The members of Mew started playing music together in 1995. Mew first achieved success in Denmark with their album Frengers, although their debut album, A Triumph for Man, had been met with much critical acclaim back in 1997. At the 2003 Danish Music Critics Award Show, Mew won the awards for "Album of the Year" and "Band of the Year." Until this point Mew was relatively unknown outside of Denmark; however after a European tour supporting R.E.M. Mew began to attract wider attention. After releasing the critically-acclaimed album And The Glass Handed Kites, featuring contributions from J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr, Mew has built on their success in Denmark as well as attracting attention from other countries in Europe and Asia. In the summer of 2006, they toured as the supporting act for Bloc Party in the U.S. as well as for Kasabian in the U.S. and Canada in the fall. After these tours, they returned to Denmark to work on new material.
On March 14th, 2007, Mew embarked on their first ever headlining tour in America with Oh No! Oh My! as the supporting act. Their fifth studio album, No More Stories/Are Told Today/I'm Sorry/They Washed Away//No More Stories/The World Is Grey/I'm Tired/Let's Wash Away, was released in August 25, 2009. They've also toured with Nine Inch Nails, Kings of Leon and Sigur Rós. In 2010, they released a greatest hits compilation called Eggs are Funny. They began performing new material in 2012 at Roskilde Festival, and released their sixth studio album, +- in 2015. Madsen left the band the same year, and the band began writing new material for their new album shortly after they concluded their tour. They released their seventh studio album, Visuals, after releasing a few singles in the months preceding its release. They embarked on tours for the album, as well as a tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of their breakthrough album Frengers in 2018.
Discography:
* A Triumph for Man (1997, re-released 2006)
* Half the World Is Watching Me (2000, re-released Aug 2007)
* Frengers (2003)
* And the Glass Handed Kites (2005)
* No More Stories... (2009)
* Eggs are Funny (2010)
* +- (2015)
* Visuals (2017)
Say you're sorry
Mew Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say you miss me
Say you're sorry
Be on my side
Don't waste your pride
Say you're sorry
I know something that you don't know
And when someone walks in here
You will tell them what you know, my friend
Little mistake
Say you miss me
Say you're sorry
Be on my side
Don't waste your pride
Say you're sorry
Did I care for you?
And I know it's you
Cause I know something you don't want to know
I should shut up but I can't
Please don't beg me not to tell you
I need you to understand
Little mistake
Say you miss me
Say you're sorry
Be on my side
Don't waste your pride
Say you're sorry
Little mistake
Say you miss me
Say you're sorry
Be on my side
Don't waste your pride
Say you're sorry
The song "Say You're Sorry" by Mew seems to be about a lover who has hurt the singers' feelings and now the singers is seeking an acknowledgement, an apology from the lover. The singers repeat the phrase "Little mistake" which could signify the lovers' actions as an unintentional or minor mistake made, and wants to move forward by being on the same side as the lover. The singer needs assurance that the lover misses them and is sorry for the actions, but also don't want the lover to waste their pride.
The singer implies that they know something about the lover, which the lover doesn't know, but can share the knowledge if the lover is willing. It's unclear what the knowledge entails or whether it has anything to do with why the singers is demanding an apology. The singer makes it clear that if the lover is willing to know the knowledge, they should be ready to share it with any third party that walks in.
The ambiguity in the lyrics adds to the intrigue of the song "Say You're Sorry" by Mew. It could be that the singers have gotten wind of something that the lover is not telling them, or it could be a red herring. The song is nuanced, shrouded in mystery, and showcases the urge for forgiveness and the power of pride.
Line by Line Meaning
Little mistake
This is a small error, a minor thing that can be easily fixed.
Say you miss me
Admit that you have been thinking about me and that you long for me.
Say you're sorry
Acknowledge your wrongdoing and express regret for hurting me.
Be on my side
Choose to support me and stand by me.
Don't waste your pride
Don't let your ego get in the way of doing what is right and apologizing.
I know something that you don't know
There is information that I possess that you are unaware of.
I will tell you if you want me too
I am willing to share this information with you if you desire it.
And when someone walks in here
If another individual enters our space or conversation,
You will tell them what you know, my friend
You will reveal the information that I have shared with you, my acquaintance.
Did I care for you?
Did my actions and words convey that I had concern for you and your well-being?
And I know it's you
I am aware that the person I am referring to is specifically you.
Cause I know something you don't want to know
There is information that I possess that you would rather not be aware of.
I should shut up but I can't
Although it may be best for me to keep quiet, I am unable to refrain from talking about it.
Please don't beg me not to tell you
Despite any pleas you may have, I feel that it is necessary to disclose this information to you.
I need you to understand
It is important to me that you comprehend the gravity of this matter.
Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.