Songfacts®:

• "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been," written by lead singer Matt Thiessen, is one of Relient K's most popular songs. Unlike their earlier humor-laced work, it's a much more serious, reflective piece.
  
  In our interview, he explained that the song was written about a particular incident. Said Thiessen: " That song was about a very specific episode that happened between me and my bass player. And it's one of those mistakes. Sometimes I say things to people, I guess, with the intention of hurting their feelings or something like that. And it was something I've been working really hard at, just trying to be a nice guy and stuff. So it was just one of those moments where I was pretty bummed at myself for being a jerk. And so yeah, it's kind of like that song sums up all those times in our life, where we're like, we wish we could take something back, we wish we didn't just cross the line like we did."
• The lyrics are written as an apologetic lament. The narrator bemoans the misdeeds he's done in the past, while at the same time separating himself from them. Those were things he's done, but they aren't things he'd do again. Regret is the line that separates himself from who he's been, and will push him forward into becoming somebody better.
• The album MMHMM was more lyrically mature and musically complex than the band's previous lighthearted, upbeat efforts. The risk paid off, however, with the band's two biggest hits: "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" and "Be My Escape."
• It was nominated for the 2006 Rock Recorded Song of the Year Dove Award.