Say It Ain T So Guitar Hero

"Say Information technology Own't And so"

Unmarried past Weezer

Album

Weezer (The Blueish Album)

Released

May 10, 1994
July 13, 1995 - as a single

Recorded

August-September 1993 at Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY

Length

four:18

Label

DGC

Writer(s)

Rivers Cuomo

RC#

143

COR#

Northward/A

Producer(due south)

Ric Ocasek

Condition

Officially released

Professional person reviews

Allmusic (5/5)

Weezer singles chronology

"Buddy Holly"
(1994)

"Say Information technology Ain't And so"
(1995)

"El Scorcho"
(1996)

Weezer (The Bluish Anthology) runway listing

"Surf Wax America"
(six)

"Say It Own't So"
(7)

"In the Garage"
(eight)

The Kitchen Tape track list

"Paperface"
(5)

"Say It Ain't So"
(6)

"Only in Dreams"
(vii)

Weezer's 3rd demo rails list

"The World Has Turned and Left Me Here"
(ii)

"Say It Ain't So"
(three)

"Undone - The Sweater Song"
(iv)

Rivers Cuomo song chronology

"Why Are We?"
(RC# 142)

"Say Information technology Ain't And so"
(RC# 143)

"Please Option Up the Phone"
(RC# 144)

"Say It Ain't So" is the tertiary unmarried and 7th rail from The Bluish Album.

i Appearances
2 Overview
- 2.1 Music
3 Unmarried
4 Song mixes
5 Reception
6 Tracklist
seven Music video
8 Personnel
9 Sound
- 9.i Album versions
- 9.2 Demos
10 Lyrics
11 Run into also

Appearances

Weezer (The Blue Anthology) (1994)
Dusty Gems & Raw Nuggets (Original mix) (2004)
Say It Ain't So (singles) (1995)
The Kitchen Tape (1992)
Weezer's third demo (1992)
Alone Iv: The Blue-Pinkerton Years (2020)

Overview

Rivers Cuomo recorded multiple demos of "Say It Ain't So" in the first half of 1992, according to the Recording History. The inspiration for the vocal'due south lyrics came from an experience as a teenager, in which Cuomo constitute beer in the fridge. Cuomo had been afraid that his stepfather, Stephen Kitts, would leave the family, mistakenly believing that alcoholism had contributed to the dissolution of the relationship betwixt his mother and biological male parent.

Rivers Cuomo only saw his father a few times betwixt the fourth dimension his begetter walked out on the family unit and 1995, when they reconciled. Cuomo told Rolling Stone in 2014, "I was an angry young man[...] Typical Generation X. I was quick to point the finger."[1]

One of Cuomo'southward original 1992 demos for "Say It Own't So" was released on Nov 22, 2020 as role of the digital compilation Alone IV: The Blue-Pinkerton Years. The demo had been leaked weeks earlier through the demo storefront on riverscuomo.com. This early version of the song contains what would comprise only the initial verses and get-go chorus of the final song.

A demo of "Say Information technology Ain't Then" was too recorded in 1992 as a full band for the band's 2d demo tape (ordinarily known as The Kitchen Tape). Most copies of the Kitchen Tape that were produced lacked "Say Information technology Ain't And so", however (in add-on to a demo of "The Globe Has Turned and Left Me Hither"), and the demo was not included every bit function of the palatial reissue of the Blueish Album in 2004. In June of 2016, a copy of the complete Kitchen Tape (given by Cuomo to engineer Paul duGre under the title Opposite Sides of the Same Good Ol' Fence) was listed on eBay. Members of the AllThingsWeezer forums crowd-sourced funds to procure the tape for $4,350, whereupon the tape was digitized past user Geewiz and distributed online.

Another demo of the song was too recorded in 1992 as role of the band'southward third demo (commonly referred to as "The Real Demo"). This tape, engineered by Jon Pikus and mastered past Alan Yoshida, was distributed at the time in the band'south aggressive campaign to exist signed to a record label. Copies of the tape were obtained by fans in the late 90'due south and low-quality rips were circulated. A higher-quality digitization was produced past a fan who procured the tape in the early on 2000s, who thereafter distributed it amidst fans.

"Say Information technology Ain't So" was also released on July 13, 1995 equally a radio unmarried, making information technology the final single released from The Blue Album. Information technology reached #23 on The New Zealand testify U Cull 40 Sing-A-Long Classics ^{[citation needed]}.

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

The song was featured as a playable vocal in the 2007 rhythm video game Rock Ring. The game has since been bachelor in other rhythm video games, such as Guitar Hero Alive and Rocksmith 2014.

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, commencement-stop guitar riff mimicks the shell, and for the second and third choruses, a cursory unison bend guitar part fills the spaces between the principal riff. The guitar solo features a layered sound, much in the fashion 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 have. It is one of the songs on the debut anthology to non characteristic 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" unmarried comes from a babyhood 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 male parent encouraging him on with lines like, "Yay, my son." Cuomo included the original drawing in the music video for the solo demo "Lover in the Snowfall" in 2008.

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 twenty-four hour period (including "Buddy Holly", "In the Garage", and "Undone") can be constitute online.

Vocal mixes

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

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

Reception

"Say It Own't So" is one of the most love 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 vocal. In 2008, the song was ranked #72 on Rolling Rock's "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time." It is also ane of the band'due south more visible songs amidst casual music fans and the general public. Allmusic.com gave "Say It Ain't So" a 5 star rating and named it an "AMG Runway Pick."

Tracklist

Radio Only Promo CD

Say Information technology Ain't So (remix) - 4:17

Britain Retail Cassette

Say It Own't And then (remix) - iv:17
No I Else (live audio-visual) - three:fifteen

UK Retail CD/U.k. Retail 10" Unmarried (Black Vinyl)

Say Information technology Ain't Then (remix) - four:17
No One Else (alive acoustic) - 3:15
Jamie (live acoustic) - 3:53

Music video

The ring wanted something a bit more than grounded and serious after the pop culture explosion of "Buddy Holly," and Sophie responded with the touch needed to capture the ring in their original rehearsal "garage" in Due west L.A. Unfortunately, they couldn't play hackey-sack to save their lives that twenty-four hours!

-Karl Koch on the "Say Information technology Ain't So" music video, from the liner notes for Video Capture Device

The music video was directed by Sophie Muller. 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 sometime house. The video also features ring friend, historian and unofficial fifth fellow member Karl Koch. During the guitar solo, the band is shown playing hacky sack in their lawn.

Personnel

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

Sound

Album versions

Demos

Lyrics

Oh yeah
All right

Somebody's Heine' is crowdin' my icebox
Somebody'south cold ane is givin' me chills
Approximate I'll simply close my eyes

Oh yes
Alright
Feels good
Inside

Flip on the tele'
Wrestle with Jimmy
Something is bubbling
Behind my back
The canteen is gear up to blow

Say information technology own't and then
Your drug is a heart billow
Say it ain't so
My beloved is a life taker

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

Say information technology ain't so
Your drug is a centre billow
Say it own't and so
My honey is a life taker

Love Daddy,
I write you in spite of years of silence
You've cleaned upward, found Jesus
Things are good or so I hear
This bottle of Steven'south
Awakens aboriginal feelings
Similar male parent, stepfather, the son is drowning in the flood
Yes, yep yeah, yeah yeah

Say information technology ain't so
Your drug is a heart breaker
Say it own't and then
My love is a life taker