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.
I Will Never Write an Obligatory Song About Being on the Road and Missing Someone
Say Anything Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
like a virgin befalled by the danger.
Poetry was never this real to me.
Well, i was too far gone to save her.
Oh Lordy!
The sun is coming up!
A marshmallow into a cloud!
I'm fucking disavowed.
Take this pen to paper,
in a stink there with four total strangers.
I am lost cause freedom has it's cost.
My box is full, i'll call you later.
I want my baby back!
I want my baby back!
I miss you, miss you.
I want my baby back!
I want my baby back!
I miss your kiss, I miss you.
I was hoping you were open
but you were not. I missed my shot
But then you called me
What befalled me,
I never knew.
I never knew it was you.
I got my baby back!
I got my baby back!
I miss you, miss you.
I got my baby back!
I got my baby back!
I miss your kiss, I miss you.
And, i got you back!
And, i got you back!
And, i got you back!
And, i got you,
Got you,
back!
Take this pen to paper.
Watch me take this pen to paper.
Woah!
I take this pen to paper
Watch me take this pen to paper
Woah!
The song "I Will Never Write An Obligatory Song About Being On The Road And Missing Someone" by Say Anything portrays the emotional struggle of an individual who is on the road and missing someone they love. The first verse begins with the artist using a pen and paper to express their thoughts in a poetic manner. The artist communicates that they are so consumed by the emotions that they cannot resist the danger of confessing their deep feelings. The artist then says that 'Poetry was never this real to me', which means that they are expressing their emotions through poetry since poetry is the only way to do justice to the words that the artist feels in their heart. They then lament that they were too far gone to save her, perhaps referring to their relationship with the person they miss.
The chorus expresses the artist's desire to have their significant other back. The phrase 'I want my baby back' is powerful as it shows that the artist sees the person they miss as their baby, which could symbolize that both of them have a very close and nurturing relationship. The artist then admits that they miss that person and misses their kisses, which shows the depth of their love.
In the second verse, the artist paints a picture of being lost among strangers and in a stink. They convey that they are lost because freedom has its cost, which could symbolize that travel and adventure have left them lacking a sense of belonging or a stable relationship. The last line in the verse implies that they will call the person they miss once they have the time.
Overall, this song is about the pain and agony that one goes through when they are away from someone they love. It explores the emotions of a person who travels frequently and misses their loved one, and shows how they use poetry to express those emotions. The song ends on a hopeful and positive note where the artist gets their baby back and gets their happy ending.
Line by Line Meaning
Take this pen to paper, like a virgin befalled by the danger.
I am starting to write about my emotions, which feels new and scary, like losing innocence.
Poetry was never this real to me. Well, i was too far gone to save her.
I never took poetry seriously until now, but it's too late to save my relationship with her.
Oh Lordy! The sun is coming up! A marshmallow into a cloud! I'll never shut up again! I'm fucking disavowed.
I am overwhelmed and manic, feeling like I will never be able to stop talking about my feelings.
Take this pen to paper, in a stink there with four total strangers. I am lost cause freedom has it's cost. My box is full, i'll call you later.
I am stuck on the road with strangers, feeling lost and unsure if being free is worth it. I'll call you when I can.
I want my baby back! I want my baby back! I miss you, miss you.
I am desperately missing my loved one and want them back in my life.
I was hoping you were open but you were not. I missed my shot
I thought there was a chance for reconciliation, but it turns out there wasn't and I blew my chance.
But then you called me. What befalled me, I never knew. I never knew it was you.
You unexpectedly called me and I was surprised. I didn't know it was you all along.
I got my baby back! I got my baby back! I miss you, miss you.
I am ecstatic that my loved one is back in my life and can't stop thinking about them.
And, i got you back! And, i got you back! And, i got you back! And, i got you, Got you, back!
I am overjoyed that we are back together and can't stop repeating it.
Take this pen to paper. Watch me take this pen to paper. Woah!
I am recommitted to writing about my emotions, and I want you to see me do it. Woah!
I take this pen to paper Watch me take this pen to paper Woah!
I am emphasizing my renewed commitment to writing, and want you to see it. Woah!
Contributed by Bailey H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.