Why Say Anything Nice?
Why’d you put your backpack on if you won’t just take a hike? Frankly, I’d be out the door if you hadn’t sold my bike… There’s not much logic to ending the album on an upbeat and angry note like this one (not that it was all that logical to end the previous album with “Wind It Up”, but hey, I love that song). Thankfully, at least it’s more amusing than some of the previous tracks’ feeble attempts at humor. This one is Steve’s play on the phrase “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say nothing at all” – he turns it around and accuses a person of not saying or doing anything and just allowing a conflict fester, because he or she is too polite to brave the messy conflict. “Why’d you take your glasses off if you don’t intend to fight?”, he prods, seemingly looking for any change in the person’s behavior just so he can finally let them have the truth. There’s a slight touch of humor to it, but it’s also a keen psychological observation about a person who seems to be very conflict-averse
