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 Writhing South
Say Anything Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun beating down
On the chest in back of me
Looking for drugs in a southern town
I've got this red right hand
That points me south
The puke green clouds
Just spat me out
I landed with no shoes
I hear
"hey, come pollinate me"
across the room,
I hope to watch you
Writhe again soon
they've got the army of ears
They can't hear you now
I got the piss in my veins
And these furrowed brows
You've got this one last chance
To burn me, turn me down
If not, i've got these last 12 bucks
To spend on you
You can take me anywhere
Your sick mind wants to
Use yourself to fuel me using you
I hear
"hey, come pollinate me"
The song "The Writhing South" by Say Anything is a story of a journey towards a southern town in search of salvation, but instead of finding it, the singer is thrown into a hot, hot land with no shoes on his feet. He then hears a voice asking him to come and pollinate, which reveals the desperation that surrounds him. The song's title, "The Writhing South," captures the essence of the singer's struggle as he writhes in pain and despair while journeying south.
The lyrics "searching for blood in the salty sea" suggest that the singer is looking for some sort of spiritual fulfillment or release from his pain, but all he finds is the sun beating down on him. The imagery of "puke green clouds" and "hot, hot lands" further reinforce the idea of a hellish world that the singer finds himself in. The line "you can take me anywhere, your sick mind wants to" implies that the singer is open to anything to relieve his pain, but he is at the mercy of the people around him.
Overall, the song is a poetic representation of the human struggle and our constant search for meaning and relief from the hardships of life. The singer's journey towards the south presents a metaphor for our own journeys towards self-discovery and acceptance, where we often find ourselves in unfamiliar and uncomfortable territories.
Line by Line Meaning
Searching for blood in the salty sea
Looking for excitement or danger in a hopeless situation
The sun beating down
The hot, oppressive conditions of the environment
On the chest in back of me
The burden of past mistakes or experiences
Looking for drugs in a southern town
Seeking escape from reality through substance abuse
I've got this red right hand
Feeling a sense of power or control
That points me south
Directing one's actions towards a desired destination
The puke green clouds
The nauseating, unsettling aspects of the environment
Just spat me out
Being rejected or expelled from a situation
Into the hot, hot lands
Entering a new, inhospitable environment
I landed with no shoes
Feeling vulnerable and unprepared
I hear "hey, come pollinate me" across the room
A desire for sexual or romantic attention
I hope to watch you writh again soon
Anticipating the pleasure of someone else's discomfort or suffering
They've got the army of ears, they can't hear you now
Feeling unheard or ignored by those in power
I've got the piss in my veins and these furrowed brows
Feeling angry, agitated, or irritable
You've got this one last chance to burn me, turn me down
Challenging someone to reject or hurt you
If not, I've got these last 12 bucks to spend on you
Using money or material possessions to gain affection or attention
You can take me anywhere your sick mind wants to
Being willing to do anything to please someone else
Use yourself to fuel me using you
Exploiting someone else's desires or weaknesses for one's own gain
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX BEMIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind