Brand New: Seventy Times Seven Meaning
Seventy Times Seven Lyrics
what we needed to know
Like how to deal with despair
or someone breakin your heart
For twelve years I've held it all together
but a night like this is beggin to pull me apart
I played it quiet left you...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:This song is all about the fall out between Jesse Lacey (Brand New Lead Singer/guitarist) and John Nolan (Former singer/guitarist for Taking Back Sunday). Jesse's girlfirend slept with John, prompting the writing of "Seventy times Seven". It makes a reference to the Bible where a man ask Jesus, "how many times should you forgive someone", where Jesus answers not seven times, but "Seventy times seven times."
note:TBS rote Theres no I in team as a reply to 70 X 7 -
Casey, congratulations and best esihws for all your new and upcoming projects. You're going to be as busy as a Dixie Bee!
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Just wanted to add: Regarding TBS' reply song, There's No 'I' in 'Team' , I think what makes this such a good song is that they really get alllll the shit out. And he really saying sorry, but at the same time not being all "ohh, I am an asshole, woe is me!" and wallowing in self hatred or whatever. When he says "wearing your black eye like a badge of honour, soaking in sympathy from friends that never loved you nearly half as much as me" is saying loads of people who mustve known what was going on said nothing then were being all sympathetic, fake friends, whereas he truly feels bad for what he's done..
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this is not about nolan and lacey
this is about lacey and lazarra
seventy times seven is a reference to how many times you should forgive someone
the line that is in "theres no i in team" by taking back sunday as well as in this is the same for a reason----it was actually said. jesse and adam were arguing on the phone and jesse said the lines "is that what you call tact, you're as subtle as a brick in the small of my back, so let's end this call, and end this conversation" and hung up the phone -
This song is a biblical reference, with the bible stating that Jesus says in a parable that if someone apologizes to you then you should forgive them "seventy times seven" times. This would obviously tie in with the fact that the song is a reflection on the taking back sunday/ brand new 'fight' that occured.
Taking Back Sunday's retaliation (in a sense) to this song, is through 'There's No 'I' in Team, where during the instrumental section after the second chorus, the lyrics 'your as subtle as a brick in the small of my back,
so lets end this call and end this conversation' can be heard fiantly in the background. -
(This is pretty much what everyone else above has said in one big post with a little extra thrown in)
the song is most definitely about John sleeping with Jesse's girlfriend
The first verse is mostly, what I feel to be, the background to the story and how he feels at that point:
"Back in school they never taught us what we needed to know,
like how to deal with despair, or someone breaking your heart.
For twelve years I've held it all together but a night like this is begging to pull me apart.
I played it quiet, left you deep in conversation.
I felt uncool and hung out around the kitchen.
I remember I kept thinking that I know you never would,
and now I know I want to kill you like only a best friend could"
a lot of past tense terms in there which shows its most likely a dresponse which was as near to jesse finding out as possible.
The chorus:
"Everyone's caught on to everything you do
Everyone's caught on to."
is telling us that he (john) has been found out and everyone knows what he done
The second verse seems to be another response except this time its after he found out, maybe a day or two, he is now sad and upset but then angry which leads onto - arguably - the most hate filled lyrics in history
"As if this happening wasn't enough I got to go
and write a song just to remind myself how bad it sucked.
Ignore the sun, the cover's over my head.
I wrote a message on my pillow that says, "Jesse, stay asleep in bed."
So don't apologize. I hope you choke and die.
Search your cell for something with which to hang yourself.
They say you need to pray if you want to go to heaven
but they don't tell you what to say when your whole life has gone to hell."
The lines "how bad it sucked" and "ignore the sun, covers over my head" shows us that he is sad and upset but from there its the angst that becomes prominent. "Dont apologize - I hope you choke and die", "something which to hang yourself" and "your whole life has gone to hell" is all anger filled showing his rage.
The next chorus has the lines:
"And I can't let you, let me down again"
repeated throughout the main chorus telling us that he doesn't feel him and John could be friends again, although they have now made up.
and its after the second chorus when his strong hated comes out:
"So, is that what you call a getaway?
Tell me what you got away with.
Cause I've seen more spine in jellyfish.
I've seen more guts in eleven-year-old kids.
Have another drink and drive yourself home.
I hope there's ice on all the roads.
And you can think of me when you forget your seatbelt,
and again when your head goes through the windshield.
And is that what you call tact?
You're as subtle as a brick in the small of my back.
So let's end this call, and end this conversation.
and is that what you call a getaway?
well tell me what you got away with.
cause you left the frays from the ties you severed
when you say best friends means friends forever
So, is that what you call a getaway?
Well tell me what you got away with.
Cause I've seen more spine in jellyfish.
I've seen more guts in eleven-year-old kids.
Have another drink and drive yourself home.
I hope there's ice on all the roads.
And you can think of me when you forget your seatbelt,
and again when your head goes through the windshield."
I don't think any analysis is needed here as it is pretty straight forward what he is saying, and it seems more than likeky that the lines:
"And is that what you call tact?
You're as subtle as a brick in the small of my back.
So let's end this call, and end this conversation."
were said y Jesse in a call to John but I've been told they are in a Morrissey song, which would also explain it, as Morrissey is a big influence on Jesse.
the song ends with another chorus with "And I can't let you, let me down again" screamed out by Jesse. -
actually the part that is in both of "seventy times 7" and "theres no 'i' in team is,
"Is this what you call tact?
I swear you're as subtle as a brick in the small of my back
so let's end this call,
and end this conversation." -
ok the guy on the top was right, one thing he is missing is that John also slept with Jesse sister. For the YouTube video, I am guessing that Jesse wrote Seventy Times Seven after John slept with his girlfriend, then they made up, John slept with his sister and then they are at it again. Or at least that is what I hear from the underground, punk rock, junkies I call friends.
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The song is most definatley about the fight, and I saw TBS and Brand New together, and I saw this performace, it was amazing. But some other little unknown facts about the song is that the part where it gets quite, "Is this what you call tact, you're as suttle as a brick in the small of my back..." that is what Jesse actually said to John on the phone.
The new brand new cd has a lot of references to this as well. -
actually, it is exactly about the fight just to let you skeptics know.
the video of them singing it together is AFTER the fight was cleared up -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I agree, that's what it is about. When Jesse sings "and now I want to kill you like only a best friend could." refers to how John slept with his girlfriend, and John was a good friend of his.
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