In 1994, Weezer released their debut album, titled the Blue Album. Say it Ain’t So was the third single off the album. The song had already been completed musically, and it is said that front man for the band and songwriter Rivers Cuomo, only had one phrase to work with for the lyrics, which was “say it ain’t so.” He ended up connecting the phrases and feelings he had to an incident he experienced while in high school.
One day he came home and found alcohol in the fridge. Cuomo has been quoted saying that he believed his mother and father’s marriage ended because his father was an alcoholic. And seeing this made him worry that the marriage between his mother and stepfather would end this way as well. Today’s quote, “Your drug is a heartbreaker”, became part of the chorus.
This song is about alcoholism, the damage it can do to a family and the fear it can inspire with other people who drink and even fears about going down the same path.
When you live with someone who is in active addiction, it is one of the loneliest places to be. It is heartbreaking to watch someone you love destroy themselves. As selfish as it might feel, you have to shift your focus onto healing yourself and protecting your own mental health. Believe me, when an addict is ready to stop, they will want to stop and get help. And until that day comes, you will be running around in circles trying to control something you have no way of controlling.
You can continue to plant seeds of how their life can be different if they choose to get well, but you can’t continue the vicious cycle of trying to fix them. All you can do is continue to better yourself and lead by example in how you live your life.
