Take This to Your Grave
Encyclopedia
Take This to Your Grave is the second studio album
by American rock
band Fall Out Boy
. It is the group's first release under the Fueled by Ramen
label (Sore Point in the UK) and was released on May 6, 2003. The album title is taken from a line from the lyrics of the track "The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes", which reads "Take this to your grave, and I'll take it to mine". It is the first album to feature current drummer Andy Hurley
. Take This to Your Grave was recorded with a $40,000 investment from Island Records
but worked by Fueled by Ramen.
The album became an underground success and helped the band gain a dedicated fanbase, as well as some minor commercial success. With singles "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
" and "Saturday" receiving video airplay on FUSE
, mtvU
and Target
's in-store video stream and radio airplay on mainstream stations across the country, the album sold very well and was eventually certified Gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 units, but only in 2006, after the success of the band's follow-up 2005 album, From Under the Cork Tree
. Take This to Your Grave has sold 553,000 units in the United States as of 2007, according to Nielsen SoundScan, most of which came after the successes of the band's later albums, From Under the Cork Tree (2005) and Infinity on High
(2007).
, Illinois
in 2001. The band debuted with a self-released demo in the same year, and in 2002 the group released its first full-length album, Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend
through Uprising Records
. Both releases helped Fall Out Boy gain notoriety on the internet and attention from record labels. The band signed with indie label Fueled by Ramen
and received an advance from major label Island Records
, which financed the production of Take This to Your Grave.
in Madison
, Wisconsin
. During the making of the album, the band members slept on the floor of a stranger's house for two weeks. The group ran out of money halfway through the process, so they asked the studio who provided them with soda to give them small amounts of food instead. Drummer Andy Hurley
compared the making of Take This to Your Grave to "going to war" stating that recording with the rest of the band was similar "being in the trenches
together". The group's goal with Grave was to make an album that was as "seamless and good from song to song" as Saves the Day
's Through Being Cool
. The pre-production phase was completed in a warehouse that the band used for free at night. Here, the group members discussed how they wished the record to sound. Many songs intended for the album did not fit, and the band originally planned to use the leftovers for future albums, but abandoned the songs instead.
.
After the initial album release, a limited edition 12" vinyl edition of Take This To Your Grave was released. In addition to the regular album tracks, it featured a new dance remix to the album song "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
". The vinyl was limited to one pressing of 500 copies of a green camouflage version, and one 500-copy pressing of a black vinyl version. Both versions also came with six giant trading cards. After that, it was re-released as an Enhanced CD
on January 25, 2005 as Take This to Your Grave: Director's Cut, limited to 5000 units. The CD features an enhanced section with video of the band breaking down each song word-by-word and note-by-note, all the songs from the original album release and two new tracks: a cover of The Police
's "Roxanne" and the dance remix of "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy"
"Dead on Arrival
", "Saturday", and "Homesick at Space Camp" were recorded as a demo session in two days, almost a year before going back into the studio to record seven other songs that would eventually make up the entire album. Those additional other seven songs were recorded in nice days with producer Sean O'Keefe. "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
" and "Grenade Jumper" were recorded in another demo session.
In the Take This To Your Grave: Directors Cut video, Fall Out Boy lead singer and guitarist Patrick Stump
and bassist Pete Wentz discuss the partnership of the song writing for the album. Originally, Patrick Stump wrote the lyrics as well as the music, as witnessed in many places throughout the album. The songs "Dead on Arrival
", "Grenade Jumper", and "Calm Before The Storm" were originally written by Patrick. "Saturday" was written by Patrick, but Pete realized the oddity of Patrick singing "Pat and I" and change the lyrics accordingly. Pete later went back and added his own lyrics to certain parts (e.g. changing the second verse of "Calm Before the Storm"). In interviews, Pete and Patrick have discussed how "The Pros and Cons of Breathing" was the first song written in the structure of how they write songs currently—Patrick writing the music and Pete writing all the lyrics. ""Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today"" and "The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes" are other examples of this song writing partnership, however, Patrick wrote the lyrics to the first verse and chorus of "The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes", while Pete wrote lyrics to the second verse. More so, Patrick wrote the lyrics to the chorus of "Chicago is So Two Years Ago", while Pete wrote the verses.
