Part of the resurgent Boston hardcore scene, Have Heart formed in 2002 around the core lineup of singer Patrick Flynn, guitarist Ryan Hudon, and bassist Ryan Briggs. Hailing from the coastal town of New Bedford, the trio moved to Boston after graduating high school. Initially working with a revolving lineup of local musicians, the band played their first show in July 2003, and in November, their debut demo was released. The demo came to the attention of Think Fast! Records, who signed them for the release of the What Counts EP in 2004. The EP showcased long-time guitarist Ben Kelley and drummer Justin Paling.
In 2005, Have Heart moved to the estimable hardcore indie Bridge Nine Records and underwent a lineup change, with Kelley and Paling replaced by Kei Yasui and Shawn Costa, respectively. The following year they released The Things We Carry, their first full length. In 2007, the band toured through the U.S., Canada and Europe.
In 2008, the band released their second full-length album on Bridge Nine, Songs to Scream at the Sun, which debuted and peaked at No. 193 on the Billboard top 200 and No. 16 on the Top Heatseekers chart.
Have Heart's final show was played on National Edge Day 2009 in Revere, Massachusetts, along with other straight edge bands. Many members of bands presented testimonies of how members from Have Heart had a huge influence on their lives and careers, along with presenting stories of good times shared with members of Have Heart. Have Heart's last performance consisted of songs from all three of their releases and went for roughly one hour. Afterwards, Flynn laid out on the stage and a good majority of the crowd surrounded him onstage cheering and chanting, "Have Heart," along with fans shouting their personal testimonies to the significance Have Heart had on their lives. This lasted for around 20 minutes straight. Patrick Flynn estimated approximately 1500 people attended, whilst Bridge Nine estimated around 2000.
In February 2019, Have Heart announced they would play 4 reunion shows in July 2019, including one at Sound & Fury festival in Los Angeles.
Patrick Flynn - Vocals
Ryan Hudon - Guitar
Kei Yasui - Guitar
Ryan Briggs - Bass
Shawn Costa - Drums
Brotherly Love
Have Heart Lyrics
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You young, you here, day dawning, eyes wide.
Just images, just images
All that's left
All that I can find.
Like water
In the desert of my mind.
Little to big, oh brother, you leave me like blood from my veins.
Big to little, oh brother, you leave me like blood from my veins.
In a room that holds you
Like a guilt-ridden paralyzing cell
No calls
No mail
No visitors for when you're in hell.
Forced hellos
Rushed goodbyes
And best wishes for you in the meantime
My face seen as often as God's
Can let guilt have its way of owning you
Like a dog.
May to March
March to May
The days fall with the promises I make.
Like water
From a faucet
Into the sink of your faith.
Little to big, oh brother, you leave me like blood from my veins.
Big to little, oh brother, you leave me like blood from my veins.
We always seem to fall with only words to hold
We always seem to fall with only photos to hold
We always seem to fall with only memories to hold
We always seem to fall without family to hold.
Have Heart's "Brotherly Love" is a powerful and emotional song that explores the themes of grief, loss, and family. The singer is left with only memories of their brother who has passed away, and they are haunted by the pain of his absence. The first verse describes the singer's tears and their struggle to come to terms with their brother's death. They are left with just images of him in their mind, and these memories are like water from a cactus in the desert of their mind – a small relief in the midst of overwhelming sadness.
The second verse touches on the pain of losing someone so close to you. The singer describes the feeling of their brother leaving them, like blood leaving their veins. It's a physical and emotional wound that feels impossible to heal. The third verse explores the isolation and guilt that often accompanies grief. The singer describes the room that holds them as a "guilt-ridden paralyzing cell," and they feel as though they are being punished for their brother's death. They are alone and cut off from the rest of the world, with no calls, mail, or visitors to offer them comfort.
The chorus repeats the idea that the singer's brother has left them like blood leaving their veins, but it adds the phrase "little to big," suggesting that this loss affects all aspects of their life, from small moments to major life events. The second half of the chorus flips this phrase, suggesting that the absence of the brother affects everything from big things to little. The final verse repeats the sentiment of the first verse – that memories are all that the singer has left of their brother. They are constantly falling, without anything to hold onto except memories.
Line by Line Meaning
Left with images of you pouring from my eyes
I am only left with images of you and I am crying.
You young, you here, day dawning, eyes wide.
You are young, here with me, we have a new day beginning and your eyes are open wide.
Just images, just images
All I have are just images of you.
All that's left
Nothing is left of you.
All that I can find.
All I can find is memories and images of you.
Like water from a cactus in the desert of my mind.
My mind is dry and barren like a desert, but the images of you are like a refreshing stream of water.
Little to big, oh brother, you leave me like blood from my veins.
You mean so much to me, that losing you leaves me in pain like losing blood from my veins.
Big to little, oh brother, you leave me like blood from my veins.
You mean so much to me that even the thought of losing you leaves me in pain like losing blood from my veins.
In a room that holds you like a guilt-ridden paralyzing cell.
The room reminds me of the guilt I feel for not being able to hold onto you and it paralyzes me with sadness.
No calls, no mail, no visitors for when you're in hell.
There is no communication and no one to visit when you are going through tough times.
Forced hellos, rushed goodbyes, and best wishes for you in the meantime.
Our meetings are only for formalities and I wish you the best in your endeavors.
My face seen as often as God's can let guilt have its way of owning you like a dog.
I see you so rarely that I might as well be a distant observer. Guilt owns you like a dog that is always at your heel.
May to March, March to May, the days fall with the promises I make.
The days pass and the promises I make to spend more time with you never come to fruition.
Like water from a faucet into the sink of your faith.
The promises I make flow into your faith, but ultimately, go down the drain like water.
We always seem to fall with only words to hold.
Our relationship is built on words alone and we are drifting apart.
We always seem to fall with only photos to hold.
The only memories of us we have are in photos and we are losing touch.
We always seem to fall with only memories to hold.
We cling to our memories of each other as a way to hold on, but we are still drifting apart.
We always seem to fall without family to hold.
Our relationship is fading away and we have no one to help us hold on to each other as family should.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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