they paid homage accordingly, even going as far as to eschew their typical sound in order to deliver a more faithful rendition. In fact, Drain actually opened for Blink-182 last year. These two bands seem wildly different on the surface, but they have shared DNA – something they both clearly recognize. And it speaks volumes that the influence of I Don't Want to Grow Up can be felt not just 40 years later, but across multiple styles and sounds.

To quote the album's opening track: "We're not gonna let the music die. Join us if you've got the energy."


7 comments

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anonymous 35 days ago

I like the band but unfortunately the op ed section of lamb goat is so atrocious I scrolled past the article to write how gay this Noah dude probably is

anonymous 35 days ago

No one asked for this. At this point, you either know this band or you don't

Bortslob 34 days ago

Lurk just heard of this band

anonymous 34 days ago

Lurk wants bills sperm

anonymous 33 days ago

If you like that band f*ck you

anonymous 33 days ago

Let my people go

anonymous 13 days ago

Shit album. Only good song is my world