Weeks and Jason Null formed the band in their small hometown of Corinth, Mississippi in 2004. They met when Weeks, who was in a band, was playing guitar at his best friend’s house, when Null, who was in a rival local group, walked in to rehearse with his band. Within days of that meeting, Null and Weeks were writing and honing the intimate writing style that now defines Saving Abel. In early 2005, the pair’s songs caught the ear of noted producer Skidd Mills (12 Stones, Saliva, Submersed), who took the band into his 747 Studios in Memphis. Mills notes, “It was ‘18 Days’ that hooked me. The first time I heard it I was like, ‘these guys are the real deal; they’ll be doing this for a long time.’ Jason and Jared have always understood that the most important part of the music business is having great songs.”
Saving Abel gradually came together in the final electric lineup of guitarist Scott Bartlett, bassist Eric Taylor, and drummer Blake Dixon, and the band paid its dues both onstage and off. Weeks would toss Saving Abel demos onto the stage when bigger bands played in town, and between playing gigs, working day jobs, and Weeks and Null constantly driving from Mississippi to Memphis to record their self-titled EP with Mills, it was a busy and prolific couple years. Weeks remembers; “I used to work at a hospital. I’d have to be there at 4:30 in the morning drawing blood. I’d wake people up and stick a needle in their arm. I’d be walking around the hospital, singing ‘Addicted’ in my head, writing down the lyrics on patients’ clipboards and doctor script pads.”
Null and Weeks bring in differing songwriting approaches influences, giving Saving Abel a well-rounded sound. Null comes from a musical family, and recalls Saturday nights at the local community center as a child. “We didn’t miss it, ever! It was bluegrass band after bluegrass band. We’d hoot and holler, as we used to say. My brother traded my bike for a guitar for me when I was 6, and I learned ‘Johnny B. Goode’ that night! I go back to Willie and Waylon, but as a kid of the ‘80s, I also love Metallica. Also, Angus Young is one of my main influences, as well as the guitar sound and solos of Seattle bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.” For his part, a teenage Weeks played basketball and went to state twice in tennis before music consumed his life. A big fan of the blues and Southern Rock, Weeks calls himself the more “literal” songwriter of the two, explaining, “If something is really bothering me, or how I’m feeling at that moment, I’ll write about it. For me to get the most out of a song, I have to get it almost to the point I’m ready to cry if I can’t get it out, and that makes people relate to it.”
After shopping their indie EP for almost a year, a copy of ‘Addicted’ found its way to one-time Virgin A&R Consultant Scott Frazier and manager partner Rick Smith. They were so excited that they sent the song to the label’s Chairman/CEO Jason Flom. Flom was impressed upon first listen and immediately sent A&R vet Kim Stephens (Collective Soul, Matchbox 20, Edwin McCain) to see the band in Jackson, Tennessee. The band was signed the next day. Says Stephens, “I was sold on the merit of the songs and instantly recognized this was a band with huge potential.”
