Say Anything

I'd actually like to draw your attention to the band Say Anything.

The lead singer has bipolar, quite badly, and has actually been institutionalised because of it.

His music, particularly in the album In Defense of the Genre has several songs specifically devoted to his breakdown on tour, and subsequent institutionalisation, and then from there, his tentative recovery.

Some examples of lyrics are:

"i wake up in a room and realize i’m insane again
this is the fifth time straight in a year i’ve ended up in here
eating p.b.j’s and watching the church channel nightly
i didn’t mind what i did
i fell behind on my nightly four-course meal of rainbow pills
and now i’m wondering what is fake and what is real"

"It's too much to do on my own
My friends, I need you now
I'm sorry that I wrecked that tour for us
The drugs left me wigging out on the bus"

"And yes I know my addictions run the gamut
The drugs, the smokes, the booze, the 24
But you can't make the turkey colder
Or skew me less bipolar "

"tearing out my hair on a bedroom floor.
empty all the meds. never anymore. for sure.
throbbing in my flesh, breaking out in scarlet sores. in therapy i've been enslaved. i think i'll medicate this rage.
so now i cross the line.
fixing up the drugs with a tiny flame.
put them in my lungs and forget my name.
i blame my parents for molesting me with self-fulfilling prophecies.
the teacher for indulging me, his shit dressed up in fury, fear and shame.
i'll get high and drive.
if i were the keys then where would i be?
if it's up to me then i will be free."

It's sometimes very difficult to find music which actually literally speaks of what we're going through, but the emo-indie work of Max Bemis is definitely work to consider if you're looking for a musician who knows what it's like, and actually takes it one step further and writes about it.

I'm quite a fan of Max Bemis because musically he's extremely intelligent, and also one of those musicians who is so unknown by the mainstream, but so *well-known* by other artists.

For example, in the album, In Defense of the Genre, there were over 30 guest artists, from bands that included My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional. Etc.

He is a musician's musician.

Anyway, hope this is appropriate, Mad Jack. Feel free to pull it, if not.

That's quite fine, hun! I have heard of this band and never honestly knew much about them... I really think that this is great that he's writing about his experiences and in turn shedding light on it. It's amazing what status and popularizing what would otherwise be taboo can do to help so many people not feel like social pariahs.

I recall Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' and how very much that album resonates with me and seems so in-line with what I've experienced. I am so glad to know that this band, too, has a hand in bringing the tragedy of mental illness out of the shadows.

*HUGS* Thank you SO much for sharing this, Moonvoice.

I hadn't heard of them at all.

However, my idol (Stephen Fry) is bipolar, along with many of my favorite celebs.

Omg I worship Stephen Fry! I adored him in the Blackadder series!!!

I'd never heard of this band. The lyrics are haunting, telling the story of his innermost thoughts and feelings
I'm getting emotional reading them.

Love and Hugs
Aleia

Aleia wrote:

I'd never heard of this band. The lyrics are haunting, telling the story of his innermost thoughts and feelings
I'm getting emotional reading them.

His music is actually surprisingly upbeat a lot of the time.

And then you hear the lyrics and the contrast is huge. He 'hides' a lot of the really depressing stuff in a good hook or riff. In fact sometimes his choice in music style can be a sign of his slightly more manic side. He likes to put multiple genres into one song (one goes from clear emo / indie / rock to having an outro that is just reggae).

I've never heard of a musician like him. I'm a big fan.

Mad Jack wrote:

Omg I worship Stephen Fry! I adored him in the Blackadder series!!!

He's a fabulous man - i wrote my English Literature thesis on him. He sent me a book with an essay in it to help me and sent a letter of congratulations when I wrote to
thank him and told him I got a first.

If he weren't gay I'd run away with him.

Other favourite celeb that is BP is Robbie Williams.

There's loads, I just can't think of them when I'm here!

I read his biography. He's one amazing man.

justme wrote:

I read his biography. He's one amazing man.

Like Terry Pratchett, I've read every word the man has had printed!