All the words in my mouth that the scene deemed unworthy of letting out banded together
To form a makeshift militia and burrowed bloodily through my tongue and my teeth.
I stood proud in the gallery with my open socket of a mouth for them to see.
They all just laughed and said "That boy , he, that boy's got woe. (woe.) He lives with woe. (woe.)"
And this girl who I met whose pride makes her hard to forget,
She took pity on me (horizontally) but most likely because of my band. (hey)
It's all I can get when I'm lonely and these visions of death seem to own me
In the quiet of the classrooms all across the stacked United States of Woe. We live with woe.

She said "I can't get laid in this town without these pointy fucking shoes.
My feet are so black and blue and so are you."
Please take me out of my body up through the palm trees to smell California in sweet hypocrisy.
Floating. My senses surround my body. I wake my nose to smell that ocean burn.
So now I'm forging ahead past all the plutocrats who sold me out.
Go sob in your bed. If life is twice as pretty once your dead then send me a card.
I'm still the optimist though it is hard when all you want to be is in a dream.



Lyrics submitted by Mopnugget

Track duration: 03:56

"Woe" as written by Max Bemis

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

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Woe song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:all the words in my mouth
    that the scene deemed unworthy of letting out
    banded together to form a makeshift militia
    and burrowed bloodily through my tongue and my teeth
    i stood proud in the gallery
    with my open socket of a mouth for them to see
    they all just laughed and said
    "that boy he, that boy's got woe, woe
    he lives with woe, woe"
    ^basically, all of the things he's wanted to say but couldn't (because "the scene" didn't agree), are pouring out. And he's proud of it, even if everyone else is just laughing and brushing him off.

    and this girl who i met
    whose pride makes her hard to forget
    she took pity on me, horizontally
    but most likely because of my band
    ^he's talking about a girl that had sex with him just because he was in a band, making it meaningless.

    and that's all i can get
    when i'm lonely and these
    visions of death seem to own me
    in the quiet of the classrooms
    all across the stacked united states of woe, woe
    we live with woe
    ^now, he's saying that's the only kind of relationship he has with women (all physical, no emotion), which makes him lonely. but even though he's lonely, he also finds himself happy because he's staying true to himself. he then states that all of america lives with "woe", meaning we aren't true to ourselves.

    she said "i can't get laid in this town
    without these pointy fucking shoes
    my feet are so black and blue, and so are you"
    ^the girl mentioned earlier who he had sex with has something in common with him. she says that she can't fit in anywhere without changing herself, and it hurts her just like it hurts him.

    please take me out of my body
    up through the palm trees
    to smell california in sweet hypocrisy
    floating my senses, surround my body
    i wake my nose to smell that ocean burn
    ^the girl is now saying how she wants to leave to go see california (where she heard it's very nice), even though she knows its the same there as it is here. she is finally realizing it's the same everywhere, and welcomes herself to see the hypocrisy in it all.

    so now i'm forging ahead
    past all the plutocrats
    who sold me out
    go sob in your bed
    if life is twice as pretty
    once you're dead
    then send me a card
    i'm still the optimist, though it is hard
    when all you want to be is in a dream
    ^now, he's leaving behind the people that put him down in life. He tells the girl that she shouldn't be upset if people don't accept her for who she really is, and prefer her "other side" to her real self. he tells her if she realizes her "other side" will get her accepted and goes with it, then he will leave her behind. He then finally states that he's still optimistic about staying true to himself, even though it's hard when in reality, all he wants is to be accepted by everyone for his real self.

    i absolutely love this song. i think it really speaks out about how hard it is to be accepted in this world. i hope you all found my interpretation of the lyrics helpful!

    Flag allygrace711on April 21, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:I feel like the meaning of this song is utterly simple.

    The term

    "Just be yourself"

    Comes to mind.
    The Scene deemed unworthy of his words, yet he stands proud in the gallery of these people looking at him. Spewing his words out for everyone to hear.

    The girl, who cant get laid without her Pointy fuckin shoes, is another example. She can't be herself and "Succeed" but she wants to.

    The last verse kinda messed with my theory a bit but brings it all back into focus, by saying "when all you want to be is in a dream"

    Meaning, To me, the life that they are living isnt up to their own standards.

    But by saying, "If life is twice as pretty once you're dead then send me a card i'm still the optomist, though it is hard.." right before that, I feel like he's really grasping that fact, that you need to be yourself, and telling the people who want to change themselves and him should "send him a card" so to speak.
    Flag TheDoorstopon December 21, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the part about her feet being black and blue from her pointy shoes makes me laugh.. cuz girls will put themselves through misery just to be "fashionable" and fit in. man, i freaking dont wear those shoes, they hurt! lol.
    Flag brendaruthon October 16, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:'and this girl who i met
    whose PRIDE makes her hard to forget'

    This song changes so much. It's good, I think.
    Flag Manifest0on August 12, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is my favorite song of all time. My grandmother just died yesterday and I can't seem to stop listening to this song. This has been my favorite song since I was 14, I'm almost 19. God damn it Max Bemis, you are genius. This song speaks to me as an awakening and a reminder to always rise above conflicts and to get passed "users." I've seen Say Anything four times and every time I see them I feel "Alive," and I think that is Max's goal, a goal he accomplishes continually.
    Flag Elephantsweaterson June 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"all the words in my mouth
    that the scene deemed unworthy of letting out
    banded together to form a makeshift militia
    and burrowed bloodily through my tongue and my teeth"


    I think that this is Max's way of saying that evil thoughts built up inside him until he couldn't control them and let it all out.
    Flag happa95on January 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:"I stood proud in the gallery
    with my open socket of a mouth for them to see
    they all just laughed and said
    "that boy he, that boy's got woe, woe
    he lives with woe, woe"

    To me want I think is a gallery is a place where things are shown off; the center of attention.
    "Open socket of a mouth for them to see, they all just laughed and said......." This means to me that
    as hes here trying to talk people kinda just ignore him and are not concerned with what hes expressing. And woe mean sadness or suffering something like that, So the boy must be feeling sad.
    Flag blazingfox91on July 07, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:just like max says in the last line "a dream"
    thats exactly what i think this songs about.
    a dream he had that related to his real life.
    Flag ellenbabyon June 01, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:jesus...Max really gotsta learn. it's not that hard to get some puss.
    Flag fucknuton April 19, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:she said "i can't get laid in this town
    without these pointy fucking shoes
    my feet are so black and blue, and so are you"

    This is my favorite part of this song. These few lines have stuck with me since I heard the song. An ex clues me in on this band and after the breakup I avoided music that reminded me of him, and there was a ton. Some handful of months later after having a dire need to listen to the sound that is Say Anything, I picked this song. It's so hard to describe how it makes me feel. Just kind of a Fuck You to faking.
    Flag DecemberSunon March 14, 2009   Link

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