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 Orgy of Critics
Say Anything Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put your feather in your box (Take off! take off!)Send it off to me!
I smell oxygen, precious. Bareback on your horse, gallop off course.
Get off (Get off! Get off!)filled with fury's force.
There's a fire in the peach pit, a blaze in the snake pit.
You erased it but we saw you fake it.
There's blood on the good book, love in the bad brook.
"You brought me to my knees. Your art it brought me to my knees"
You're so perfect to please us! You make all the right noise!
Get the business clothes off (Take off! Take off!) and strip down to your voice!
We will show you your future and choke the air from your world.
You can be our once-twice-thrice-four times then goodbye girl!
There's a crack in the blank stare, back in the black raised hair. It's not fair.
I don't know who told you that but it's a lie. Believe me. I swear I shall not deceive thee.
I don't know who sold you that but it's a fake. Remind me.
My eyes see straight behind me. I've never killed nobody.
I promise you're my first; you always remember your first
The beginning of Say Anything's song "An Orgy Of Critics" presents us with a set of nonsensical instructions. The seemingly effortless manner in which the lyrics are presented allows us to concoct possible interpretations. The instruction to sweep the black super market could be a metaphor for cleaning up things that are viewed as "dark" or "negative." However, the next line "Sweep it up with your teeth" implies that these actions require sacrifice and that one should be willing to go through pain to clean up their life. The next line urging us to put your feather in your box and send it off to me, has shades of surrealism. There are a variety of interpretations for this line. It could be an invitation to a ritualistic offering involving feathers, or it could be a metaphorical representation of something meaningful.
The next section of lyrics can be understood to be about an intentional departure from the norm, with the artist urging listeners to diverge from usual patterns and explore their individuality, represented by galloping off course on their horse. There's a strong sense of anger, backed by the chorus, as the singer urges the listener to become filled with fury's force. The subsequent section indicates an ongoing theme of dichotomy - resulting in a form of cognitive dissonance. The fire in the peach pit and the blaze in the snake pit could symbolize the twisted and warped reality we live in, while the rest of the lines continue to highlight the polarizing nature of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweep the black super market!
Clean up the mess made by those who are exploiting everything for their benefits.
Sweep it up with your teeth!
Clean it up with utmost sincerity and effort.
Put your feather in your box (Take off! take off!)
Keep your pride and joy safe and sound.
Send it off to me!
Share it with me, let me know what you got.
I smell oxygen, precious. Bareback on your horse, gallop off course.
I sense the fresh and pure air of freedom. Let go of everything and venture off towards new possibilities.
Get off (Get off! Get off!)filled with fury's force.
Leave now, full of rage and energy.
There's a fire in the peach pit, a blaze in the snake pit.
There's a hidden danger lurking in the shadows, be careful.
You erased it but we saw you fake it.
You tried to cover up your flaws and lies but we noticed your deceit.
There's blood on the good book, love in the bad brook.
Even the purest and the most sinful things can have unexpected aspects. Nothing is as simple as it seems.
Suck out all the nerve and make it yours!
Take all the courage and determination you have and make the most of it.
"You brought me to my knees. Your art it brought me to my knees"
You amazed and impressed me to the extent of leaving me speechless, even crushed.
You're so perfect to please us! You make all the right noise!
You seem to appeal to our desires and expectations precisely.
Get the business clothes off (Take off! Take off!) and strip down to your voice!
Let go of all the pretenses and reveal the true you.
We will show you your future and choke the air from your world.
We will reveal what the future holds for you and make it hard for you to breathe.
You can be our once-twice-thrice-four times then goodbye girl!
You can be our lover only for a brief moment, just to be cast aside later.
There's a crack in the blank stare, back in the black raised hair.
There's something lurking beneath the surface, unnoticed.
It's not fair.
The situation is unjust and inequitable.
I don't know who told you that but it's a lie. Believe me. I swear I shall not deceive thee.
I don't know who misled you but they were not truthful. Trust me, I won't lie to you.
I don't know who sold you that but it's a fake. Remind me.
I don't know who convinced you of that but it's a fraud. Let me know.
My eyes see straight behind me. I've never killed nobody.
I can see through your intentions, your past is clean.
I promise you're my first; you always remember your first.
I assure you, you are special to me, a first experience that will always be cherished.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX BEMIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind