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
Get The Knife
Have Heart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ever stayed true to besides the trends
you change, you switch you go with
the motherfucking seasons
so tell me just why, should i ever trust you
when i know you're not true, when i know
just what friendship meant to you...NOTHING
the cooler crowd walked on by
so all your talk of brotherhood
proves you're a lying sack of shit
i think you've got things confused
i'm not your fucking latter
for you to gain some higher ground
especially when good will isn't even abound
your fucking tune, it's old as time
so don't feed me that bullshit line
i see our friendship. what's it for?
i'm cutting you off because i've seen friends like you before
don't call yourself my friend
and then leave me in the dust
what's wrong? what's wrong with you?
your intentions aren't true
what's wrong? what the fuck's wrong with you?
it's every fucking thing you do
don't sing to me
Have Heart's song "Get The Knife" is a powerful and emotional statement on betrayal, dishonesty, and false friendship. In the first verse, the lyrics call out the person who has never stayed true to anything except for societal trends and who changes their behavior and allegiances with each passing season. The singer questions why they should ever trust this person when they know they are not true and have never valued friendship. The chorus drives this point home, with the singer declaring that they are cutting this person off because they have seen friends like them before - those who call themselves friends but then betray and abandon you.
The second verse takes a more direct approach, with the singer addressing the person who dropped them like a bad habit when the "cooler crowd" walked by. The singer accuses this person of being a lying sack of shit, whose talk of brotherhood is nothing but empty words. The singer refuses to be a ladder for this person to climb up on to gain some false sense of superiority or good will. The song's emotional climax comes in the final lines, where the singer calls out this person's every action and intention as wrong, and demands that they don't even bother singing to them.
Overall, "Get The Knife" is a powerful and cathartic song about the pain of being betrayed by someone who you thought was a friend. The lyrics are raw and unflinching in their portrayal of the pain and anger that betrayal can cause.
Line by Line Meaning
name me one thing that you have
Ask me to name one thing you've ever been truly loyal to besides following trends.
ever stayed true to besides the trends
Besides following trends, have you ever remained loyal to something or someone?
you change, you switch you go with
You constantly change to go along with the latest trends.
the motherfucking seasons
You change just as easily as the seasons come and go.
so tell me just why, should i ever trust you
Why should I ever trust you when I know you're not loyal and true?
when i know you're not true, when i know
I know you're not honest and sincere, I know.
just what friendship meant to you...NOTHING
Your actions show that friendship means nothing to you.
the cooler crowd walked on by
The popular group of people passed by, and you left me like a bad habit.
you dropped me like a bad habit
You abandoned me like a bad habit.
so all your talk of brotherhood
All your talk about being brothers is just empty words.
proves you're a lying sack of shit
Your actions prove that you're a liar and untrustworthy.
i think you've got things confused
I believe you're confused.
i'm not your fucking latter
I'm not someone you can use to climb up in life.
for you to gain some higher ground
You shouldn't use people to better yourself.
especially when good will isn't even abound
Especially when there isn't even any goodwill present between us.
your fucking tune, it's old as time
Your behavior is tired and predictable.
so don't feed me that bullshit line
Don't try to deceive me with your lies.
i see our friendship. what's it for?
I question the purpose of our friendship.
i'm cutting you off because i've seen friends like you before
I'm ending our relationship because I've had friends like you in the past.
don't call yourself my friend
You shouldn't call yourself my friend.
and then leave me in the dust
And then abandon me without a second thought.
what's wrong? what's wrong with you?
What's the matter? What's troubling you?
your intentions aren't true
You have ulterior motives and aren't honest about your intentions.
what's wrong? what the fuck's wrong with you?
What's your problem? What's your issue?
it's every fucking thing you do
It's everything you do that's the problem.
don't sing to me
Don't try to manipulate me with your words.
Contributed by Alyssa L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.