Saving Abel, the Virgin debut produced by Mills, features mostly brand-new tunes, plus a few favorites from the indie EP, including the poignant, perfectly crafted “18 Days,” “Running From You,” and “Drowning Face Down.” Null explains that “18 Days” was lyrically inspired by sheriff Buford Pusser of ‘Walking Tall’ fame, while laughingly admitting that the rowdy road trip in “New Tattoo” (“The blue is for the bruise you left in my heart / and the red is for the color we’re about to paint this town”) is “based on a true story.” Null furthers: “Our goals are always to concentrate on the song, not just one cool part to make a kid bop his head. Every person I talk to loves a different song of ours.” Null was also the one who gave the band its name: “I Googled the story of Cain and Abel and found a line about ‘there was no Saving Abel,’ which just jumped out at me.” Everyone agreed and the name stuck…much like Saving Abel's songs get instantly stuck in the minds and ears of everyone who hears them. With a radio-ready sound combining big riffs and memorable melodies, Saving Abel has created a polished combination of Southern and Alternative rock…. 2008 style. Get Addicted. Get Saving Abel. You can go to http://savingabel.com
Sailed Away
Saving Abel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I never really meant to stay
I left you right where I want you
Now there's nothin' left
And not a reason
There's nothin' left to believe in
When just one remains
I've sailed away
Such a foolish game
That we have been playin'
Now you got me right where you want me
I left you in the right
But you wouldn't let me take the fall
Now you've got me right where you want me
Now there's nothin' left
And that's the reason
There's not much left to believe in
If it's all just the same
I'll sail away
You pushed so hard
You have to know that
You might just get what you wanted
And when just one remains
I've sailed away
I found out on my own
Everything that I've been missin'
Now I've got you right where I want you
Now that we're apart
I see just who you are
You're always gonna be
The one to keep hatin'
Now I've got you right where I want you
Now there's nothin' left
And that's the reason
There's not much left to believe in
If it's all just the same
I'll sail away
You pushed so hard
You have to know that
You might just get what you wanted
And when just one remains
I've sailed away
I'm not one to hide my face behind the pain
It's not like me to beg you to stay
I'll just sail away
Now there's nothin' left
And that's the reason
There's not much left to believe in
If it's all the same
I'll sail away
You pushed so hard
You have to know that
You might just get what you wanted
And when just one remains
You know I've sailed away
And when just one remains
You know I've sailed away
Does it hurt to hear me say
That I never really meant to stay
In Saving Abel's song "Sailed Away," the singer recognizes that he has been playing a foolish game with his partner, leading to the end of their relationship. He admits that he never really intended to stay in the first place and left his partner right where he wanted them. However, now that there is nothing left and no reason to believe in anything, he has decided to sail away. The partner had pushed too hard, and now that just one remains, the singer has no choice but to sail away.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of resignation and acceptance of the situation. The singer has come to the realization that he is not willing to fight for the relationship anymore and is instead choosing to leave. He acknowledges his own role in the situation and that he has been played just as much as his partner. The lyrics also explore themes of independence and self-discovery, as the singer realizes that he has been missing out on something and can now find it on his own.
Line by Line Meaning
Does it hurt to hear me say
Do my words cause you pain?
That I never really meant to stay
I didn't plan on staying with you long-term.
I left you right where I want you
I manipulated the situation to benefit myself.
Now there's nothin' left
All is lost.
And not a reason
There is no explanation.
There's nothin' left to believe in
I have lost faith in everything.
When just one remains
When all else is gone except for one thing.
I've sailed away
I have left for good.
Such a foolish game
Our relationship was immature and senseless.
That we have been playin'
The dynamic we had was like a game.
Now you got me right where you want me
You have control over the situation now.
But you wouldn't let me take the fall
You prevented me from taking responsibility for the consequences.
Now there's nothin' left
Everything has been exhausted.
And that's the reason
This is why things turned out the way they did.
If it's all just the same
If nothing changes.
You pushed so hard
You applied a lot of pressure.
You have to know that
You should be aware of the consequences of your actions.
You might just get what you wanted
What you asked for may come true.
I found out on my own
I discovered the truth by myself.
Everything that I've been missin'
All the things I was lacking in this relationship.
Now I've got you right where I want you
I have gained control of the situation.
Now that we're apart
Now that we have separated.
I see just who you are
I now know your true character.
You're always gonna be
This is an unchanging aspect of your personality.
The one to keep hatin'
You will always have hateful tendencies.
I'm not one to hide my face behind the pain
I am honest about my emotions, and I won't pretend to be okay.
It's not like me to beg you to stay
I don't normally plead for someone to remain with me.
You know I've sailed away
I have left, and I am not coming back.
And when just one remains
When everything else is gone except for one thing.
You know I've sailed away
I have left for good.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: JARED WEEKS, JUSTIN MARK RIMER, SKIDD MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind