in a 2012 interview, The Used bassist Jeph Howard said that "A Box Full of Sharp Objects" is probably his favorite song by the band.
A few years ago, while preparing to send the album art for b-side collection Shallow Believer to his record label, Bert McCracken scrawled the word “Artwork” across its cover in silver ink. The sentiment, which, to Bert and his bandmates in The Used, resonated with both extreme simplicity and indescribable complexity, said everything without really having to say anything. Now, the Utah band has titled their fourth full-length album with that very word: Artwork.
The group started writing the album after finishing the Taste of Chaos International tour in 2007, slowly collecting and jamming out ideas with no concrete intention beyond making the songs as dirty as possible. The Used, whose last album, 2007’s Lies For the Liars, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200, spent the first half of 2008 in LA exploring and refining these ideas, eventually piecing tangential riffs and melodies into a scattering of songs that contained a surprisingly cohesive sensibility. The band members dubbed the music they were writing “gross pop,” their own new genre of hook-laden numbers that pushed the boundaries of the grotesque. Tracking for the album began in June of 2008 with producer Matt Squire and eventually concluded in February of 2009, primarily at LA studios The Lair and NRG. Between a few sporadic tours, the band spent about three months total recording with Squire where they allowed their creativity to dictate when they worked on something.
“I wouldn’t say it was hard to make any of the record but it definitely was time consuming,” Bert says. “We worked on our time table. The band allowed me to create when I was able to create, which was a good thing. I didn’t feel pressure to force things. There was no specific time I had to do anything. If we were in the studio and I’d been working on lyrics for five hours and nothing came out, we would just try again tomorrow.”
In the studio Squire approached the recording process with a laid-back attitude the band both appreciated and needed. The decision to work with a new producer after establishing a longtime relationship with producer John Feldman, who was at the helm of the band’s past three albums (Lies For the Liars, as well as 2004’s In Love and Death and 2002’s The Used, both of which were certified gold), was derived from a simple desire for change. The Used wanted to see what would happen if they entered the studio with someone different, a process guitarist Quinn Allman compares to “breaking up with your girlfriend not because you don’t love her but because you need to try something new.”
“It wasn’t that we absolutely didn’t want to work with Feldman or that we absolutely wanted to work with Squire,” Bert explains. “It was more that the band needed a change. We wanted to try something different and have it sound a lot different. It took a few weeks for us to get a vibe for each, but once we got used to it, it was really easy. Squire brought in this willingness to try anything and an open mind and a good attitude. I feel like he was really in touch with what the band wanted to do and he was really supportive of our ideas.”
The result is a raw collection of twelve songs that not so delicately teeter the line between being aggressively discordant and charmingly hooky. The first single “Blood On My Hands,” which Quinn describes as the song that “sums up everything about The Used,” is confined chaos, brutally thrashing one moment and proffering a pop-driven, sing-along chorus the next. “Empty With You,” a track Bert says is “about feeling empty and lonely but as long as you have someone who can feel lonely with you then everything’s okay,” surges with passion and gripping honesty, while “Cut Yourself” balances the album’s predilection for propulsive rage with its quieter, piano-driven exploration of what it means to have someone to lean on.
“This record is more sincere,” Quinn says. “It’s got a sound more reminiscent of the first record. Lyrically, it completely engulfs you and makes you feel safe but it’s all about feeling alone and empty and knowing there’s always a light. If you’re frustrated that much it means you care that much. The lyrics carry you through the record and you’re right with Bert and where he’s at. The music isn’t showing off. It’s just being what it is. I think the fans will appreciate all that.”
“This record is about coming together,” Bert adds. “Whether it’s through positivity or negativity, it’s about coming together through anything.”
Artwork encapsulates the past eight years of a band that’s played tours and festivals like Warped Tour, Ozzfest, Projek Revolution, Give It a Name, Reading and Leeds and SxSW, and sold over two million albums in the States alone, while simultaneously urging them forward. It’s a collaborative effort that drew The Used closer together during its creation. It’s about love and mortality and the basic human emotions we all experience every day. It’s biting and gritty, and it’s melodic and catchy. It’s a new chapter for a band that’s constantly sought to redefine the bounds of pop music—and have always successfully done so. It’s a reminder, as Bert says, “we’re all artists creating our own art just by living it.”
