Running Up The Charts: The Hives and "Hate To Say I Told You So"
Running Up The Charts: The Hives and "Hate To Say I Told You So"
If you're looking for an explosion of pure Swedish guitar-rock to pump up your workout, you can't do much better than The Hives.
The Hives - “Hate To Say I Told You So”
Chart peak:
#6 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart (Aug. 24, 2002)
#86 on the Hot 100 (July 27, 2002)
Have you guys seen “Invincible” on Amazon Prime? Have you read the comic book “Invincible,” published by Image Comics? If you’re even remotely into comics (and that’s about where I’d place myself … “remotely into comics”), I highly suggest it. It’s a fun coming-of-age story about a kid who finds out he has super powers, but then things veer off into some crazy, sometimes violent, tangents. This is NOT a comic book for kids, however. Things can get gruesome at times, but it’s easily one of the most engrossing (and sometimes just gross) superhero stories I’ve ever read.
I mention the Amazon show because it was adapted from the comic book into animated form on Amazon, and the first season covers a good chunk of the comic’s first major story arc. And I mention this here because the season ends with an amazing montage, backed by The Hives and their terrific early aughts hit, “Hate To Say I Told You So.” (Some light spoilers if you haven’t watched the show or read the comic, so tread lightly on the link below.)
Of course, I knew this song long before it made an appearance in a niche animated show based on an independent comic. “Hate To Say I Told You So” was probably one of the first workout songs I attached to a playlist, back in the days before streaming music services and mini iPods. In those days, you had to have a giant arm band to attach your spinny-wheel iPod 2nd generation device, with a headphone cord long enough to allow you to move your arms comfortably without getting tangled in the cord OR having the cord hit your arm and rip the headphones off your head. Bluetooth ear buds have really changed the world for the better.
It’s a really great workout song, and I usually have it lined up in the #2 slot on my playlist. I often make adjustments to the playlist over time as new songs come into the mix, but this one usually provides the right boost at the time I need it the most. After five minutes of “We Used To Wait” provide a decent warmup, I need to turn things up a notch, and The Hives absolutely bring it.
There’s a relatively slow build in the beginning, the screeching lead guitar giving way to more and more instruments until it’s a full-on, three-guitar-and-drums explosion. All of this hits your senses even before Howlin' Pelle Almqvist belts out passionate, sometimes unintelligible, lyrics about doing what he wants because “I wanna.”
And then he unleashed the title at a full-bore scream: “HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO! ALRIGHT!” And then it’s on. The band just takes their sound and pushes it into overdrive, the guitars scratching louder, the drums syncopating faster, and it’s all-out awesome. From a workout perspective, this is usually the point where you start the feel the first pangs of, “Man, I’m really not sure I want to keep doing this.” But when I hear that first lead into the chorus, it’s like a shot of adrenalin. Sometimes I overdo it and run or exercise way more than I should as a result, but it’s hard not to get pumped up.
Like with exercise, the band can’t keep up that ridiculous pace forever, so there comes a portion of the song where they realize that everyone needs a breather. During that bridge, Howlin' Pelle Almqvist and bassist Dr. Matt Destruction (I *love* these names!) just mellow out for a few seconds. I enjoy that part of the music video, too, as the rest of the band is just frozen in frame while the good doctor belts out a solid bass riff.
And just when you’ve started to cool down, the last 30-45 seconds of the song are a full garage-rock freak out. Almqvist screams at the top of his lungs, the band demolishes their instruments, and you just can’t help but break into a mad sprint. It’s songs like this that make workout mixes so much fun. You can listen for those moments and try to build your run or exercise around these slow builds and epic sonic explosions.
Make no mistake, “Hate To Say I Told You So” is a bona fide garage-rock classic, and easily one of the better alt-rock songs of the 2000s. I was surprised to see that it only peaked at #6 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, but it will still likely be featured in my Substack in the “Chart Check” portion when that time comes. It’s an amazing track, and one I’m really excited to be able to write about as part of this new “Chart Chat” feature.
Running Progress - #DadBod2BeastMode
As I mentioned in my first “Running Up The Charts” article, I’ve begun training for a 10-mile race in September 2024 called “Beast On The Bay,” which is taking place 328 days from the date this article is published. I’ve been working out as frequently as life and time permits, but happy to say I’ve been consistent with my workout plan through the first three weeks or so.
Below, I offer a comparison of two 5k “runs” I completed in the past few weeks. The first came on Sept. 24; the second was earlier today. Granted, the first was on a much hillier area, but the second was at the place where the race will be taking place. I’ve got a LONG way to go to get back to form, but I’m pleased with the progress so far.
Do you have songs that you use in your workout playlist? Do you like “Hate To Say I Told You So” as a workout song? Let me know in the comments. I’m eager to hear more about the songs that inspire and ignite your workouts.
I had this song on my iPod Shuffle! Remember those - the tiny square box with no display and no ability to curate playlists? It played the songs you dumped onto the device at random. It was pure chaos and I kind of miss it.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane Matt!