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.
Retarded in Love
Say Anything Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Their fingers rape his cavities
Proven for a hidden cliche'
He's a fruit that got in gravity's way
He's the first to tell you he's full of shit
Like that's half a compliment for men
Though hes waking up in puddles of piss
He marinates his metaphors in them
[Chorus]
And in this moment
La, lalaladada, lalaladada, lalaladada
They'll be falling in love
La, lalaladada, lalaladada, lalaladada
She takes photographs of people she knows
She brings out the best and worst in them
And God is buried deep in the folds
Of her fractured self and the lies that they've told
She used to laugh at everything old
It was a joke that never aged a bit
But when they robbed her of her infinite smile
She said maybe I'll just play dead for a while
[Chorus]
I'm right here and I must admit
I've been pining for you
Your my wish
When I touch my self I am conjuring you
From when we talk all night and the minutes are free
I just hope when I cast my spell you'll be falling for me
Because
Falling in love could be the first thing
Falling in love could be the worst thing
Falling in love there's no rehearsing
Retarded in love
The opening lines of Say Anything's 'Retarded in Love' paints a bleak picture of a man being taken advantage of by those around him, as they do not treat him with the respect he deserves. The use of the word 'rape' is particularly powerful in this context, highlighting the extent to which this person is being exploited by those around him. Despite this, the man knows that he is not perfect, describing himself as 'full of shit', though this does not excuse the way he is treated by others. His propensity for using metaphors is also interesting, though the idea that he 'marinates' them in his own urine is a clear sign of how troubled he is.
The song shifts focus in the second verse, as the singer describes a woman who takes photographs of those around her. While she is skilled at what she does, there is a sense that she is also full of secrets, with 'lies that they've told' buried deep within her. The line 'maybe I'll just play dead for a while' is striking in its fatalism, suggesting that this person has given up hope of ever finding happiness again. The chorus then comes in, and offers a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness, as the singer dreams of falling in love with someone who will love them back.
Overall, 'Retarded in Love' is a song that speaks to the struggles that people have in finding genuine love and connection with others. It highlights how cruel people can be when they take advantage of those who are vulnerable, while also suggesting that there is always the possibility of finding someone who will truly care for you.
Line by Line Meaning
They take advantage of him all of the time
He is constantly being mistreated by those around him.
Their fingers rape his cavities
They violate him in every way possible.
Proven for a hidden cliche'
He is a stereotype that is often overlooked.
He's a fruit that got in gravity's way
He is gay and society has caused him to feel down about who he is.
He's the first to tell you he's full of shit, Like that's half a compliment for men
He acknowledges his flaws, but society expects men to act in a certain way.
Though hes waking up in puddles of piss, He marinates his metaphors in them
He is struggling with addiction, but still finds a way to turn his pain into art.
And in this moment, La, lalaladada, lalaladada, lalaladada, They'll be falling in love, La, lalaladada, lalaladada, lalaladada
Despite his struggles, there is a chance for love in this moment.
She takes photographs of people she knows, She brings out the best and worst in them
She sees the good and bad in those around her and captures it through photography.
And God is buried deep in the folds, Of her fractured self and the lies that they've told
She is struggling with her faith and the lies she's been told about herself.
She used to laugh at everything old, It was a joke that never aged a bit
She used to find joy in the simple things, but has grown cynical over time.
But when they robbed her of her infinite smile, She said maybe I'll just play dead for a while
When she was mistreated, she shut down emotionally to protect herself.
I'm right here and I must admit, I've been pining for you
He has feelings for someone and has been holding them in.
Your my wish, When I touch my self I am conjuring you
He daydreams of being with this person and imagines romantic scenarios.
From when we talk all night and the minutes are free, I just hope when I cast my spell you'll be falling for me
He hopes that their conversations will lead to love.
Falling in love could be the first thing, Falling in love could be the worst thing, Falling in love there's no rehearsing, Retarded in love
Love can be unpredictable and painful, but he is willing to take the risk and hopes the person will reciprocate his feelings.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX BEMIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind