There's No I In Team by Taking Back Sunday

Album: Tell All Your Friends (2002)

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Taking Back Sunday are known for their fractious band dynamics, which started even before they dropped their debut album, Tell All Your Friends, in 2002. Their original bassist, Jesse Lacey, left the band after brawling with John Nolan, his childhood friend and bandmate, over a girl they both liked. Lacey started his own group, Brand New, and recorded the song "Seventy Times 7" about his beef with the guitarist. Taking Back Sunday retaliated with "There's No I In Team," with Nolan and lead vocalist Adam Lazzara echoing Lacey's vengeful lyrics, including Lacey's response to Nolan's admission of guilt: "Is that what you call tact? You're as subtle as a brick in the small of my back. So let's end this call, and end this conversation." That's why these lyrics are in both of the songs. The two have since made up and sometimes even performed these two songs together.
Nolan also feuded with Lazzara over a girl: his own sister, Michelle DaRosa. Lazzara cheated on Michelle while they were dating, which was one of the reasons Nolan left Taking Back Sunday in 2003. He rejoined the group in 2010 and realized some of the group's older songs, like "There's No I In Team," lost their sting. "The actual emotions from the time, it's so far away. I find when we're playing these songs live, I will tap into something more current emotionally that I can channel into the song, but it's not the same events or emotions that originally inspired it," he told Grammy.com in 2024.

Comments: 30

Tom from Philadelphia, Pa"Best friends means I pulled the trigger / best friends means you get what you deserved" is a response to: "Best friends means friends forever" in Seventy Times 7
Shawn from Auburn, Wajesse was in taking back sunday. if you dont believe so then wiki it. jesse's girlfriend and john never had sex. but they would hang out all the time and kissed. i mean they're not just going to get it on while jesse is in the kitchen. after jesse found out he left the band and adam replaced him. thus began brand new. jesse wrote a song about the incident. hence seventy times 7. john then came back with theres no I in team pretty much calling jesse out. the song is pretty aggressive. and they take the youre the small on my back quote and give it a mocking tone. but over time grudges pass and jesse and john made up. thats why if you youtube the song theres one where jesse comes on stage and helps sing theres no i in team and they combine the names of both the songs. then adam slept with johns sister which was pretty much a one night stand and so john left and made straylight run with his sister. and since jesse and john are friends again. brand new came out with the sweatshirt mics are for singing not swinging (even though its pretty cool when adam does it) in order to stick up for john.
Nate from Africa, American Samoayeah it refers to "mixtape" alot. and theres that part in mixtape thats like and im sick of your tatoos and the way you walways critisize the smiths and me.
Beth from City, Mdor he gets what he deserves as in his apology..im not really sure lol
Beth from City, MdWell I think that "Best friends means i pulled the trigger" was in response to Brand News song 'The Shower Scene' where Jesse is asking 'so what do you choose, the bullet or the chapstick' as in the bullet is him and Johns friendship, and the chapstick is the girl. Well TBS "pulled the trigger" meaning letting the bullet/friendship go by doing what he did, and he gets what he deserves..since hes always had everything so easy
Harry from Adelaide, AustraliaThis is just my thoughts, but i think the line "I started something i couldn't finish" is a reference to the song called that by The Smiths, possibly a band they both like. NOTE: That was my speculation, i have no source
Marie from Chicago, Il"best friends...trigger" i think means essentially: "I'm the one who cared the most and so im the most hurt and most likely to kill you"

geez this is so friggin cool! i love analyzing song lyrics and it just made my day to find other ppl who do too!
Jeffrey from Ludlow, Kyheh either way taking back sunday sucks compared to the great brand new. brand new has constantly put out better albums their new one being completely amazing exploring deep emotions such as death and religion and it's so elegantly written. TBS has been worse after every album
Jeffrey from Houston,actually, WHIT, your favorite weapon was released in 2001 and tell all your friends was released in 2002. get your facts right.
Whit from Topeka, KsActually takingback sunday released their album including "there is no i in team" BEFORE Brand new released Seventy times seven.
BN release their song in anger because he didnt understand why John wouldnt drop the subject
and plus Jessies lyrics where in response to Johns. John pretty much asked for a truse and Jessie came back with F**K off....
Toni from Conche, Canadai totally agree with sam from AL.
people say you can't hear the
"have another drink and drive yourself home
i hope there's ice on all the roads and you
can think of me when you forget your seatbelt and again when your head goes through the windshield"..
this is because "again when your head goes through the windshield" is overlapped with "that you always had it way too easy". there's three voices in the bridge of this song. neil rubenstein sings "have another drink and drive yourself home" while adam lazzara (lead singer) sings "thats right he said it" and john nolan (backup singer) sings "i swear you have no idea, the jealously..."
the song was definitely a response to seventy times seven by brand new. john nolan (tbs backup singer) slept with his best friend's (brand new's lead singer, jesse lacey) girlfriend. brand new wrote seventy times seven, then taking back sunday wrote there's no i in team.
parts of the song such as "i've got a twenty dollar bill.." are in the song mix tape by brand new.
a phone call made between john and jesse resulted with the words "you're a subtle as a brick in the small of my back so lets end this call & end this conversation." these words are heard in the bridge of there's no i in team and a part in seventy times seven.
i find this whole feud to be the opportunity and inspiration for the bands, and its john and jesse's way of giving a lyrical finger to each other.
Dani from Chicago, Ili don't understand why people don't like louder now! with each album their music has really improved. They ever said that all of what they've ever wanted to say is on that album. and i my opinion i loved what they've done with it.
Ervo from Raccoon City, InOk All Of TBS CD's Have Kicked Ass. Louder Now Was Really Good, But Tell All Your Friends Is The Best (TO Me)
Corey from Saint Joseph, Mohow can you saw two bands were ruined?
Brand New LAUCHED after that. as did TBS.
sadly TBS was grounded with the horrible "Louder Now" cd.
Alex from Suffolk, EnglandSomethign I just thought ,of i dunno if its an accident or if anyone knows anyone about it??
But in 'Soco amaretto lime' by Brand new Jesse sings 'Passed out on the overpass Sunday best and broken glass' and in slowdance on the inside... By TBS Adam sings 'Passed out in school clothes so we'd wake up in our sundays best'
Any link there???? :S
Sam from Tuscaloosa, AlEveryone I think by this point knows that this is a response to "Seventy Times 7" but very few have actually pointed out the other references to Brand New songs throughout the lyrics.

