| Say Anything – An Orgy of Critics Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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The song as a whole seems to be talking about critics aned people who use art as a means to seem sophisticated. The modern art world and music industry is a sham. And Max was pissed because something that should give life value is currency and bullshit. "There's blood on the good book (the bible, or a good piece of literature), love in the bad brook" refers to this I think. The profane and the beautiful are mixed up. "Suck out all the nerve and make it yours" gives an image of taking what's human from the art to use it for their own purposes. "You brought me to your knees. Your art it brought me to my knees" doesn't tell why he fell to his knees. Out of shock and disgust? Grief? Awe? If the first two he's bemoaning how void and meaningless what some people call "art" is. If the last he's referring to genuine music. Or he's quoting someone claiming art sample A is great, because the next line is "You're so perfect to please us! You make all the right noise". The industry pleased people are glorifying their perversion of art. "get the business clothes off! (take off! take off!) Strip down to your voice" sounds either like Max yelling for less formality and honesty, or darker it's the industry speaking and caught up in its delusions that it's there to hear people's real voices. In reality it's void and manipulative. |
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| Say Anything – Property Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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It's a guy who sees his girl/woman as "his" in every sense of the word. He could be literally saying this, but a guy of that type probably wouldn't consciously think these words or else he couldn't keep up the self-denial of his narcissism. I don't think the narrator (not Max Bemis; the character he's playing in this song) is introspective enough to see how manipulative and possessive he is. But these words express the way he sees things, which underlies all his actions and leads to how he blindly wants to force another person into a mold of what he wants. And to fit her into that mold he has to try to take away her free will and depersonalize her, making her his property. Lyrics interpretation: Don't you go leaving Baby, I'll find you, (He "cares" about her as far as she is his object of possession. If she tries to leave him he won't leave her alone.) Tell all your secrets No one will want you (And he will exploit her. If she won't be his object of pleasure he'll try to fuck up her reputation as a human) It's for your own good I know what's best for you (Trying to convince her and himself she needs him. And he can't picture her with an existence outside of him.) If you won't sleep with me There'll be no rest for you (He won't let her be.) Until the day you're broke Until you drop and choke I'll be your man ("Until". If she needs help he's out). This much I know Until the empire falls Until you think at all (at, not it) (Don't know what "empire" is talking about.) You gave your love to me And now you are my property (Love only has meaning when it's a choice, when you give it to someone out of free will. But for the narrator when she's given him love he has a right to her soul). You sold your soul (Depersonalizing and possessing her) You can't retrieve the love I stole From you It's true (First he said she gave it, now he says he stole it. Sounds like he manipulated her into thinking she needed him.) Deny with every thing you do You're my property You're my property (He doesn't want her denying he owns her.) Sell you into bondage Baby, I own you (He said it himself.) You'll entertain all my friends Dressed in the latest trendy frocks (She's a prop to make him look good.) You better tattoo That I am your patriarch (Like branding cattle.) It's your ambition (That should be what she wants to do.) Soon you will fear the dark Because I lurk (not look) in your bed Until the day you see That you mean nothing to me (He's using her.) Until the day I find Someone to fall in line Without a single sin Without an opinion (He's looking for someone who never makes a mistake and that means never displeases him. And he doesn't want a woman ever disagreeing with him, one with her own opinions.) You gave your love to me And now you are my property You sold your soul You can't retrieve the love I stole From you It's true Deny with every thing you do You're my property You're my property "Baby, I know you've got all those crazy loft goals: Going to art school and following your dreams and whatnot. Blah blah blah, just throw it to the side. You know I can support us all on my own and worst case I'll just have to sell some drugs to my little brother's friends. (He's fine with using his brother's friends to get money.) If you do have to sell your body, once or twice or seven times, it'll be worth it. (Doesn't give a shit about her self-respect.) And trust me, one day my band is gonna make it. And this will all be just a distant distant dream..." (The fact the narrator refers to his band making it sounds like Max in some of his songs. So maybe Max is writing about a younger version of himself. Or an alternate version. Or another person who has a band.) Until the earth's removed (Until the world ends) Or daddy don't approve (Or he doesn't approve of her) Whatever happens first Depending on my mood (How he treats her depends on his mood.) (Unless something happens dramatically outside his control, like the world ending, or unless he decides he doesn't want her any more, until then, she's his property) You gave your love to me And now you are my property You sold your soul You can't retrieve the love I stole From you It's true Deny with every thing you do You're my property You're my property You're my property You're my property |
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