“I Come Alive” is the first single from The Used's fifth album, Vulnerable. It is the first release on the band's own label, Anger Music Group, an imprint of Hopeless Records. The song was released on January 17, 2012. (I Come Alive Songfacts).
Maybe Memories
The Used Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we tried to call it home
But we weren't alright, not at all
Not for one second
Never have been one to write it down
Now I think I can
I know I'm stronger now
Not me I'm not looking back
I'm done denying the truth to anyone
Cause I'm alive
You showed me how
You seemed to find a hole
But I just laughed and smiled
Begged and rolled my eyes
Even cried and
Denied the truth to you
Just like the truth to me
Mostly lied
I'm not going to look back
White it out like glittering wax butterflies
The lyrics to The Used's song Maybe Memories seem to speak about a certain feeling of constant struggle and hardship which the singer has experienced throughout their life. They describe the feeling of trudging through mud, trying to make a home, but never feeling quite alright, not for one second. This imagery represents the singer's life and the difficulties they have faced. They also mention in the second stanza of how they have never been the type to write things down but now they can, as they feel stronger. The line "Who's looking south, not me, I'm not looking back" indicates a sense of moving forward and not dwelling on the past anymore. This change likely stems from an internal realization and acceptance of the truth, which the singer has been denying for a long time. They have finally accepted who they are, and they are not going to look back.
The third stanza introduces a character who played a significant part in the singer's life; they showed them how to find a hole in something. The singer seems to be at odds with this person, as they have had a difficult time accepting the truth that this person showed them. They laughed and smiled, begged and rolled their eyes, even cried, all while denying the truth to this person. They have lied, just as they lied to themselves about who they are. However, the singer seems to have reached a point of acceptance and realization of the truth, which they will no longer deny to themselves or others.
Overall, the lyrics to Maybe Memories by The Used are about the concept of acceptance and realization of one's true self, and a refusal to look back or continue denying the truth.
Line by Line Meaning
As we trudge along through the mud
We've been struggling for a while now, and things aren't getting any easier.
And we tried to call it home
Despite our struggles, we tried to make the best of our situation and find comfort in it.
But we weren't alright, not at all
No matter how much we tried to make ourselves believe that everything was fine, deep down we knew it wasn't.
Not for one second
We couldn't fool ourselves for even a moment that everything was okay.
Never have been one to write it down
I've never been good at articulating my feelings, especially not through writing.
Now I think I can
But now, after everything we've been through, I feel like I have something to say and I'm ready to put it into words.
I know I'm stronger now
Despite the struggles and hardships, I've grown stronger and more resilient as a result.
Who's looking south
I'm not interested in dwelling on the past or looking back at where we've been.
Not me I'm not looking back
I'm focused on moving forward and leaving the past behind.
I'm done denying the truth to anyone
I'm not going to hide the truth or pretend everything is okay for the sake of others.
Cause I'm alive
I'm embracing my life and the present moment, rather than trying to escape from it or hide from the truth.
You showed me how
Despite my resistance, you helped me see the truth and face my feelings.
You seemed to find a hole
You could sense that something was wrong and that I was struggling, even if I wasn't ready to admit it.
But I just laughed and smiled
At first, I tried to hide my feelings by pretending everything was okay and putting on a brave face.
Begged and rolled my eyes
Even when you tried to talk to me about what was really going on, I didn't want to hear it and pushed back.
Even cried and
Eventually, I couldn't hide my feelings any longer and I broke down.
Denied the truth to you
But even in my moments of vulnerability, I was still hesitant to admit the truth to anyone else.
Just like the truth to me
Deep down, I knew the truth about my situation, but I was still in denial about it.
Mostly lied
I spent a lot of time lying to myself and others about how I was really feeling.
I'm not going to look back
Now that I've faced my feelings and acknowledged the truth, I'm not going to dwell on the past or regret my experiences.