Chasidy was on the right track: "I got a twenty dollar bill" may just be another way to say "I bet..." but the fact that it appears on this particular song seems a bit too coincidental. It is much more likely it is a reference to "Mix Tape."

Also, "Broken down in bars and bathrooms" sounds like a reference to magazines. And of course the "best friends" part and "subtle as a brick" part are from "Seventy Times 7."

However, one thing I recently discovered is, during the second part of the bridge, where Adam sings "That's right he said it" and John sings "I swear you have no idea...", Neil Rubenstein can be heard in the background screaming "Have another drink and drive yourself home. I hope there's ice on all the roads, and you can think of me when you forget your seatbelt and again when your head goes through the windshield." The windshield line crosses over with the "he always had it way too easy."

And as far as the lyrics in the insert go, most lines are said (some with slight changes in wordiness or whatever). The only two I have not heard are "irony is for suckers" and the part they left off of "he always had it way to easy," which is "he's getting what he deserves." Everything else is in there, some of it turned down really low on Neil's vocal track during the bridge (like, "I won't lie" etc.)
Chris from Dover, Nj"Best friends means I pulled the trigger" means that he's so mad he could just kill his "best friend". He's mocking their friendship completely.
Kevin from Mansfield, Ctyea reminds me of my (kinda)bestfriend bill he always had everything.. girls, money, friends... yea... but then i killed him... he got what he deserved.... JK!
Mack from Plano, Txwhat does best friends mean i pulled the trigger mean i still dont get it??????????
Ryan from Millbrae, Cathat's a pretty cool story to make a song to... i wish i could write like that.. =[
Robyn from WhitbyFor Max; Some of the lyrics aren't even in the right order on the album lyricy pagey thingymabob, they are arranged into a more story telling aspect, yes there are also some things added, i think it's kinda cool.
Amina from Toronto, Canada"Dont believe me when i tell you its something unforgivable" kinda tells me John wanted to make amends. that or he was just mocking Jesse. lol either way theyre friends now
Megan from Chicago, IlI've heard the "and you always had it way too easy" part but I havent heard the "I swear, you have no idea The jealousy that became me thinking " part. I can hear him screaming something in the background so I guess I always figured it was that part
Karlee from Bracebridge, CanadaStraylight Run, Brand New, AND taking Back Sunday are amazing bands. I like this song tho "Best friends means I pull the trigger. Best friends means you get what you deserve".
Max from Gothenburg, SwedenOne thing that is rather awkward is that in the lyrics you get with the almub there are sections that they don't even sing, not only on There's no "I" in team, but on other songs too. I don't kow if it's just me but I've never heard the phrase " I swear, you have no idea. The jealosy that became me thinking, "he always had it way too easy, he's getting what he deserves." "
Hayley from Mckinney, Tx:( tbs is amazing... its final relationships ruin good bands lol
Matt from Gainesville, FlInteresting story for those who don't know, but one of the reasons why John is no longer with TBS might have something to do with his sister. Michelle Nolan (also a member of Straylight Run) had dated Taking Back Sunday frontman Adam Lazzara. Apparently the relationship ended abruptly and on bad terms. Well, bad enough to split the band. Bass player Shaun Cooper also made the switch to Straylight with Nolan. So sad. So emo.
Rick from Anderson, In"I've got a twenty-dollar bill..." is just a saying for "I bet..." Look at it this way, "I bet that no one's ever seen you without make-up." and "I bet you're up late nights starting fist fights verses fences in your backyard."
Leigha from New York, NyActually, John isn't even in TBS anymore. He fronts Straylight Run.
Chasidy from Hampton, GaThis song is laced with other Brand New references from BN's 'Your Favorite Weapon' album.

The "I got a twenty-dollar bill" line is in BN's "Mixtape" and there are a couple of others that elude me right now.

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