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.
The Church Channel
Say Anything Lyrics
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This is the fifth time straight in a year I've ended up in here
Eating p.b.j's and watching the church channel nightly
I didn't mind what I did
I fell behind on my nightly four-course meal of rainbow pills
And now I'm wondering what is fake and what is real
But who's that ghost who keeps walking by my door
And I feel her gaze on me during sleeping hours and when I shower
They let us play with markers but I keep trying to draw infinity
And I read the bible to pass the time
But one day out of nowhere, she sits down and looks over my shoulder
I'm shaking harder then I've ever shook before
She sings
"Oh, do you remember me? is your mind that worn?
We both were born to be one with that which the public scorned
Though you were forlorn in despair
With your drugs and your hardcore porn
Trust me, those days won't be mourned"
So lay your head on me
So lay your head onto me
The lyrics to Say Anything's song The Church Channel depicts the thoughts and experiences of a person who is struggling with their mental health. The individual wakes up in a room and realizes that they are back in a mental hospital for the fifth time this year. They spend their time watching the church channel, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and questioning what is reality and what is fake. However, the lyrics take an interesting turn when the person sees a ghostly girl who walks by their door, wearing thick-rimmed glasses. The ghostly girl is seen watching the person during their sleeping hours and while they are showering. This shows that the person's mind is playing tricks on them.
As the song progresses, the person reads the bible and draws infinity, but suddenly the ghostly girl speaks to them. She identifies herself as someone the person had known before and asks if their mind is worn. She reminds the person that they both were born to be one with that which the public scorned - which can be interpreted as their mental illness. The girl tells the person that they were forlorn in despair with their drugs and hardcore porn, but reassures them that those days won't be mourned. The song ends with the girl telling the person to lay their head onto her.
Overall, the lyrics of The Church Channel depict a person's experience with mental illness, hallucinations, and questioning what is real.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up in a room and realize I'm insane again
I wake up in a room of a psychiatric ward, realizing that I've had a mental breakdown again.
This is the fifth time straight in a year I've ended up in here
This marks my fifth admission to the psychiatric ward in as many months. It's quite frequent.
Eating p.b.j's and watching the church channel nightly
I eat peanut butter jelly sandwiches and watch religious programs on TV every single night while I'm here.
I didn't mind what I did
I indulged in unhealthy habits, ignoring the potential consequences.
I fell behind on my nightly four-course meal of rainbow pills
I failed to keep up with my drug regimen which was previously a part of my daily routine.
And now I'm wondering what is fake and what is real
I'm reflecting on my past actions and questioning their veracity in relation to my state of mind- which led me to be here.
But who's that ghost who keeps walking by my door
I regularly see a hallucination of a lady which haunts me by walking passed my door.
I've never seen a girl look so good in thick-rimmed glasses before
She's an amazing sight to behold, perhaps as perfect as my mind could conjure.
And I feel her gaze on me during sleeping hours and when I shower
I get the feeling that she watches me sleep or even when I take a shower, which creeps me out.
They let us play with markers but I keep trying to draw infinity
As part of our stay, they allow us to use markers for our drawings or coloring, my recent obsession is drawing infinity.
And I read the bible to pass the time
To keep my mind occupied during my stay, I read the bible as a pastime.
But one day out of nowhere, she sits down and looks over my shoulder
Unexpectedly, one day she sits next to me, looking over my shoulder while I work.
I'm shaking harder then I've ever shook before
I'm getting nervous or agitated, more than ever before.
She sings
She speaks to me.
"Oh, do you remember me? is your mind that worn?
She asks, "Do you recall who I am? Has your mental condition affected your memory recall?"
We both were born to be one with that which the public scorned
We were both born with attributes or talents that people would ridicule or reject.
Though you were forlorn in despair
Despite your previous loss of hope and depression,
With your drugs and your hardcore porn
Despite your unfortunate habitual behavior of doing excessively drugs and pornography,
Trust me, those days won't be mourned"
She says, "We will together get through these troubled times; they won't be missed."
So lay your head on me
She asks me to rest my head on her shoulder or lap.
So lay your head onto me
She asks me to rest my head on her shoulder or lap.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX BEMIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind