Travis Barker's Tattoos Have Tons of Meaning

In 2021, Barker got Kardashian's lips tattooed on his left bicep a week after getting engaged. The design was inked by New York-based tattooist Scott Campbell.

Barker got this matching tattoo with fellow musician and longtime buddy Machine Gun Kelly in August 2021. The design, which reads "born with horns," sits on both their left forearms. The phrase was supposed to be the title of MGK's sixth studio album for which the two artists collaborated. However, the "Forget Me Too" singer later decided to rename the record to "Mainstream Sellout."

Barker's left wrist spells the name of his daughter, Alabama Barker, whom he shares with his second ex-wife, Shanna Moakler.

The logo of his vegan restaurant franchise, "Crossroads Kitchen," which contains two knives placed diagonally, is inked on his left bicep, near his elbow.

Barker has a microphone design on his left forearm, which may represent his love of music.

At the top of his left arm, Barker has a detailed design of Jesus accompanied by a cross and a thorny crown. It signifies his faith, as he was raised Catholic.

Right below the ink of Jesus, Barker has a set of roses inked on his left arm.

The Blink-182 drummer got his birth year, 1975, tattooed on his left wrist, with "19" on one end and "75" on another. Both numbers are encircled in what appears to be a drum.

He has the brand logo of the popular automobile manufacturer Chevrolet on the back of his left hand.

A massive rose ink sweeps across the back of his left hand and a tiny cross surrounded by four small lines is placed on the side near his thumb.

The former punk-rock band Misfits's logo, inspired by the 1946 movie "The Crimson Ghost," also found a place in Barker's expansive tattoo collection. The skull symbol sits on his left thumb. Barker dedicated this piece to the '80s band, who helped inspire his musical journey.

He has tiny cherries in red, green, and black ink tattooed near his left wrist. The significance behind the ink is unknown.

A tiny dagger is placed right above the cherry design. Small colorful stars surround this ink.

Barker got a pair of dice on his left bicep. One cube shows the digit "6," while another displays "1" on top. Together they make up 7, which is Barker's lucky number.

Barker has a spider tattoo located on his left forearm near his elbow.

Barker has a skull tattooed near his left elbow. The numbers "1" and "3" are drawn inside the eye sockets and denote the number 13 together.

During his December 2018 appearance on the 106.7 FM KROQ's Kevin & Bean, Barker got the letters "LLJ" tattooed live on the inside of his left forearm. The phrase means "Long Live Jahseh," and is a tribute to the late Rapper XXXTentacion (real name: Jahseh Onfroy), who was killed in 2018.

Barker also has the abbreviation "FTW" inked on his left forearm, though, what it means, remains a mystery.

The rockstar has a mysterious female portrait on his left bicep, which depicts half a face. However, it isn't clear who this portrait belongs to.

The musician has "INRI" inked on his upper arm near the elbow. The ink originates from the Latin phrase "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum," which translates to "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" — the inscription etched on the cross over Christ's head during the crucifixion.

In May 2021, Barker got the word "Guilt" tattooed near his left elbow. In the exact location on his right arm, he has the word "Survivors," making the ink together refer to the survivor's guilt. The ink likely echoes Barker's survivor's guilt following the near-fatal escape he made during a 2008 plane crash.

On the inside of his left bicep, Barker got a scorpion tattoo in solid black ink, which strategically covered the tattoo of his second ex-wife's name adorned over a heart. The design is likely a nod to the musician's zodiac sign. He was born on Nov. 14, 1975, which makes him a Scorpio.

Barker's right knuckles spell "Dues," while his left knuckles say "Paid," together making a meaningful statement.

Tattooed on the side of Barker's hands are the words "I did it my way.." with "I did it" inked on his right hand and "my way.." placed on his left hand.

The drummer has the phrase "Live & Learn" split over his thumbs, with "Live &" inked on his right hand and "Learn" on his left.

Placed below the Misfits icon, Barker has "120%" tattooed on his left thumb.

In 2021, "The Kardashians" star marked her love for Barker by drawing a meaningful tattoo across his arms. The ink reads "I Love You" and is placed on his right forearm.

The inside of Barker's right wrist holds the ink of his son Landon's name, whom he shares with his second ex-wife Moakler.

Barker has a striking spider web design inked on his right arm that starts at his elbow and extends up to his forearm.

A beautiful blue bird is inked on Barker's right elbow. The colorful design uses blue, black, and red ink.

Two black-and-blue nautical stars are inked on the back of Barker's triceps. Though the inspiration behind Barker's ink isn't known, a nautical star tattoo symbolizes good fortune and guidance.

A red devil cartoon is placed on Barker's right arm near the elbow, which draws inspiration from the Black Label Skateboard logo and shows his love for skateboarding.

Barker has the iconic for the brand Gorilla Biscuits on his right forearm, which he got in 2014 as a matching ink with Toby Morse, the lead vocalist of the band H₂O.

The Spanish word "Familia" is inked on Barker's right forearm, which he dedicated to his family. The cursive script is surrounded by beautiful roses and stars drawn in red, blue, green, and black ink.

A massive tulip ink sweeps across Barker's rift upper arm. The beautiful floral artwork is done in red, green, violet, and black ink.

Barker paid a touching tribute to his late mother by dedicating a tattoo on his left forearm to her. The words "In loving memory of Gloria" are spelled across a banner in cursive below a portrait of the Virgin Mary. Barker's mother, passed away after a battle with cancer when the drummer was only 13. She played an instrumental role in inspiring the rock star to become a musician. Barker often attributes his success to his mother's immense support.

In 2013, Barker got another motivational phrase tatted on the back of his right hand near the curvature of his thumb and index finger. "Nobody cares go harder," it reads.

Barker has a bunch of tiny musical notes inked on his right forearm, as well as a set of drumsticks adjacent to them.

A skull with a lit cigarette in its mouth sits on the top of Barker's right shoulder.

He has a design of a drum and drum sticks right below the smoking skeleton ink on his right shoulder. The ink represents Barker's love for playing the musical instrument.

Barker paid tribute to the late tattoo artist Michael "Trigz" Pebley, who was killed in 2014. Placed along the length of his right forearm, the piece reads: "Trigz RIP."

A dollar sign design is inked on Barker's right forearm near the elbow.

"TLB" is tattooed next to the dollar sign on the rock star's right forearm. The ink represents the initials of his full name, Travis Landon Barker.

In 2014, Barker got a skull with two roses rising from the sides of it on his right forearm near the wrist. The stark imagery often represents the eternal cycle of life and death — the balance between light and darkness. Before this, the initials of Barker's second ex-wife, Shanna Moakler, "ST," were marked in this location.

Barker got a solid black-inked skeleton on the back of his right hand in May 2021. The tattoo given by tattooist Scott Campbell also features a flower in place of one of the crossbones.

Barker has his lucky number "7" tattooed in 3D on his right forearm.

A pair of theatrical masks — one face with a happy expression and another sad — is inked on the backside of Barker's right shoulder. The thespian masks symbolize the positive and negative emotions — the comedy and the tragedy — a human experiences in life.

The drummer has a martini glass (complete with an olive) tattooed on his right forearm near his elbow. It might be a nod to Barker's favorite cocktail.

A tiny rabbit's foot tattoo is placed on Barker's right tricep. The motif is widely believed to be a harbinger of good luck.

A single intrinsic eye is etched onto the inside of Barker's right forearm. It isn't clear whose eye this is, unlike the eyes he tattooed on his thigh.

Another mysterious half-face is inked on Barker's right bicep directly above the blue bird and adjacent to the tulip artwork. The ink includes an eye, nose, lips, and a mole on the cheek.

Barker has a meaningful tattoo on both his knuckles that perfectly sums up his journey to fame and success. The fingers on his right hand have the word "SELF" while his left fingers together spell "MADE." The musician got this ink to remind himself that he has no one but his talent and hard work to thank for the success he has achieved in life.

He has another scorpion ink on the back of his right hand that is dedicated to his astrological sun sign.

Barker sealed his love for the Kardashian by getting her name tattooed over the left side of his chest. The ink features "Kourtney" written in beautiful cursive handwriting.

Dag Nasty is one of Barker's all-time favorite bands that comforted him in his teenage years. To mark his adoration, he got a "Can I Say" tattooed over a banner on his chest (below the collarbone). It's the name of the punk rock band's first album, released in 1986. It's also the title of Barker's autobiography, which came out in 2015.

Barker got the phrase "Chaos often breeds life. When order breeds habit" inked across his clavicle. The script is a quote from the American historian Henry Adams.

Barker has the word "Pal" spelled across the top right side of his chest. In his autobiography, Barker opened up about the matching ink that he got with his dad, who was initially adamantly against Barker ever getting one. Pal is also a nickname the father-son duo used to refer to each other ever since Barker was young.

Barker's favorite automobile brand Cadillac's 1947 emblem is tattooed in the center of his chest. The tattoo, like the original logo, is done in red, green, yellow, and black ink.

Barker has a pair of mudflap girls tattooed on either side of the Cadillac ink. The silhouettes are a mirrored reflection of each other.

Barker's two spark plug tattoos are located on either side of his "Can I Say" ink.

The names of Barker's two sisters, Randalai and Tamara, are inked in cursive script on the left side of his chest.

"Family Over Everything" script is written on Barker's upper back above his family portraits, which include drawings of his father, mother, and his kids.

"Mom" is written in a banner style on the nape of his neck.

The motivational quote "Never Give Up, Never Give In" is situated on his upper back. Each word is spaced by an equal sign, and the ink also features a cross in the middle of the quote.

After suffering severe three-degree burns from the plane crash, Barker decided to redo his back and make it personal with the portraits of his family members. In the top right corner, he has his father's portrait, adjacent to that he has his mother's portrait. His son Landon's portrait is on the right side of his back, while his daughter Alabama's portrait is placed below his dad's tattoo. The entire family tree was simultaneously done by Chuey Quintanar and Franco Vescovi, which took 10-hour sessions.

A Jesus portrait is among other notable designs on Barker's back, in the center of the family portraits.

A 1953 Cadillac model also found a place on Barker's back, next to the portrait of his son.

Barker has a positive affirmation tatted on his lower back. The ink says "Hope" in bold block letters.

The names of all his children are written across his lower back in order: Landon, Atiana, Alabama. While he shares Landon and Alabama with ex-wife Moakler, Atiana is the name of his step-daughter from Moakler's relationship with Oscar De La Hoya.

In August 2020, Barker debuted his "Don't Trust Anyone" tattoo that he got across his neck.

Barker has two race flags tattooed on the right side of his neck. In the middle of the flags is the number "66." Together they represent the drummer's year of favorite Cadillac.

A Marilyn Monroe portrait is inked in the middle of Barker's neck.

Barker paid another tribute to his mother by getting her name, "Gloria," inked at the top of his neck, near his jawline.

The script "In God's Hands" is placed directly above the "Gloria" ink in block letters.

He has a decorative musical note tattooed on his neck below his left ear.

Barker had "Melissa," the name of his first ex-wife, written on the right side of his neck below the ear. After the couple split in 2002, the musician got her name covered up with a rose design.

The left side of his neck is adorned with a colorful design, which includes the phrase: "Live Fast Die Fun."

"Cadillac" is spelled vertically across Barker's right ribcage in cursive. According to Barker, he sat for 12 hours in a chair to get this done. This is the longest he has ever spent getting tatted.

Barker's love for a Cadillac knows no bounds, and his tattoos prove it. The musician got another brand logo from the 1947 edition on the right side of his torso, beside the massive "Cadillac" ink.

Barker got a boombox design tatted on his stomach to mark his childhood love of break-dancing. An angelic winged figure is also drawn on top of the boombox. He got it when he was 21.

Located under his boombox tattoo is the script "Lover."

Barker's record label company, Lasalle, founded in 2004, also found a home among his extensive tattoo collection. The ink is placed over the musician's right ribcage.

Barker paid tribute to his late French bulldog named Blue by getting his portrait on his left thigh, near his knees. The tattoo was done by Dr. Woo in November 2022.

Barker also paid tribute to DJ AM (real name: Adam Goldstein). DJ AM was the only other person to survive the 2008 jet crash with Barker, but later died expectedly in 2009. The tribute features the script "In Memory of DJ AM," with a crying angel holding hands at the bottom of it. The tattoo is located on his left thigh.

In an interview with GQ in 2015, Barker explained that he reserved a portion of his thigh for his kids to give him tattoos. "It's like a sketchbook. Those are the memories that are really priceless," he said. In another chat with Vice, the musician revealed that his son, "Landon put a cross with his name, with an L and an A, and Alabama put a heart." Both of these designs sit on his left thigh.

Tattooist Chuey Quintanar gave Barker a skeleton tattoo on his left knee in November 2020.

Located directly below the skeleton are the block letters "DTA," which is the name of the record label founded by Barker in 2019 and stands for "Don't Trust Anyone."

A flying Hawk is inked on his left foot, which he got in April 2022.

In March 2021, Barker debuted the "True Romance"-inspired tattoo on his Instagram, which is believed to be a nod to he and his wife's favorite movie. As a reference to the 1993 Quentin Tarantino movie, it says "You're So Cool!" at the top of his right thigh, with a heart drawn below the script.

Barker got Kardashian's eyes tatted on the top of his right thigh, which he playfully teased in a series of Instagram photos shared in January 2022.

In keeping with the tradition of getting his favorite bands tattooed on his body, Barker got the cover art of Descendents' 1985 record, "I Don't Want to Grow Up," along with the album title, on his right shin.

Barker lost two of his close friends, Chris Baker and Charles "Che" Still, during the plane crash in 2008. To pay tribute to them, he got a memorial for his friends on his right thigh. While recovering from his injuries, Barker was unable to attend their funerals, so the ink helped him process the loss in a way. "Once I realized I'd lost two of my friends, I was like, "Can I get a tattoo artist to come in right now?" I missed their funerals, so I guess I was looking for some kind of closure," he said to GQ.

In July 2020, Barker got a spider web that weaves from the center of his right knee and goes slightly up onto his thigh.

Audrey Hepburn's portrait is inked on his right mid-thigh.

Barker had all his leg tattoos burnt off while in the plane crash. Among the ones that meant the most to him was the "Bones" tattoo he got on his leg, which was the first ever ink he got. Barker recalled to Vice that he was only 16 when he got the tattoo — it was his nickname growing up due to his slim build. There was also a Dag Nasty flame logo, which is one of Barker's favorite bands.

Barker has a tiny anchor tattoo on his face near the outer corner of his right eye. Though the drummer hasn't shared the relevance of the design, an anchor tattoo typically represents resilience and peace.

A small black solid star is inked near his left eye.

Right beneath the star design, Barker has the word "Blessed" written in beautiful cursive script over his left cheek. This ink might encompass his feelings after narrowly surviving the 2008 plane crash. "I definitely think I was blessed, and I'm here for a reason after being the only survivor of a plane crash," he said.

In November 2020, Barker enlisted famous celebrity tattooist Dr. Woo's help to add a single-needle rose tattoo to his collection of face artwork. The tattoo is drawn on the side of his left cheek parallel to his ear.

A cross outline with his kids' names, Alabama and Landon, is located on the left side of Barker's head.

Barker has the phrase "One Life One Chance" tattooed in the center of his head. It's the title of an H₂O song, as well as the name of a nonprofit organization founded by the punk-rock band's lead vocalist Toby Morse, a close friend of Barker. The organization aims to raise awareness among youth and children to choose a healthy lifestyle and promote a drug-free life. Morse tapped Barker to further drive the cause in 2010, and in 2012, Barker permanently etched the words on his skin.

As an ode to the Transplants, the punk-rock band he joined as the lead drummer in 2002, Barker got the logo of the band — a person wearing a gas mask — permanently inked on the back of his head. Barker revealed that he got this tattoo to commemorate finishing the album.

Two praying hands are inked on the left side of his head. The ink, which Barker got when he was 19, likely symbolizes Barker's religious faith.

Barker expressed his adoration and devotion to his family by getting a "Family First" tattoo on the left side of his head on top of the praying hands. The ink might be a sweet tribute to his family and keeping them in his prayers.

His last name is inked in a banner beneath the praying hands.

A massive Virgin Mary design is located in the center of Barker's head, which is a tribute to his Catholic upbringing. This tattoo even inspired Kardashian's veil during their wedding ceremony in Portofino, Italy. The drummer opened up about the inspiration behind the ink in the 2015 interview with Vice. "I was brought up Catholic. I definitely pray; I believe in God," he said. "I definitely think I was blessed, and I'm here for a reason after being the only survivor of a plane crash. So I'm not at church every day, and I'm not pushing religion on people. But I believe in God, and I pray, and my kids pray."

A script that says "Family Loyalty Respect" is inked below the Virgin Mary tattoo and is placed over the hairline.

A blooming rose sweeps across the front, left side of his head, where a tiny skeleton design sits in the middle of it. It could stem from the perpetual cycle of morality and death.