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.
Have at Thee!
Say Anything Lyrics
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She drives me insane, drives me insane
Have at thee false Christ, I've been dreaming on
She drives me insane, drives me insane
Have at thee false Christ, God damn you
She'll never let me down again
So I'll go out and get crunk with my friends
Defecate on the lawns of the barbies and kens
She made me want to take the blade to my skin
And tear out the machine she installed from within
I'll blow her love away
[Chorus]
Out of my mind, out of my brain
Have at thee empty god, I've been leaning on
She drives me insane, drives me insane
Have at thee apathy, I'm free
So many females to undress
We roll in as a pack we will roam and regress
So many standards to suppress
Do any drug that they recommend or suggest
She was my own false deity
Seduced by a priest she was out to destroy me
I'll drink her love away
[Chorus]
Out of my mind, outta my brain
Have at thee empty god, I've been leaning on
She drives me insane, drives me insane
Have at thee apathy, I'm free
[Chorus]
Out of my mind, out of my brain
Have at thee empty god, I've been leaning on
She drives me insane, drives me insane
Have at thee false christ, God damn you
Have at thee apathy I'm free!
The song "Have At Thee!" by Say Anything is a passionate, angst-filled expression of heartbreak and rebellion. The chorus, repeated throughout the song, is a defiant challenge to false gods and apathy, each time building in intensity. The song opens with the singer's assertion that his love interest, who he previously trusted, has betrayed him. He turns to wild behavior, including getting drunk with friends and acting out in destructive ways, such as defecating on lawns. He sees his love interest as a "false deity" who has "installed a machine" inside him that he must tear out. He turns to other women as a coping mechanism, but ultimately the anger towards his former flame rages on.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of desperation and anger that is characteristic of Say Anything's music. The repetition of the chorus highlights the intensity of these emotions, as the singer struggles to come to terms with his heartbreak and move on. The final bridge, "Have at thee false christ, God damn you/ Have at thee apathy I'm free!" is a cathartic release, a final instance of defiance before the song ends.
Line by Line Meaning
She drives me insane, drives me insane
The subject is being emotionally and mentally affected by a woman who is causing them extreme distress.
Have at thee false Christ, I've been dreaming on
The subject is calling out an imaginary person who has been filling their thoughts and dreams with false hope and promises.
She'll never let me down again
The subject has put a lot of trust in this woman and she has not disappointed them yet.
So I'll go out and get crunk with my friends
To cope with the stress caused by the woman, the subject will engage in heavy drinking and partying with their friends.
My own brand of medicine
The subject has developed their own method of dealing with their emotional pain.
Defecate on the lawns of the barbies and kens
The subject will act out in a destructive manner, showing disrespect to those who they believe represent the ideal of happiness they can never attain.
She made me want to take the blade to my skin
The woman has caused very intense emotional pain for the subject, to the point of wanting to harm themselves.
And tear out the machine she installed from within
The woman has infiltrated the subject's thoughts and emotions, causing them great distress, and they want to remove her influence.
I'll blow her love away
The subject will reject the woman's affections and stop loving her.
Out of my mind, out of my brain
The woman has driven the subject to a state of mental anguish, and they want her out of their thoughts.
Have at thee empty god, I've been leaning on
The subject is calling out a deity they believed would help them, only to find that it is an empty hope and they have been relying on it in vain.
Have at thee apathy, I'm free
The subject is overcoming their own apathy and breaking free from the negative influence the woman and the false hope have had on them.
So many females to undress
The subject takes a misogynistic stance, seeing women only as objects to be sexual with.
We roll in as a pack we will roam and regress
The subject and their friends take on destructive habits together, and their actions will only lead them back to a worse state than before.
So many standards to suppress
The subject feels the pressure to conform to social norms and expectations, and decides to ignore them.
Do any drug that they recommend or suggest
The subject is willing to engage in self-destructive behavior in order to cope with their issues.
She was my own false deity
The woman held a god-like status to the subject in their mind, which turned out to be a false belief.
Seduced by a priest she was out to destroy me
The woman's true motives were to use the subject, and is compared to a priest who is supposed to help but ultimately causes harm.
I'll drink her love away
The subject will use alcohol to blot out any remaining feelings they have for the woman.
Have at thee false Christ, God damn you
The subject is still angry at the false hope they believed in, and calls it out again.
Have at thee apathy I'm free!
The subject has overcome apathy and feels free from the negative influences in their life, including the woman and false hope.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX BEMIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind