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.
Died a Jew
Say Anything Lyrics
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My people were slaves before yours invented hip-hop
Apologize but I'm in on the joke
Another brother to scoff at the dancing patterns of white folk
I think I'm fine the way I am
(and yes I chase my milk with ham)
I think I'm fine the way I am
Pupils painted blue
You haters know it's true
Jesus died a Jew
You say you hate the breadth of my nose for my daddy's earlocks
Shunned before you pierced it and sold it and called it "punk rock"
Apologize for the murder of god
Like Judas the traitor we are both favored and deeply flawed
I think I'm fine the way I am
(although we broke our promised land)
I think I'm fine the way I am
Jesus died a Jew
Pupils painted blue
You haters know it's true
Jesus died a Jew
So I'll let it burn away
Let it burn away
Let it burn away
Let it burn away
The first verse of the song Died A Jew by Say Anything addresses the issue of racial discrimination against the singer and his people. The singer points out that his ancestors were slaves before the invent of hip-hop music, implying that racial discrimination against black people has existed long before hip-hop became popular. He also mentions how his father's share crops have resulted in hate directed toward him. However, the singer is not intimidated and jokes about being another brother scoffing at the lack of dance skills among white folks. In the second verse, the singer addresses discrimination against his physical appearance, referring to his nose and earlocks. He talks about how these features were shunned before being adopted by the punk rock culture. He likens himself to Judas, the traitor in the Bible story, and acknowledges that he and his people are both favored and flawed.
The chorus of the song expresses the singer's willingness to accept himself as he is, despite the discrimination he faces. He mentions that Jesus was also a Jew, and his pupils were painted blue, implying that people's differences in appearance should not make them any less valid. The singer mentions that people who hate him because of his differences know that Jesus was a Jew, and this fact makes their hate hypocritical.
Overall, Died A Jew is a powerful commentary on racial discrimination that highlights the need for people to accept and appreciate each other's differences.
Line by Line Meaning
You say you hate the shade of face for my father's share crops
You are prejudiced against me because of the color of my skin and the fact that my father was a sharecropper.
My people were slaves before yours invented hip-hop
My ancestors were enslaved long before your culture invented hip-hop music.
Apologize but I'm in on the joke
You should apologize for your ignorant comments, but I also understand that you may not know any better.
Another brother to scoff at the dancing patterns of white folk
I am another person who sees through the performative nature of white people's dancing and can't take it seriously.
I think I'm fine the way I am (and yes I chase my milk with ham)
I am comfortable with my own identity and cultural practices, which may be different from yours.
Jesus died a Jew Pupils painted blue You haters know it's true
Jesus, whom many people consider a white man with blue eyes, was actually a Jewish person of color.
You say you hate the breadth of my nose for my daddy's earlocks
You judge my physical features, such as my nose and my father's earlocks, because they do not fit your idea of what is attractive or acceptable.
Shunned before you pierced it and sold it and called it "punk rock"
My culture and its physical features have been stigmatized, appropriated, and commodified by mainstream culture.
Apologize for the murder of god Like Judas the traitor we are both favored and deeply flawed
You should apologize for the harm caused by your beliefs and actions, but we are all capable of causing hurt despite our best intentions.
Although we broke our promised land
We may have made mistakes or had internal conflicts, but we are still a unified community with shared history and resilience.
So I'll let it burn away Let it burn away Let it burn away Let it burn away
I refuse to internalize or accept the hate and prejudice directed towards me, and I will let it fade away over time.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX BEMIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind