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
Tap Out
Saving Abel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you think you're ready
Well I can make this so much easier for you
Cause if it's me you're after, well it might
Make all go faster, if you
Only knew all the things I knew
So where you going know
If you think you're ready
You got something to say, then say it to my face
(You got something to say, then say it to my face)
Take your best shot at me
I don't think you're ready
You want to step in the ring
I'll put you in you're place
You're going to tap out
If you think you still got me
Believe me I won't let it stop me
Cause I'm not holding my breath
Or spelling this out for you
All this time you keep wasting
Dodging all this confrontation
Still all I want is to watch you while you bleed
Where ya going know
Take your best shot at me
If you think you're ready
You got something to say, then say it to my face
(You got something to say, then say it to my face)
Take your best shot at me
I don't think you're ready
You want to step in the ring
I'll put you in you're place
You're gonna tap out
I see you running your mouth but you're got nothing to say
I think you're talking to much
We should be swinging this out, but now you're running away
I see you're scared just a little
So keep running your mouth and watch your luck run out
I think you talk too much
You won't walk away
Take your best shot at me
If you think you're ready
You got something to say, then say it to my face
(You got something to say, then say it to my face)
Take your best shot at me
I don't think you're ready
You want to step in the ring
I'll put you in you're place
You're gonna tap out
You're gonna tap out
You got got something to say, then say it to my face
You're gonna tap out
The lyrics to the song Tap Out by Saving Abel deal with confrontation and standing up for oneself. The lyrics encourage someone to take their best shot at the singer if they think they are ready. The singer believes that they can make the situation easier for the person by hinting at the fact that they know more than the other person thinks they do. The song is essentially a challenge to those who are targeting the singer.
The chorus of the song is about the singer putting the other person in their place when they try to fight back. It is made clear throughout the song that the singer is not afraid of confrontation and is willing to fight back. The lyrics also imply that the singer has been dealing with someone who has been talking behind their back and not saying things to their face. The overall message of the song is that if someone has something to say, they should say it to the singer's face or face the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Take your best shot at me
Challenge me if you dare
If you think you're ready
If you believe that you have what it takes
Well I can make this so much easier for you
I can end this fight quickly for you
Cause if it's me you're after, well it might Make all go faster, if you Only knew all the things I knew
If you know what I know, then we can settle this quickly
So where you going now
Where are you headed now?
You got something to say, then say it to my face
If you have something to say, confront me directly
(You got something to say, then say it to my face)
(You know what the right thing to do is)
You want to step in the ring I'll put you in you're place
If you want to fight, I will defeat you
You're going to tap out
You will surrender
If you think you still got me
If you think you can still beat me
Believe me I won't let it stop me
I won't be deterred by your attempts to beat me
Cause I'm not holding my breath Or spelling this out for you
I won't wait for you or make things easier for you
All this time you keep wasting Dodging all this confrontation
You keep avoiding this fight
Still all I want is to watch you while you bleed
I want to see you suffer
I see you running your mouth but you're got nothing to say
You are talking a lot but not saying anything important
We should be swinging this out, but now you're running away
We should settle this through a fight but you're retreating
I see you're scared just a little
You are a little scared
So keep running your mouth and watch your luck run out
Keep talking and you will face the consequences
You won't walk away
You won't leave this fight unscathed
You're gonna tap out
You will surrender
You got got something to say, then say it to my face
If you want to talk, confront me directly
You're gonna tap out
You will surrender
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SKIDD MILLS, JASON TODD NULL, JARED WEEKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind