What does The Ballad Of Sal Villanueva mean?

Taking Back Sunday: The Ballad Of Sal Villanueva Meaning

Album cover for The Ballad Of Sal Villanueva album cover

The Ballad Of Sal Villanueva Lyrics

It's not that I don't trust you,
I just know what you've been up to
and when this dial tone is agreeing
with everything I've had in mind
and you've got your high as a kite tricks in the bag

So as his eyes move past your shoulders
and the...

  1. anonymous
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    Nov 2nd 2012 !⃝

    Heard Adam talk about it at a concert I went to. Its about the drummer.

  2. anonymous
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    Jan 8th 2011 !⃝

    Sal did write this song "It was about a personal experience and yes she was a bitch" I was there.

  3. anonymous
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    Jan 8th 2011 !⃝

    Sal did write this song "It was about a personal experience and yes she was a bitch" I was there.

  4. anonymous
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    Nov 4th 2010 !⃝

    Wow, Okay people. So far, no one has gotten it right. This song tells a STORY hence the term "Ballad" in the title, A Ballad is a type of literature, mainly in song form, that tells a story in a poetic way. Now that we have that cleared up; to the song. "It's not that I don't trust you, I just know what you've been up to." These lyrics signify the fact that he knows she's getting busy with another guy(s), he has probably brought this up to her in the past, in which case she denies the fact that she's a slut although he "Play's dumb" because he "Knows what you've been up to". As the song progresses he starts imagining the act of her and another man together, which I know for a fact is completely, excruciatingly painful. "So as his eyes move past your shoulders
    And your shades start movin in the same direction
    Don't worry, I... well I won't say a thing
    And you can't blame a girl for sticking to what she knows." You can't blame a girl for sticking to what she knows means that the entire female gender is HARDWIRED FOR WHOREDOM... FACT! The average, young white woman in America is one with Daddy Issues. Also, they are stuck in their ways, they see what they see on T.V from a young age, pick a man that she can relate to or that entertains her (American Media has made young women attracted to assholes) and keeps this image in her head while she's looking for a mate. Experimentation... The collarbone of womanhood... because they fuck the dream guy then realize he's an asshole and then start blaming all men because they were played... This phenomenon is relatively new and does not seem to be declining which is not good news for our male children, pretty soon the stereotype will switch... All women only want sex and Men want relationships... just you wait.

    Overall, this song is about a boy who is in love with a girl that is a whore. Not just a whore, a lying whore. The worst kind...

  5. anonymous
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    May 24th 2010 !⃝

    John Nolan did backup vocals on this song, I believe. And the backup vocalist after Fred was a guy named Matthew Fazzi, but he Matt Rubano are not in the band anymore. They have been replaced by John Nolan and Shaun Cooper, both of whom were in the original lineup.

  6. marinatedinbombsauce
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    Feb 26th 2009 !⃝

    the first time i heard the song, i actually thought Adam was singing about Sal. like as the lover whose "sellin' him out." he was their original producer, right? maybe they had a falling out because Sal was cheating on Adam?

    but now that i see the lyrics its a bit different. it says "girl." but that really could be anything.

    i was just kinda entertaining the idea =]

    btw, does anyone know who sang backup in that song? i can't tell if its John or Fred.
    and whose the new guy since Fred left to start The Color Fred?

  7. anonymous
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    Apr 12th 2008 !⃝

    The title of the song has nothing to do with the song. It's just a shout out to Sal Villanueva for helping them out.

  8. anonymous
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    Mar 26th 2008 !⃝

    It's about friends with benefits, where the guy wants to be in a relationship with her. "I hope he keeps your eyes closed." As okay as he is with being friends with benefits, he wants to be more. She keeps getting his hopes up.

  9. tbslover14
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    Feb 9th 2007 !⃝

    ahaha I love how people argue on a taking back sunday interpretation thing.

    So yea. completely ovious, I mean. The lyrics are really clever. Straight forward, but clever, and its hard to do that.

  10. anonymous
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    Aug 19th 2006 !⃝

    It's the first time I've heard this song. I love taking back sunday. I've followed them when tell all your friends was a demo. I'd say this is their classic attempt to have fun with a song, and make it something with substance and style at the same time. Bottom line, it's good stuff, a good jam that might make you smile at something your goin threw. That's the impression I got.

  11. anonymous
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    May 23rd 2006 !⃝

    First of all before you start calling people fucking idiots maybe you should learn a few things yourself. Yes you are correct "Sal Villanueva" did mix the song. But it is definitely not "his" song, or in other words he did not write it. For those of you that are misinformed or just "fucking idiots" mixing is the process of listening to the all the instrument and vocal tracks in a song and putting them at the correct volume for the final track that you hear on the cd.

  12. anonymous
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    Feb 20th 2006 !⃝

    You fucks are idiots, check the back of "tell all your friends" it was mixed by Sal Villanueva so its his song.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  13. bit_up_nails
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    Dec 27th 2005 !⃝

    The chick thinks that the guy (singer) doesn't know that she had sex with some other dude, but he DOES know... He's just playing dumb. I dunno that's the feeling I get with that song.


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