What does The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot mean?

Brand New: The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot Meaning

Album cover for The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot album cover

The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot Lyrics

If it makes you less sad, I will die by your hand. I hope you find out what you want. I already know what I am. And if it makes you less sad, we'll start talking again. And you can tell me how vile I already know that I am. I'll grow old and...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jun 20th 2006 !⃝

    Ok, this song is a response to "there's no 'I' in team" by taking Back Sunday. To understand the meaning of this song you have to understand this... John Nolan(of Taking Back Sunday) and Jesse Lacey(lead singer of Brand New) were really good friends when they were younger.

    When John Nolan slept with Jesse Lacey's girlfriend Jesse Lacey wrote seventy times 7(which is a refernce to in the bible when jesus says to forgive your neighbor not 7 times but 70 times 7) When John called Jesse to appologize Jesse's last words were "you're as subtle as a brick in the small of my back, so let's end this call, end this conversation" and if you listen to the song, Jesse says that.

    So John Nolan and Adam Lazzarra wrote "there;s no 'I' in team" as a response And if you listen to the end of "there's no 'I' in team" you can faintly hear the "so is that what you call a getaway, tell me what you got away with..." part of seventy times 7 in a background. When Adam dated and cheated on john's sister, Michelle, John left Taking Back Sunday.

    Jesse finally decided to give up his grudge towards John, and wrote "The Boy who blocked his own shot" as an appology. John Nolan and Jesse Lacey are now close friends again.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    May 18th 2007 !⃝

    Jesse got the title from when he was a boy. When Jesse played basketball he shot the ball in a motion that the ball would be blocked by his own hand. I think this song is about Jesse's relationship with his dad, maybe his dad didn't approve of him being in a band. This causes them not to talk like he's basically saying. This song has nothing to do with john. It's definitely about family issues. "you are the blood in my vains" he's referring to someone in his family.

  3. anonymous
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    Feb 23rd !⃝

    Jesse talked about the meaning of this song before he played it some years ago, it was written about his relationship with his father and the constant disappointment he felt he was with his father. I hope as the years have passed now he was able to repair that relationship and settle back down into a normal life.

  4. anonymous
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    Oct 18th 2011 !⃝

    haha wrong...Jesse Lacey did date John Nolans sister but that is NOT who the song is about. the events that happened a couple of years before Jesse even wrote the song. They did not reveal who the girl is and probably never will. the first person who posted has no idea what they are talking about they keep bringing alot of random names into the equation. John went behind Jesses back with his girlfriend at the time. and they had affairs. no one knows if they slept together but i would have to assume they did. they tried to deal with it for their band but couldnt. people have their timing all mixed up the band didnt "break up" as you say right after John and Jesse's GF were discovered. they tried to make it work. but it didnt. also Jesse didnt write the song right away. it took a couple of years. but the two are now good friends and the girl is long gone out of both of their lives now.

    seventy times 7 AND theres no i in team are the only two songs about this affair. they said it their selves.the other songs are just songs but not about this affair.

  5. anonymous
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    Nov 28th 2009 !⃝

    i think it's all about a guy who was in a relationship and things were going great, and for whatever reason he freaks out and decides to back out ("blocking his shot" and ruining his chances of ever being with her again) but he tries to make it as easy on the girl as he can. i think he truly feels bad for breaking her heart, but at the same time he felt he just couldn't stay. when he says "call me a safe bet, i'm betting i'm not" he acknowledges the fact that she thinks the world of him, and yet he already knows he'll eventually leave her.

  6. Jssmchh_FERSURE
    click a star to vote
    Sep 22nd 2009 !⃝

    Yeah, there does seem to be a lot of songs written about the john/jesse fight. but, there are only two that are DIRECTLY and OBVIOUSLY about it. and that is seventy times seven-by brand new, and there's no 'i' in team-by Taking Back Sunday. I'm not going to repeat the story, because countless people have already talked about it. but this song "the boy who blocked his own shot" really, has nothing to do with that feud. Songs such as "the shower scene" and "mixed tape" have been said to also be about the feud, and I believe that, but in those songs, it's not as obvious of an attack. THIS song though, is about getting out of a relationship before you can get hurt. "the boy who blocked his own shot" is what Jesse's dad called him when he was younger. The title, is about basketball. The song is not. and it's not about the John Nolan Jesse Lacey fight. other songs are, go read about it, before you decide to talk about it.

  7. anonymous
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    Sep 11th 2009 !⃝

    Basically, there was a fued between Jesse lacey(brand new lead singer) and john nolan (TCB) they went to high school together in long island NY, and were best friends. Jesse Lacey's Girlfriend cheated on him with John Nolan, and Jesse wrote the song "seventy times 7" about it, and taking back sunday responded with "theres no 'i' in team" then BN responded with "the shower scene" and other songs, taking back sunday with "timberwolves in jersey" etc any how, long story short, in this song he forgave John Nolan and the fued ended..

