Say Anything, then called Sayanything, began their career when the band was still in high school. They self-released two EP's and one LP entitled Baseball. Baseball and the band's first EP, Junior Varsity, are both out of print and are no longer available. The band's second EP entitled Menora/Mejorah was released online. All of these early albums have a pop punk sound reminiscent of blink-182 and of Max's favorite band, Saves the Day.
In August 2004 they released ...Is a Real Boy on Doghouse Records. The album was produced by Tim O'Heir (Sebadoh, All-American Rejects, Superdrag) with arrangements by Stephen Trask (Grammy nominated for Hedwig & the Angry Inch). While recording the album Max Bemis had a nervous breakdown during which he took to the streets of New York until his girlfriend found him and ended up in a mental hospital for a few weeks. He attributes the breakdown to stress and bipolar disorder.
Some time after ...Is a Real Boy was released, a set of 8 songs entitled Vs. AIDS Demos were leaked onto the internet by an unknown source. Soon the band told fans that the demos were part of an AIDS benefit album that had been scrapped, and told anyone who had attained them not to distribute them to anyone else (Max Bemis later stated on his website, "that shit sucks," in regard to the demos).
Say Anything signed with J Records (Maroon 5, Alicia Keys), owned by BMG Entertainment, one of the "big four" record labels. Under J Records they re-released ...Is a Real Boy with a bonus disc entitled ...Was a Real Boy containing seven of the eight Vs. AIDS Demos. This album, originally scheduled to be released on October 25th, 2005, was delayed over 4 months to February 28th, 2006. Some copies ended up leaking out through various retailers, notably Tower Records' website. Most leaks occurred due to retailers shipping pre-orders before J-Records had a chance to stop them. Soon copies of the album were selling for over $50 on eBay.
Say Anything released their third album, In Defense of the Genre, under J Records in 2007. Produced by Brad Wood, the album had two discs containing 27 songs, many of them featuring guest appearances by high-profile musicians such as Gerard Way and Hayley Williams.
In November 2009, Say Anything released their fourth full-length studio album, Say Anything. This is the band's first album under RCA Records. It contains 13 tracks, including "Hate Everyone," which was the album's first single.
On August 19, 2010 it was confirmed that Say Anything and RCA Records had parted ways. Soon after (September 29) it was announced via Say Anything's official website that Alex Kent would be leaving the band, and that Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line would be temporarily taking over as bassist for their upcoming tour. As of so far no permanent bassist has been selected to replace Kent.
In December 2012, Bemis announced that drummer Coby Linder, the only other remaining original member of the band, had left Say Anything on amicable terms to pursue other projects.
An Insult To The Dead
Say Anything Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And every fucked mistake's unmade
When I abandoned her and with my wand-like sex I cast a horrid hex
I laid a curse on her, another wasted verse on her, gave birth to her
Oh God, forgive me Moses, Jesus, Allah
I have made such an awful regret of today
I have made such an awesome regret
I could be more than this
With all the time I have I am an insult to the dead
You should be over this, the infidelities are on account of me
And so I cheat on you, I beat on you with words and with actions
I will never tell the truth, in debt, aloof
Without you I'm a fraction
Oh God I have made such an awful regret of today
I have made such an awesome regret
Too bad this won't come easy where I stay
Where I lay in my bead of needles, where I play
Like I'm a bad child on a baby's birthday
I'll take a permanent vacation, I've got two months to live
And all the mental masturbation is just too much to give
So I'll go down to where the river flows into the sea
And you can bathe me in your body fluids, You can rescue me
The lyrics of Say Anything's song An Insult To The Dead are deeply introspective, melancholic and self-critical. The song starts off with a description of failure as something angular, rather than circular. The singer then describes how he abandoned someone he loves and put a curse on her with his "wand-like sex." He is full of regret and begs for forgiveness from God, Moses, Jesus, and Allah. The singer acknowledges that he is in debt, aloof, and inappropriate, and he is an insult to the dead because he could be something more than what he is.
The theme of regret and self-criticism is carried throughout the song. The singer acknowledges that he cheats on his partner, beats her with words and actions, and will never tell her the truth. He is aware that he is a fraction of himself without her. The song ends with the singer contemplating suicide by going down to the river that flows into the sea and asking the person he loves to rescue him.
The song is a portrayal of the human experience of failure, regret, and self-criticism. It highlights the fact that we all make mistakes, hurt people we love, and have to live with regret. The singer's desire to be rescued by the one he loves implies that he believes there is still hope for redemption and forgiveness.
Line by Line Meaning
Failure is angular, it isn't circle shaped
My failures are sharp and pointed instead of being rounded and smooth
And every fucked mistake's unmade
I wish I could undo every mistake I've made
When I abandoned her and with my wand-like sex I cast a horrid hex
I left her and used my sexual prowess as a weapon against her
I laid a curse on her, another wasted verse on her, gave birth to her
I treated her badly and caused her pain, even though I claimed to love her
Oh God, forgive me Moses, Jesus, Allah
I'm asking for forgiveness from any higher power who might hear me
I have made such an awful regret of today
I have done something that I deeply regret
I have made such an awesome regret
My regret is so overwhelming that it is awesome in a negative way
I could be more than this
I have the potential to be better than what I am
With all the time I have I am an insult to the dead
Considering how much time I have, it is shameful that I haven't accomplished more
You should be over this, the infidelities are on account of me
You shouldn't feel hurt by my cheating because it is my fault
And so I cheat on you, I beat on you with words and with actions
I am unfaithful and abusive towards you both verbally and physically
I will never tell the truth, in debt, aloof
I will continue to lie and be distant from you
Without you I'm a fraction
I am incomplete without you
Too bad this won't come easy where I stay
Unfortunately, changing my ways won't be easy in my current environment
Where I lay in my bead of needles, where I play
I am uncomfortable and unhappy where I am
Like I'm a bad child on a baby's birthday
I feel out of place or like I don't belong
I'll take a permanent vacation, I've got two months to live
I want to run away from my problems and I feel like I don't have long to live
And all the mental masturbation is just too much to give
I'm tired of overthinking and analyzing everything
So I'll go down to where the river flows into the sea
I will find solace by the water
And you can bathe me in your body fluids, You can rescue me
I want someone to comfort and take care of me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX BEMIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind