Difference between revisions of "Say It Ain't So"

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"Say It Ain't So"
Single by Weezer
Album	Weezer (The Blue Album)
Released	May 10, 1994 July 13, 1995 - as a single
Recorded	August-September 1993 at Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY
Length	4:18
Label	DGC
Writer(s)	Rivers Cuomo
RC#	143
COR#	N/A
Producer(s)	Ric Ocasek
Status	Officially released
Professional reviews
Allmusic (5/5)
Weezer singles chronology
"Buddy Holly" (1994) "Say It Ain't So" (1995) "El Scorcho" (1996)
Weezer (The Blue Album) track listing
"Surf Wax America" (6) "Say It Ain't So" (7) "In the Garage" (8) The Kitchen Tape track listing "Paperface" (5) "Say It Ain't So" (6) "Only in Dreams" (7) Weezer's third demo track listing "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" (2) "Say It Ain't So" (3) "Undone - The Sweater Song" (4)
Rivers Cuomo song chronology
"Why Are We?" (RC# 142) "Say It Ain't So" (RC# 143) "Please Pick Up the Phone" (RC# 144)

"Say It Ain't So" is the third single and seventh track from The Blue Album.

Appearances

• Weezer (The Blue Album)
• Weezer (Deluxe Edition) (Disc 2) (Original Mix)
• Say It Ain't So (Radio Only Promo CD) (Remix)
• Say It Ain't So (UK Retail Cassette) (Remix)
• Say It Ain't So (UK Retail CD/UK Retail 10" Single (Black Vinyl) ) (Remix)
• Weezer's third demo (Demo)
• The Kitchen Tape (Demo)
• Several Official Bootlegs (Live Version)

MP3 Previews

Source is www.LastFM.com unless otherwise stated

• Album version
• "Original Album Mix" from The Blue Album Deluxe

Overview

"Say It Ain't So" was also released on July 13, 1995 as a radio single, making it the final single released from The Blue Album. Originally, Weezer lead singer Rivers Cuomo had written all of the music and had only the line "Say it ain't so". He made the connection between the line and an experience he had in high school where he came home to find a bottle of alcohol (belonging to his stepfather, Stephen Kitts) in the refrigerator. Cuomo recalled that around the time his biological father left, he started drinking. He began to fear that Stephen, his step father, would soon leave his mother much the way his father did. This intense emotional content has caused many fans and critics to classify the song as "emo."

In the song, Cuomo draws parallels between his own drinking and his family falling apart, which is evident in the climax of the bridge section in which Cuomo states, "Like father, step father, the son is drowning in the flood."

As noted in the Weezer DVD collection Video Capture Device and the slip cover of the re-released special edition of their debut album, the video was filmed at the old "Amherst House" where the band used to rehearse and record. The video also features a cameo by the band's webmaster/band photographer/archivist and close friend for many years, Karl Koch. It reached #23 on The New Zealand show U Choose 40 Sing-A-Long Classics.

In 2008, the song was ranked #72 on Rolling Stone's "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time."

The song was featured as a playable song in the 2007 music video game Rock Band.

Music

Musically, "Say It Ain't So" features a reggae-ish beat under the verse vocals, which are doubled by bassist Matt Sharp in falsetto. When the chorus kicks in, a big, start-stop guitar riff mimicks the beat, and for the second and third choruses, a brief unison bend guitar part fills the spaces between the main riff. The guitar solo features a layered sound, much in the style of Queen guitarist Brian May, whom Rivers had expressed an affinity for.

For the studio version, Cuomo double tracked Chorus vocals and left the verse vocals with one take. It is one of the songs on the debut album to not feature Brian Bell on vocals. Originally, the words "Heartbreaker, lifetaker" were echoed at the end.

The chord progression for the verses and chorus of the song is the following: vi, V/vi, IV, I.

Single

The artwork for the "Say It Ain't So" single comes from a childhood drawing Rivers made of him and his father playing soccer--something they mutually loved. Prominently featured in the artwork is the image of Rivers scoring a goal (spelled "goll"), and his father encouraging him on with lines like, "Yay, my son." This information about the cover was not known until 2007, when Rivers revealed these facts in the beginning of the video for the Alone track "Lover in the Snow".

The release on 10" vinyl was a limited edition, with only 5000 numbered copies released.

All versions of the "Say It Ain't So" single feature the remixed version of the song (see below), and various editions contain one or both songs "No One Else" and "Jamie", recorded acoustically on April 1, 1995 at at Cat's Paw studios for Atlanta radio station WNNX, aka 99X. Bootlegs of all five songs recorded that day (including "Buddy Holly", "In the Garage", and "Undone") can be found online.

Song mixes

There are two mixes of the song. The original mix, featured on initital pressings of The Blue Album, can be distinguished in that the feedback in the chorus of the song has been edited out. However, when released as a single, the recording was remixed, with all instruments being placed slightly different in the mix and the guitar feedback between chords being intact.

The band liked this mix so much that they asked for it to replace the version on the album, after the album had sold about a million copies. The single version is now the version on the album. As the album has sold over two million copies since the switch, the ratio of remixed versions to original mixes is about 2:1. The original mix is featured as a bonus track on disc two of the deluxe edition of The Blue album.

Reception

"Say It Ain't So" is one of the most beloved Weezer songs. Many Weezer fans, and even Weezer band members, have cited it as their favorite Weezer song. Band member Brian Bell has expressed before that it is his favorite Weezer song. In 2008, the song was ranked #72 on Rolling Stone's "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time." It is also one of the band's more visible songs among casual music fans and the general public. Allmusic.com gave "Say It Ain't So" a 5 star rating and named it an "AMG Track Pick."

Tracklist

Radio Only Promo CD

1. Say It Ain't So (remix) - 4:17

UK Retail Cassette

1. Say It Ain't So (remix) - 4:17
2. No One Else (live acoustic) - 3:15

UK Retail CD/UK Retail 10" Single (Black Vinyl)

1. Say It Ain't So (remix) - 4:17
2. No One Else (live acoustic) - 3:15
3. Jamie (live acoustic) - 3:53

Music video

The music video was directed by Sophie Miller. Scott Shriner expressed on the Video Capture Device commentary that the video caught his eye because it was different from what was around at the time. The video shows the band in the wake of their success playing in their old garage at their old house. The video also features band friend, historian and unofficial fifth member Karl Koch. During the guitar solo, the band is shown playing hacky sack in their backyard.

Personnel

• Rivers Cuomo – lead guitar, lead vocals
• Patrick Wilson – percussion
• Brian Bell – rhythm guitar, vocals
• Matt Sharp – bass guitar, vocals
• Ric Ocasek – producer

Lyrics

<lyrics>Oh yeah All right

Somebody's Heine' is crowdin' my icebox Somebody's cold one is givin' me chills Guess I'll just close my eyes

Oh yeah Alright Feels good Inside

Flip on the tele' Wrestle with Jimmy Something is bubbling Behind my back The bottle is ready to blow

Say it ain't so Your drug is a heart breaker Say it ain't so My love is a life taker

I can't confront you I never could do That which might hurt you So try and be cool When I say This way is a water slide away from me that takes you further every day (hey) So be cool

Say it ain't so Your drug is a heart breaker Say it ain't so My love is a life taker

Dear Daddy, I write you in spite of years of silence You've cleaned up, found Jesus Things are good or so I hear This bottle of Stephen's Awakens ancient feelings Like father, stepfather, the son is drowning in the flood

Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah

Say it ain't so Your drug is a heart breaker Say it ain't so My love is a life taker</lyrics>

See also

• List of Weezer songs
• Stephen Kitts
• Leaves Cuomo (The lyric "Wrestle with Jimmy" refers to Rivers' brother, Leaves Cuomo)