Heatseeker Albums chart at #31 week ending March 6, 2004, almost a year after its initial May 2003 release, and peaked at #11 week ending January 15 2005 which was also almost another year later and spent twenty eight chart weeks in total. After its first three weeks, at #31, #41 and #22, the album fell off the charts and re-entered four months later at #29, falling out after logging nine more weeks after that. Three months later it re-entered at #37, then the next week saw a rise to #34 and peaked at #11, and then logged another eight weeks (below No. 20). Again, it fell off and shortly re-entered at #43 an inched up to #42 before dropping off and re-entering at #48 and spent its last week two years after Take This to Your Graves release at #47 week ending May 14, 2005, as the band's follow-up release From Under the Cork Tree
debuted at #9 which made the band inelligible to chart on the Heatseeker Albums chart.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
. It is the group's first release under the Fueled by Ramen
Fueled by Ramen
Fueled by Ramen is an American record label which operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records. The label, founded in Gainesville, Florida, is based in New York City...
label (Sore Point in the UK) and was released on May 6, 2003. The album title is taken from a line from the lyrics of the track "The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes", which reads "Take this to your grave, and I'll take it to mine". It is the first album to feature current drummer Andy Hurley
Andy Hurley
Andrew John Hurley is an American musician and drummer. He is best known as a member of the Chicago-based rock band Fall Out Boy. Prior to Fall Out Boy, Hurley played in several different bands. He is currently the drummer in the heavy metal supergroup The Damned Things with Fall Out Boy guitarist...
. Take This to Your Grave was recorded with a $40,000 investment from Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
but worked by Fueled by Ramen.
The album became an underground success and helped the band gain a dedicated fanbase, as well as some minor commercial success. With singles "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
"Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy and the second single taken from their 2003 album, Take This to Your Grave. The breakthrough mainstream success that Fall Out Boy received with the follow-up release of their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree...
" and "Saturday" receiving video airplay on FUSE
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
, mtvU
MtvU
mtvU is a division of Viacom's MTV Networks which produces a 24-hour television channel that is available on more than 750 college and university campuses across the United States, as well as several digital cable packages...
and Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
's in-store video stream and radio airplay on mainstream stations across the country, the album sold very well and was eventually certified Gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 units, but only in 2006, after the success of the band's follow-up 2005 album, From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree is the third studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy. It was released on May 3, 2005, through Island Records as the band's major label debut...
. Take This to Your Grave has sold 553,000 units in the United States as of 2007, according to Nielsen SoundScan, most of which came after the successes of the band's later albums, From Under the Cork Tree (2005) and Infinity on High
Infinity on High
Infinity on High is the fourth studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on February 5, 2007 by Island Records as the follow-up to the band's commercially successful 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree. Pre-production began in the group's hometown of Chicago, where writing and...
(2007).
Background
Fall Out Boy formed near ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in 2001. The band debuted with a self-released demo in the same year, and in 2002 the group released its first full-length album, Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend
Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend
Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend is the debut mini-LP by American rock band Fall Out Boy. It was released in 2003 through Uprising Records. In 2005, Uprising released a remastered reissue as Evening Out with Your Girlfriend, following the band's very successful major label debut From...
through Uprising Records
Uprising Records
Uprising Records is a record label founded in 1994 by Sean Muttaqi - having released records by Fall Out Boy, 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Cipher, Red Knife Lottery, Underminded, Amir Sulaiman, iCON the Mic King, The Crest and more...
. Both releases helped Fall Out Boy gain notoriety on the internet and attention from record labels. The band signed with indie label Fueled by Ramen
Fueled by Ramen
Fueled by Ramen is an American record label which operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records. The label, founded in Gainesville, Florida, is based in New York City...
and received an advance from major label Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, which financed the production of Take This to Your Grave.
Recording and production
Take This to Your Grave was recorded at Smart StudiosSmart Studios
Smart Studios was a recording studio located at 1254 E Washington Ave in Madison, Wisconsin. It was set up in 1983 by Butch Vig and Steve Marker to produce local bands....
in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. During the making of the album, the band members slept on the floor of a stranger's house for two weeks. The group ran out of money halfway through the process, so they asked the studio who provided them with soda to give them small amounts of food instead. Drummer Andy Hurley
Andy Hurley
Andrew John Hurley is an American musician and drummer. He is best known as a member of the Chicago-based rock band Fall Out Boy. Prior to Fall Out Boy, Hurley played in several different bands. He is currently the drummer in the heavy metal supergroup The Damned Things with Fall Out Boy guitarist...
compared the making of Take This to Your Grave to "going to war" stating that recording with the rest of the band was similar "being in the trenches
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
together". The group's goal with Grave was to make an album that was as "seamless and good from song to song" as Saves the Day
Saves the Day
Saves the Day is an American rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, formed in 1994. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, bassist Rodrigo Palma, and drummer Claudio Rivera....
