Say Goodnight To The Bad Guy

Even though I can see the arguments against, and feel that song's largely should be about what the listener gets out of the experience of listening it, I feel that Andrew wrote this with Christ's death on the cross in mind.

The lyrics are full or references. "Now here I lie in the streets" Before Jesus carried his cross he was severely maimed and injured and tortures. The journey carrying his cross no doubt had him collapsing often "The village" being the onlookers and "the vultures" being Christ's persecutors, the will of Satan picking him apart as they mocked him.

I feel the chorus is very similar to Jesus saying that eternal life belongs to all those who taste his Holy Spirit and make it their own.

"The children fiend for the spoils, divide what remains".. I think refers to true Christians eager to take Christ's spirit into themselves and share in his glory, an honour that could only be granted through Christ spilling his blood in the desert on that day. "Gash below the waist" referring to Christ's body being punctured as he died on the cross, the "Milk" being Christ's ultimate gift.

But now comes the confusing part... why would Christ say the milk is curdled. Andrew very often writes about mediocrity and apathy and falseness. I feel this is Andrew's way of saying those who "drank" the milk and proclaimed they took on the Holy Spirit falsely, will not share in God's glory... the milk will curdle because God isn't alive within them.

Just for a minute pretend in this illusion", the illusion being the falseness of their Christianity. Christ saying that His friendship is the most precious gift ever given, and all we need to do is take him in "Such a bargain". But for those who do not take him in, the serum will go sour.. the cure to death and the key to eternal life will not belong to them.

And so we say goodbye to the bad guy, Satan defeated through Christ's sacrifice... but the only way you will share in the victory, is by truly drinking him in and embracing new life

Haha the first few times I heard this song I thought he was saying now everyone can take a knife to the bad guy, and I thought that was pretty cool, cause it's like slaying Satan, but descriptively, like how David talks about his enemies in psalms. But the real lyrics are cool too. Like Christ's blood gave us the power to combat Satan, which we never wouldve had if not for His death.

well, i kinda got the image of him taking a stab at people that make him out to be the bad guy for something. that or people who just wanna leech off of him, it talks about all the people gathering around his dead body in the street to watch the vultures. then it also talks about disembowelment (at least that's what it sounds like he's talking about... maybe not) and i have no clue what that's all about... this song is confusing

the song means anyone can get Satan off your back, all you have to do is accept christ (whoever ever wants a taste of me, take it for free) and he will take care of you and protect you from evil, even if you get mugged or something, you've always got the assurance of a beautiful eternity in heaven

well i agrree w/ your interpretatpoins but when they killed jesus he was made a to like a "bad guy" and hense the "whoever wants a peice of me take it for free"

Well i think that makes perfect sense norma jean and nine. Also, at a concert Andrew said "Listen up girls this one's for you." So i also view it as how girls just give up their virginity for free these days.

Everyones idea so far makes sense for one part of the song. it nearly makes sense talking about Jesus, and now that we got him we can say goodnite to the bad guy, but then wat does it mean when i says " but now its curdled and sour, ripe for your stomach to turn in about an hour" ?

an i like JLew's idea, that would just about all make sense, but then wat would "say good nite to the bad guy mean" ?

i dont get this song an wat its about, someone should ask andrew himself.

The title is an allusion to Bloodlined Calligraphy's album "Say Hi to the Bad Guy" if I'm not mistaken.

"Say Goodnight to the Bad Guy" is a quote taken directly from the Al Pacino movie, Scarface:

""Whattaya lookin' at? You're all a bunch of fucking assholes. You know why? 'Cause you don't have the guts to be what you wanna be. You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your fucking fingers, and say "that's the bad guy." So, what dat make you? Good? You're not good; you just know how to hide. Howda lie. Me, I don't have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth--even when I lie. So say goodnight to the bad guy. Come on; the last time you gonna see a bad guy like this, let me tell ya. Come on, make way for the bad guy. There's a bad guy comin' through; you better get outta his way!""

So I'm pretty sure that in this song, "Say goodnight to the bad guy" is Andrew's way of basically calling those who condemn him a hypocrite.

I think a lot of people here are projecting their own religious beliefs into the song. I've noticed this for Project 86 and also for Chevelle.

Here's what I think the overall song is about:

'Now here I lie in the street An invitation for you to steal a glance at me While all the village, it gathers To watch the vultures devour this decaying matter

You have killed me with your betrayal. You have stolen my joy away from me and I am left to decay. I get picked apart (either by the person he wrote this song about or by himself). He's in a low state.

'Come one, come all, (hey, hey, hey) Whoever wants a taste of me take it for free (2x)'

In this moment, I am at my most vulnerable.

'You wanna, You wanna, You wanna, You wanna Now everyone can say good night to the bad guy'

He is caustically referring to himself as the "bad guy" since this is how the person he has in mind sees him. His/her perception of Andrew is that he is totally the bad guy of the situation. He is totally at fault, and he/she forgets / erases from memory any good times had with Andrew.

'The children fiend for the spoils Divide what remains before it sinks in the soil With a gash below the waste Out it came like milk for everyone to taste But now it's curdled and sour Ripe for your stomach to turn in about an hour'

Whoever betrayed him left him wounded and vulnerable. But rather than give that person satisfaction from wounding him, he defies them.

'Just for a minute pretend In this illusion that we were ever friends Nothing is more expensive Yet it's been given to you at such a bargain But now the serum is sour 'Cause I was never here for you to devour'

Here's the verse that brought it all together to me. He hates the person now, but they were once friends. "It's been given to you at such a bargain" means that he's dealt with this person's shit and tried to be friends with him/her repeatedly. "Nothing is more expensive" means that giving someone his trust and friendship is not something he takes lightly. "But now the serum is sour 'Cause I was never here for you to devour" Means that he never agreed to be used up and discarded. He will not let this person consume his soul as if it were a piece of meat.

my interpretation goes a long more with hatedenemy's. bravo. i sensed the irony in the song that the speaker is not the bad guy, but everyone puts him in that role. the chorus is a surrender, proclaiming that "I'm not the bad guy here, but you're going to paint me as the bad guy anyway. So go ahead, do what you want to me, but i'm innocent. You'll have to answer to it someday." that's what it seems to be saying to me.