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 6th 2009 !⃝

    Wronggggg
    The lead singer of taking back Sunday and him were Bestfriends but ruined it over a girl


    The main songs about it are
    Seventy seven times seven
    - brand new

    And there's no I in team
    is a response too all this


    But the guy under me had it except that detail
    They made up the lead singer came up on stage during a concert of brand new
    They shook hands and Hugged and made up
    There over it
    Other peoples problems make good for songs for us

  9. anonymous
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    May 29th 2009 !⃝

    I believe this song is about a boy who cheated on his girlfriend and she found out and of course they broke up.

    First off look at the name, the boy who blocked his own shot. He ruined his chances with the girl.

    I'll grow old and start acting my age. He'll grow up and be mature one day, but he's not ready yet, and that's what the girl wants.

    Call me a safe bet, I'm betting I'm not. He's saying, call him a good boyfriend, that he won't cheat, but he knows he isn't a good one.

    If it makes you less sad I'll move out of the state. She's obviously bitter over everything, and he's saying he won't bother her anymore, he'll just try to go away so she doesn't have to deal with it.

    I'm glad you can forgive - She forgave him, or supposively. And he just wants her to forget.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  10. anonymous
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    Feb 6th 2009 !⃝

    I think yeah this is about a relationship where the girl can't make up her mind. And he's fed up of being played about. But they still love each other and want each other close. But he's trying to help her let go - so he can. "Every picture you paint, I'll paint myself out" showing that he knows she's still thinking about him. But he has to stop it to save himself. She's different but she means everything to him "you are the smell before rain, you are the blood in my veins". The smell before rain - well it's an aquired taste I know people who like, people who hate, and people who don't care. But it's reconisable all the same. The blood in his veins - he can't live without her, she's part of him.
    The song name I heard was that he was always blocking his own shot in basketball - so yeah I suppose it's a metaphor for stopping himself being shot in the chest from heartbreak? Sound plausable to me. "I'll be a brand new day in a life that you hate." The fact that it has the words 'brand new' in feels weird haha. And I think it means no matter if he changes and everything is different he can't change that the relationship is failing and she hates it.
    "So call it quits or get a grip. Say you wanted a solution. You just wanted to be missed." I think he's telling her to stop being so pathetic because he's fed up of doing everything for her, she's upset all the time yet she's still doting on him. I think also she wanted him to still love her, have the great memories for her own concious to help her self esteem. She wanted to be that important to his life. That's why she's trying to end on good terms - solution.
    "I'm glad that you can forgive.
    I'm only hoping as time goes, you can forget..."
    Maybe he cheated on her? Or hurt her. He's wanting her to think of him in the best way too. He doesn't want to part on bad terms. He obviously feels guilty about something. I think that's what the entire song is about. That's why he does all that stuff for her. "You are second hand smoke." She's damaging but in a passive way. He's not intentially trying to hurt himself - but by being with her he is. He knows that but he feels helpless against it.

  11. anonymous
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    Aug 10th 2008 !⃝

    This song is actually about his grandfather.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  12. anonymous
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    Jun 16th 2008 !⃝

    Okay this is about him dumping a girl for no reason. He named it because of the way he used to shoot a basketball. Very simple.

  13. anonymous
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    Jan 22nd 2008 !⃝

    I think this song is about how Jesse's own shortcomings or betrayals led to the down fall of this particular relationship.

  14. Tlk2themaninchrj
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    Aug 11th 2007 !⃝

    This song is about how he broke up with his girlfriend and it ended up hurting him. The shot isn't referring to him getting shot but him shooting.

    When he was younger he played basketball and his dad called him "the boy who blocked his own shot" because he shot the basketball in a way that made him block his own shot which didn't help him. Through the song he implied how he should have been the one that was hurt not his girlfriend. "If it makes you less sad/I'll take your pictures all down/let you keep to yourself/move out of this state/start talkin' to you again"

  15. anonymous
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    May 25th 2007 !⃝

    I agree with the family issue idea.. but it COULD be to do with a relationship. ummm, I'm not too sure, but it sounds like he's talking about someone ill, or anorexic or something: "Pale white, like the skin stretched over your bones" and "You are so fragile and thin"

    yeh.

  16. kklash
    click a star to vote
    Apr 19th 2007 !⃝

    Ok this one is simple.

    It is about a relationship with a bad breakup in which he did something horrible that he feels bad for. Although he feels bad he has no more feelings for the person and wishes only to at the most be friends but is uncaring of what happens. Throughout the relationship the girl always refered to him as something great and a "safe bet" although he knew he wasn't and then he ruined everything.

  17. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 23rd 2006 !⃝

    It's definitely about a failed relationship. The guy in the song has had bad relationships in the past where he is thought of as a "safe bet" but he doesn't think he is. He's hurt a lot by the girls he dates so he gives up and decides that its not worth it anymore to keep trying with someone who thinks of him nothing more as a fall back plan when any other relationships she has fail. He loves the girl while the girl only wants him for the sake of having a boyfriend.

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