's Through Being Cool
Through Being Cool
Through Being Cool is the second album by Princeton, New Jersey-based rock band Saves the Day. It has a more melodic sound than their first release, Can't Slow Down, which was a more punk/hardcore driven record. The album was released one year after the band's first release even though they had...
. The pre-production phase was completed in a warehouse that the band used for free at night. Here, the group members discussed how they wished the record to sound. Many songs intended for the album did not fit, and the band originally planned to use the leftovers for future albums, but abandoned the songs instead.
Music
According to Johnny Loftus of Allmusic, Take This to Your Graves lyrical content "merges musings on love and youth with healthy amounts of cutting cynicism, savvy popular culture touchstones, and cheeky phraseology." Stump wrote "Saturday" about how he felt like a failure upon graduating from high school and originally kept the song to himself until the group needed additional songs. Stump then collaborated with bassist Pete Wentz to complete the song's lyrics. "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy" deals with jealousy and unrequited loveUnrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
.
Album information
In the Take This to Your Grave album period, Fall Out Boy was in its early independent days and played small local shows, before their later mainstream success.After the initial album release, a limited edition 12" vinyl edition of Take This To Your Grave was released. In addition to the regular album tracks, it featured a new dance remix to the album song "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
"Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy and the second single taken from their 2003 album, Take This to Your Grave. The breakthrough mainstream success that Fall Out Boy received with the follow-up release of their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree...
". The vinyl was limited to one pressing of 500 copies of a green camouflage version, and one 500-copy pressing of a black vinyl version. Both versions also came with six giant trading cards. After that, it was re-released as an Enhanced CD
Enhanced CD
Enhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players....
on January 25, 2005 as Take This to Your Grave: Director's Cut, limited to 5000 units. The CD features an enhanced section with video of the band breaking down each song word-by-word and note-by-note, all the songs from the original album release and two new tracks: a cover of The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
's "Roxanne" and the dance remix of "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy"
"Dead on Arrival
Dead on arrival
Dead on arrival or D.O.A. is a term used to indicate that a patient was found to be already clinically dead upon the arrival of professional medical assistance, often in the form of first responders such as emergency medical technicians, paramedics, or police...
", "Saturday", and "Homesick at Space Camp" were recorded as a demo session in two days, almost a year before going back into the studio to record seven other songs that would eventually make up the entire album. Those additional other seven songs were recorded in nice days with producer Sean O'Keefe. "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
"Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy and the second single taken from their 2003 album, Take This to Your Grave. The breakthrough mainstream success that Fall Out Boy received with the follow-up release of their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree...
" and "Grenade Jumper" were recorded in another demo session.
In the Take This To Your Grave: Directors Cut video, Fall Out Boy lead singer and guitarist Patrick Stump
Patrick Stump
Patrick Vaughn Stump is an American singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, and music critic. He is the composer, lead singer, and multi-instrumentalist of Fall Out Boy, an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, and is also a solo artist...
and bassist Pete Wentz discuss the partnership of the song writing for the album. Originally, Patrick Stump wrote the lyrics as well as the music, as witnessed in many places throughout the album. The songs "Dead on Arrival
Dead on arrival
Dead on arrival or D.O.A. is a term used to indicate that a patient was found to be already clinically dead upon the arrival of professional medical assistance, often in the form of first responders such as emergency medical technicians, paramedics, or police...
", "Grenade Jumper", and "Calm Before The Storm" were originally written by Patrick. "Saturday" was written by Patrick, but Pete realized the oddity of Patrick singing "Pat and I" and change the lyrics accordingly. Pete later went back and added his own lyrics to certain parts (e.g. changing the second verse of "Calm Before the Storm"). In interviews, Pete and Patrick have discussed how "The Pros and Cons of Breathing" was the first song written in the structure of how they write songs currently—Patrick writing the music and Pete writing all the lyrics. ""Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today"" and "The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes" are other examples of this song writing partnership, however, Patrick wrote the lyrics to the first verse and chorus of "The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes", while Pete wrote lyrics to the second verse. More so, Patrick wrote the lyrics to the chorus of "Chicago is So Two Years Ago", while Pete wrote the verses.
Song notes
- "Calm Before the Storm" was re-recorded for this album. An earlier version was featured on their debut mini-LP, Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your GirlfriendFall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your GirlfriendFall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend is the debut mini-LP by American rock band Fall Out Boy. It was released in 2003 through Uprising Records. In 2005, Uprising released a remastered reissue as Evening Out with Your Girlfriend, following the band's very successful major label debut From...
