Baby, seasons change but people don't
And I'll always be waiting in the back room
I'm boring but overcompensate with
Headlines and flash, flash, flash photography

But don't pretend you ever forgot about me
Don't pretend you ever forgot about me

Wouldn't you rather be a widow than a divorcee?
Style your wake for fashion magazines
Widow or a divorcee?
Don't pretend it, d-d-d-don't pretend

(We don't fight fair)
(We don't fight fair)

They say your head could be your prison
Then these are just conjugal visits
People will dissect us till this doesn't mean a thing anymore

Don't pretend you ever forgot about me
Don't pretend you ever forgot about me

Wouldn't you rather be a widow than a divorcee?
Style your wake for fashion magazines, ooh
Widow or a divorcee?
Don't pretend, d-d-d-don't pretend

We do it in the dark
With smiles on our faces
We're dropped and well concealed
In secret places, whoa
We do it in the dark
With smiles on our faces
We're trapped and well concealed
In secret places

We don't fight fair (we don't fight fair)
We don't fight fair (we don't fight fair)
We don't fight fair

We do it in the dark
With smiles on our faces
We're trapped and well concealed
In secret places, whoa
We do it in the dark
With smiles on our faces
We're trapped and well concealed
In secret places
We don't fight fair
With smiles on our faces
We're trapped and well concealed
In secret places
We don't fight fair

Don't pretend you ever forgot about me
We don't fight fair
Don't pretend you ever forgot about me
We don't fight fair


Lyrics submitted by suchaxsucker, edited by Mellow_Harsher

The Take Over, The Breaks Over Lyrics as written by Joseph Mark Trohman Andrew John Hurley

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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The Take Over, the Breaks Over song meanings
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  • +9
    Song Meaning

    I know this is an old song and probably no one will read this comment, but I just need to get this off my chest.

    People are getting the meaning of this song wrong because they keep going back to Fall Out Boy's previous song topics (love, fame, girls, break-ups, etc.). If you truly want to understand this song, you have to think outside the box.

    The lyrics tell the story of a celebrity who's husband cheated on her (or did something just as bad - or worse) and a hit-man's proposition of assassinating said husband.

    Once you have that situation in mind, the lyrics finally become clear:

    "Baby, seasons change, but people don't" The hit-man's first argument. ("He's not gonna change. Why bother trying?")

    "And I'll always be waiting in the back room" Again, the hit-man. ("You know where to find me if you want to go through with it.")

    "I'm boring, but overcompensate With headlines and flash photography" (I'm skipping the repetition for the sake of convenience.) The hit-man is appealing to the wife's need for attention. ("Think of all the press coverage his death will bring; you'll be in the spotlight again.")

    "Don't pretend you'll ever forget about me" The wife refused or said she'll think about it, but the hit-man knows she'll eventually accept.

    "Wouldn't you rather be a widow than a divorcé? Style your wake for fashion magazines" The hit-man's second argument. ("Wouldn't it be better if the public sees you as the victim of a horrible crime than the victim of a bad marriage? It'll also be a lot more fun to get dressed for a funeral than for court.")

    "We don't fight fair" Killing someone in order to have things go your way isn't considered as fighting fair.

    "They say your head can be a prison Then these are just conjugal visits" A metaphor for the wife's recurrent thought about assassinating her husband.

    "People will dissect us till this doesn't mean a thing anymore" The hit-man's third argument. ("They won't be able to prove anything. Everyone will forget about the whole thing once the situation blows over.")

    "We do it in the dark With smiles on our faces We're dropped and well concealed In secret places" The hit-man's explaining his method: with a sniper rifle, he'll find a well hidden spot that's in the shadows and enjoy it when the bullet rips through her husbands skull.

    This is one of my favorite songs simply because the subject of the lyrics is so different than the rest of their songs. I also love the contrast of the serious topic (murder for hire) and the upbeat rhythm and melody. It's things like that that makes Fall Out Boy who they are.

    ForeverRetroon October 31, 2010   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    "Wouldn't you rather be a widow than a divorcee"

    I think it means

    "hey baby we're always going to be the same, nothings gonna change us, so wouldn't you rather death do us part .....or eventually are you going to want to forget about me and break up.

    m0rgz1eon May 28, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Baby, seasons change but people don't

    Isn't that the truth? I can't wait for Feburary...all the songs I've heard are amazing.

    ShotgunXXWeddingon January 11, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is my favorite new song, Regardless of how many people say that they are different they are, but in a good way. Actually fall out boy never sounded like another band, other bands sound like fall out boy. From evening out with your girlfriend to the AOL Session it is band EVOLUTION IN YOUR FACE!! No Band stays the same and if you do, you're a one-hit wonder! Baby, Seasons change but people don't! We're the Same, but in different seasons! Fall Out boy is still the best, only its 07. Come on people did you really expect any less from them?? It been a while since their last album, well people The Breaks over, The Take Over!! Thanks jay-z!

    notfightingfairon January 11, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    my favorite part is the "do it in the dark" part. i love how his voice sounds there. and wasn't this song supposed to be called "satisfaction"?

    F.o.B.truxoluvon January 14, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "Widow or a divorcee?" hhahahahah I thought he said "wheel or a diva seat." I was like ????

    I love this song mucho. I can't wait to hear the album version of this because the live version is so darn good.

    matchbox_20on January 16, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Haha I thought it was 'weirdo or a divorcee'.

    I think I'm a weirdo.

    shrodeson January 17, 2007   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    I really think this song is talking to the fans, regarding the whole "you guys have changed" argument that goes down every CD. I think it's Pete saying, no we haven't changed, we're still the same dorky, loser dudes you love; "Baby, seasons change but people don't. And I'll always be waiting in the back room. I'm boring but overcompensate with Headlines and flash, flash, flash photography."

    And that even though the fans are always like, "Oh I hate them so much now, they've changed blahblahblah" he knows that they do still love them, or at least that they did, and they'll still think about them; "But don't pretend you ever forgot about me. Don't pretend you ever forgot about me."

    I think the chorus is saying, wouldn't you rather stick with us until we break up ["Wouldn't you rather be a widow", than someone who quick on the band half way through["than a divorce?"] And thee fashion magazine thing is about how fans read shit about them and believe it, and get all mad, and what not. and the don't pretend is just at the end is just like a 'think about it' type thing because it seems really stupid not to stick with a band just because they have one album you don't like, or blahblahblah.

    Haven't really worked out the "we do it in the dark" part. I don't know, maybe he's talking about connecting with the fans at concerts? I really don't know there.

    But, that's just me, I could be totally wrong. Pete is a brilliant mess, for real.

    ShEsALaDyon August 30, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "Wouldn't you rather be a widow, or a divorcee?'' talks about how a friend probably telling his/her other friend (that is a girl) about the bad relationship they're in, and told the friend to break up with her partner before it's too late. (Wouldn't you rather be single, or stuck in the post-marriage breakup stituation)

    Helixaerialon October 17, 2022   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "Wouldn't you rather be a widow, or a divorcee?'' talks about how a friend probably telling his/her other friend (that is a girl) about the bad relationship they're in, and told the friend to break up with her partner before it's too late. (Wouldn't you rather be single, or stuck in the post-marriage breakup stituation)

    Helixaerialon October 17, 2022   Link

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