White it out like glittering wax butterflies
I'm going to move forward with grace and beauty, leaving the past behind like a whiteout on a page.
Lyrics © THE BEST MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: BRANDEN STEINECKERT, JEPH HOWARD, QUINN ALLMAN, ROBERT MCCRACKEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vera Ferdy
As we trudge along through the mud
And we tried to call it home
But we weren't alright, not at all
Not for one for one for one second
Never have been one to write it down
Now I think I can
I know I'm stronger now
Who's looking south
Not me I'm not looking back
I'm done denying the truth to anyone
Cause I'm alive
As we trudge along through the mud
And we tried to call it home
But we weren't alright, not at all
Not for one for one for one second
You showed me how
You seemed to find a hole
But I just laughed and smiled
Begged and rolled my eyes
Even cried and
Denied the truth to you
Just like the truth to me
Mostly lied
I'm not going to look back
I'm not going to look back
I'm not going to look back
I'm not going to look back
White it out like glittering wax butterflies
Never have been one to write it down
Now I think I can
I know I'm stronger now
Who's looking south
Not me I'm not looking back
I'm done denying the truth to anyone
Cause I'm alive
I'm not going to look back
I'm not going to look back
I'm not going to look back
I'm not going to look back
I'm not going to look back
I'm not going to look back
I'm not going to look back
Lala Gunn
As we trudge along through the mud
And we tried to call it home
But we weren't alright, not at all
Not for one second
Never have been one to write it down
Now I think I can
I know I'm stronger now
Who's looking south
Not me I'm not looking back
I'm done denying the truth to anyone
Cause I'm alive
You showed me how
You seemed to find a hole
But I just laughed and smiled
Begged and rolled my eyes
Even cried and
Denied the truth to you
Just like the truth to me
Mostly lied
I'm not going to look back
White it out like glittering wax butterflies
MissUtah2021
As we trudge along through the mud
And we tried to call it home
But we weren't alright, not at all
Not for one second
Never have been one to write it down
Now I think I can
I know I'm stronger now
Who's looking south
Not me I'm not looking back
I'm done denying the truth to anyone
Cause I'm alive
You showed me how
You seemed to find a hole
But I just laughed and smiled
Begged and rolled my eyes
Even cried and
Denied the truth to you
Just like the truth to me
Mostly lied
I'm not going to look back
White it out like glittering wax butterflies
Karma
Almost 20 years later and I still love this album 😊✌🏻
Nick Smith
Bro just searched this song by name haven't heard it in 10 years knew exactly what it was called
James King
Same shit….
J
"i'm not going to look back"
thats all this song makes me do
haha
fuck this got me through some shit
Cheyenne Rain
You know how to make a person feel old 😭
JetJaguar
@Rey Davian if you have an android google BEETV APK new movies abd tv shows as well as old ones
Meggan LuGrain
Fml i remember stealing this album from my brother and turning it up all the way screaming it at the top of my lungs. 10 years later i still call my brother singing this album 🤘🏻
DaNewWrksOfMeh
the used seems to have become my favorite band in the world. when I've become so lost. I try to look on the brightside. do things to make myself feel motivated. when all I really know is at the end of it I'll die and this will all be over. I try to find love and when I have it I resent it. when I have success I throw it away. there's nothing in the end. the used helps me to feel numb. it matches the way I feel. I just wanna feel nothing
DontTreadOnMe
I was in a dark place too for a while. Failed in everything in my life, got addicted to drugs and alcohol, and was a borderline junkie, gun pointed at my head etc etc... I can tell you there is hope. I got out of all that and the main thing is that you gotta focus on getting out of whatever situation your in. Don't look for anything except getting out. Only seek to improve yourself. Address negative emotions that drag you down (most of the time they're invalid and stem from simple fear and insecurity). Be humble and honest with yourself. Accept disappointments and setbacks. Keep your eye on the prize. Good luck, God bless.
zimzalabop
omg every time i come back to this song i just get hit with the greatest nostalgia.. i really love this song :)