The Phrase That Pays

Infobox Single
Name = The Phrase That Pays


Artist = The Academy Is...
from Album = Almost Here
Released = February 8, 2005
Recorded =
Genre = Emo, Pop punk
Length = 3:17
Label = Fueled by Ramen
Writer = William Beckett, Michael Carden
Producer =
Last single = "Slow Down" (2005)
This single = "The Phrase That Pays" (2005)
Next single = "We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands" (2007)

"The Phrase That Pays" is the third single from the album "Almost Here" by The Academy Is.... The song is about a man finding out that he is going to die of a terminal illness, and the man regrets not living life to the fullest and taking life for granted. He then is talking about how he should have taken chances in his life, and about how he is going to take a big chance before he dies.Fact|date=October 2007

Music video

In the music video, we see William Beckett speaking with a doctor and nurse, wearing a straitjacket. He begins singing with his band. At one point, Beckett whispers in the nurse's ear, who is played by Brittany Snow. He is whispering "You think you know, but you don't, I do". The nurse is then seen dancing for two band members. At the end of the video, we see Snow in a straitjacket, staring at the viewer. Presumably, the viewer's perspective in this shot would be from the same position as Beckett. Also Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship makes a cameo, giving Mike Carden a teddy bear.