. - The song "Reinventing the Wheel to Run Myself Over" was featured in the video game Burnout 3: TakedownBurnout 3: TakedownBurnout 3: Takedown is the third game in the Burnout series of video games. Released on September 7, 2004, developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts , the game drew critical acclaim and a large fanbase.A GameCube version was planned but was scrapped during development...
. - The title of the song ""Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today"" is a reference to a quote in the film RushmoreRushmore (film)Rushmore is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer , his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume , and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross . The film was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson...
. - A part of the song "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your BoyGrand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy"Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy and the second single taken from their 2003 album, Take This to Your Grave. The breakthrough mainstream success that Fall Out Boy received with the follow-up release of their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree...
" was referenced in Fall Out Boy's later song, "What a Catch, DonnieWhat a Catch, Donnie"What a Catch, Donnie" is Fall Out Boy's second digital download single and third radio single from their fifth studio album Folie à Deux . It was released as part of the build up to the new album on iTunes on October 14, 2008 and charted on the US and Canadian singles chart...
" from their 2008 release Folie à Deux. This part was sung by Gabe SaportaGabe SaportaGabriel Eduardo "Gabe" Saporta is the lead singer and primary creative force behind the synthpop band Cobra Starship. He was previously the lead singer, bassist, and lyricist for the pop punk band Midtown....
of Cobra StarshipCobra StarshipCobra Starship is an American synthpop band created by former Midtown bassist and lead vocalist Gabe Saporta in 2003 in New York City, New York...
. - The single "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your BoyGrand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy"Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy and the second single taken from their 2003 album, Take This to Your Grave. The breakthrough mainstream success that Fall Out Boy received with the follow-up release of their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree...
" was very close to not making the final cut for the album as frontman Patrick StumpPatrick StumpPatrick Vaughn Stump is an American singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, and music critic. He is the composer, lead singer, and multi-instrumentalist of Fall Out Boy, an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, and is also a solo artist...
was not a fan of the song at first. In the end the band decided to include it in the album, and later released it as the second single. It reached #84 on the defunct US BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Pop 100Pop 100The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
in 2005.
Track listing
Charting
Take This to Your Grave debuted on the US BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Heatseeker Albums chart at #31 week ending March 6, 2004, almost a year after its initial May 2003 release, and peaked at #11 week ending January 15 2005 which was also almost another year later and spent twenty eight chart weeks in total. After its first three weeks, at #31, #41 and #22, the album fell off the charts and re-entered four months later at #29, falling out after logging nine more weeks after that. Three months later it re-entered at #37, then the next week saw a rise to #34 and peaked at #11, and then logged another eight weeks (below No. 20). Again, it fell off and shortly re-entered at #43 an inched up to #42 before dropping off and re-entering at #48 and spent its last week two years after Take This to Your Graves release at #47 week ending May 14, 2005, as the band's follow-up release From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree is the third studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy. It was released on May 3, 2005, through Island Records as the band's major label debut...
debuted at #9 which made the band inelligible to chart on the Heatseeker Albums chart.
Weekly charts
| Chart (2004-2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
96 |
| US Heatseeker Albums | 17 |
| US Billboard Independent Albums Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
11 |
| US Billboard Catalog Albums Top Pop Catalog Albums Top Pop Catalog Albums is a fifty-position weekly albums chart produced by Billboard magazine which ranks the best selling catalog titles, regardless of genre. Billboard defines a catalog title as one that is more than eighteen months old and that has fallen below position 100 on the Billboard 200... |
10 |
Band members
- Patrick StumpPatrick StumpPatrick Vaughn Stump is an American singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, and music critic. He is the composer, lead singer, and multi-instrumentalist of Fall Out Boy, an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, and is also a solo artist...
- lead vocals, guitar - Joe TrohmanJoe TrohmanJoseph Mark Trohman is an American musician. He is best known as the guitarist of the Chicago-based pop punk band Fall Out Boy, as well as the lead and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal supergroup The Damned Things.-Early life:...
- guitar, backing vocals - Pete Wentz - bass guitar, backing vocals, screaming vocals
- Andy HurleyAndy HurleyAndrew John Hurley is an American musician and drummer. He is best known as a member of the Chicago-based rock band Fall Out Boy. Prior to Fall Out Boy, Hurley played in several different bands. He is currently the drummer in the heavy metal supergroup The Damned Things with Fall Out Boy guitarist...
- drums