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.
Total Revenge
Say Anything Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to but I can pretend
That I don't need to be
By your side again
Wrap me up in a plastic case
Pat me down with your warm embrace
I wanna know where you lay your face at night
You're a problem that I can't abide
I could sleep well if only I tried
But I stay up and dream of a bride to be
Oh me, oh my
Give it up, I can't wait no more
I am stuck on your bedroom floor
With the thought that I may not be
As great as those that came before
There's a man assigned to me
And he checks on my stability
We discuss you every week
Then I rinse and rinse, repeat
But maybe, I can show you, baby
Maybe, I can relax for good
Whoa, baby, I can show you
Maybe, baby
There's a man assigned to me
And he checks on my stability
We discuss you every week
Then I rinse and rinse, repeat
And he charges by the tear
Till I weep no more strictly out of fear
That I can't afford your love
And the moon just burns above, okay
In "Total Revenge," Say Anything explores the complicated feelings that stem from unrequited love. The song's narrator is deeply infatuated with someone who doesn't reciprocate his affection. However, rather than simply moving on, he's consumed by bitterness and jealousy. He wants to be with this person so badly that it's become an obsession, and he's willing to go to great lengths to try to win them over.
The chorus of the song offers some insight into the singer's mindset. He sings, "When I like you it's total revenge / I want to but I can pretend / That I don't need to be / By your side again." This suggests that his attraction to this person is rooted in a desire for power or control. He wants to have them, not because he truly loves them, but because he wants to prove to himself that he can.
The verses of the song paint a vivid picture of the singer's inner turmoil. He describes feeling trapped ("I am stuck on your bedroom floor") and desperate ("Give it up, I can't wait no more"). The repeated lines about a man checking on his stability and charging him by the tear suggest that he's seeking some sort of professional help, but it's not enough to quell his obsession. Ultimately, "Total Revenge" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of fixating on someone who doesn't love you back.
Line by Line Meaning
When I like you it's total revenge
When I have feelings for you, it's a destructive force that takes over my emotions.
I want to but I can pretend
I want to be with you, but for now, I will pretend that I don't need you in my life.
That I don't need to be
By your side again
I am convincing myself that I don't need to be by your side again, but I know deep down that I do.
Wrap me up in a plastic case
Pat me down with your warm embrace
I wanna know where you lay your face at night
For all these years
I want to be wrapped up in your love and comfort, and I want to know everything about you, where you sleep at night, and who you are.
You're a problem that I can't abide
I could sleep well if only I tried
But I stay up and dream of a bride to be
Oh me, oh my
You are a problem for me that I can't ignore, and although I could try to forget about you and sleep well, I can't help but stay up at night dreaming of a future with you.
Give it up, I can't wait no more
I am stuck on your bedroom floor
With the thought that I may not be
As great as those that came before
I can't wait any longer, and I am stuck in my feelings for you, even if I might not be as impressive as those from your past.
There's a man assigned to me
And he checks on my stability
We discuss you every week
Then I rinse and rinse, repeat
I have a therapist who is assigned to help me with my feelings for you; we talk about you every week, but I can't seem to move on from these emotions.
But maybe, I can show you, baby
Maybe, I can relax for good
Whoa, baby, I can show you
Maybe, baby
Maybe I can show you how I truly feel about you, and maybe this will help me relax and be at peace with my emotions.
And he charges by the tear
Till I weep no more strictly out of fear
That I can't afford your love
And the moon just burns above, okay
My therapist charges a high price to help me with my emotions and tears, but I am scared that I won't be able to afford your love and the pain of unrequited love feels overwhelmingly lonely.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX BEMIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind