The band existed for almost a decade before mainstream success. The members met and played in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School under the name Pezz and remained underground in Toronto's indie music scene until 2001. The band renamed itself Billy Talent after running into legal trouble with the old name. It was then that Kowalewicz's connection with an employee of Warner Music Canada's A&R department landed the band a record deal and launched them into mainstream success. Since then, Billy Talent has made three multi-platinum records in Canada and continues to expand their success overseas; this included touring for 20 months supporting their second album. They released their third album, Billy Talent III, in 2009, and their fourth album, Dead Silence, in 2012. Dead Silence was followed up by a full UK tour throughout October and November 2012. To commemorate the longevity since the release of their first studio album, the band has released a greatest hits album entitled Hits in 2014. In 2015, they began to prepare material for their fifth studio album. Just before entering the studio, drummer Aaron Solowoniuk decided to sit out the recording sessions while he continued his longstanding battle with multiple sclerosis. Fellow Canadian Jordan Hastings was quickly recruited to play as Solowoniuk's studio stand-in, and, in early 2016, the group completed work on Afraid of Heights, which was released in July of that year. The band's most recent album is Crisis of Faith, released in January 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Talent
Studio albums
Billy Talent (2003)
Billy Talent II (2006)
Billy Talent III (2009)
Dead Silence (2012)
Afraid of Heights (2016)
Crisis of Faith (2022)
Sympathy
Billy Talent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I can't erase,
These things that you say,
Don't make it all OK, it's not OK
When push comes to shove,
I'll put on the gloves,
Intentions are cruel,I ain't nobody's fool you know
It hurts, my pride, step aside,
Cause I don't need your
[Chorus]
Sympathy
Won't get the best of me!
Misery
That's what you're giving me!
Sympathy
It's just like trickery!
Breaking me down
A fistful of lies,
Dressed up in disguise,
And make no mistake,
I know they're all so fake, they're all so fake
My self-righteous friend,
I just can't pretend,
Your words are the truth,
Sincere only when they suit you
It hurts, my pride, step aside,
'Cause I don't need your
Breaking me down
"Sympathy" by Billy Talent is a hard-hitting rock song that tackles the issue of insincere sympathy and fake kindness. The song employs metaphorical language to emphasize the disgust and frustration the vocalist has for his insincere friend. The lyrics "A slap in the face and I can't erase, these things that you say, don't make it all okay." are powerful in that they connote how the words have a physical impact on the singer, affecting him both emotionally and physically. As things begin to escalate, the singer becomes recklessly defensive and seemingly ready to fight. With the lines "when push comes to shove, I'll put on the gloves, intentions are cruel, I ain't nobody's fool you know," the song conveys the unravelling temper of the singer. The chorus "Sympathy won't get the best of me...Misery that's what you're giving me, Sympathy...it's just like trickery...breaking me down" highlights the theme of insincere and manipulative behaviour which are central to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
A slap in the face,
Being insulted or mistreated by someone.
And I can't erase,
Unable to forget or ignore the insult.
These things that you say,
The offensive words spoken by the other person.
Don't make it all okay, it's not okay
The hurtful words do not excuse or justify their behavior.
When push comes to shove,
In difficult circumstances or when forced to fight back.
I'll put on the gloves,
I will fight or defend myself.
Intentions are cruel,
The other person has hurtful motives.
I ain't nobody's fool you know
I am not easily deceived or manipulated.
It hurts, my pride, step aside,
The insults are affecting my self-respect and I am choosing to distance myself from the other person.
'Cause I don't need your... Sympathy
I do not want or require the other person's pity.
Won't get the best of me!
I refuse to let their actions or words control me emotionally.
Misery, That's what you're giving me!
The other person is causing me emotional pain and suffering.
It's just like trickery!
The other person's behavior is deceitful or manipulative.
Breaking me down
The other person's actions and words are causing me to feel overwhelmed and defeated.
A fistful of lies,
The other person is telling falsehoods.
Dressed up in disguise,
The lies are being disguised to appear truthful or genuine.
And make no mistake,
Do not be fooled by their false appearance.
I know they're all so fake, they're all so fake
The lies are transparent and easily recognizable as false.
My self-righteous friend,
The other person believes themselves to be morally superior.
I just can't pretend,
I cannot go along with or tolerate their hypocritical behavior.
Your words are the truth,
The other person is presenting their opinions as objective fact.
Sincere only when they suit you
The other person only speaks sincerely when it benefits them, not out of genuine concern for others.
Misery! This shit is killing me!
The emotional pain caused by the other person is overwhelming and destructive.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AARON SOLOWONIUK, BEN KOWALEWICZ, IAN D'SA, JON GALLANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind