Is "Teenagers" about a school shooter? | My Chemical Romance Lyrics Explained
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.พ. 2018
- Enjoy this explanation of the meaning of the lyrics of "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance.
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Disclaimer: The content of this educational video is covered by fair use. My explanations are transformative and add interpretation and analysis to the original work much as happens when I teach poetry in a university classroom. When I explain songs, I use only the lyrics or short clips of the original song or music video and thus have not hurt this song’s salability or provided a market substitute. All copyright claims will be disputed and appealed. Please see me as your ally in my attempt to use a literary perspective to enable fans to better understand and enjoy your wonderful and interesting piece of music. - บันเทิง
“And don’t crucify me for this.... but I’m not a huge fan of My Chemical Romance.”
Well because you asked nicely.
*puts away pitchfork and torch*
Solo Blade lmao me too
Oh damn I was halfway done sharpening my fork...
Aww... no VIOLENCE
Same
Well now I have a half burning tourch and a semi-sharpened pitchfork.
Gerard was in a subway car and it was full of teenagers. He was scared of them cause they were a lot wilder than in his childhood. Then he wrote the song. And yes, it's about gun violence.
"It's about a really big problem in America where kids are killing kids. The only thing I learned in high school is that people are very violent and territorial."
Niki Nagy He also said “It’s about teenagers scaring the living shit outta me”
Niki Nagy 10 years ago when I was still a teenager I related to this in the way that I felt outcast and that my black clothes and fingernails and DGAF attitude scared the shit out of all the adults around me. It made me feel good about myself because everyone acted like there was something wrong with me. Being bullied constantly will do that to you.
Now that I'm almost 30, I relate to this song literally. Teenagers these days really DO scare the shit out of me. Were from the same generation yet I feel like I have no idea why they do or say what they do. I thought we were wild back in the day! I thought being picked on in public school was bad....I cant imagine having social media in the mix. Kids are fucking scary.
Niki Nagy THANK YOUUU FOR CORRECTING HIM
Thank God someone actually knows the truth
i was about to say this thank you for saying it so i don't have to use as much effort
Honestly My Chemical Romance writes very meaningful songs. It's sad how they get called "emo" just because they're brave enough to address actual issues that teenagers can relate to.
Wash Ew emo means emotional. So technically it’s not such a bad thing because it shows how much emotion they put into their music
There is nothing wrong with being emo I am so why is it bad they’re called “emo” that’s what the
He are
Panic Treasure Not Trash that would mean that Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, The Beatles, John Lennon, one direction, Justin Bieber, David Bowie, and almost every other artist out there is emo. Why not just call them a band who makes emotional music? Emo has a rather negative connotation and it is so demeaning to their phenomenal music to refer to them as such. Emo is total bullshit. Gerard Way has said this very thing many times. And so has Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump, and Brendon Urie.
Ansleigh Autumn Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Brendon Urie, Ryan Ross, Pete Wentz, and Patrick Stump have all referred to "emo” as utter bullshit and asked to not be labeled as such. To say that MCR is "emo” is honestly insulting and demeaning. "Emo” = garbage.
marie likes art I can understand what you mean by that. But emo is a style and if you want to call it garbage that’s something you shouldn’t say that’s honestly really rude. And if they prefer not to be labeled as that then they’re not but it is something that most emo people listen to therefore it is kind of in the emo style
My friend isn’t a huuuuge fan of MCR. Today, she told me she has a song stuck in her head. I asked what it was, and she just said “Teenagers scare the living shit out of me.” And I just casually screamed at the top of my lungs: *”THEY CAN CARE LESS AS LONG AS SOMEONE WILL BLEED”*
SO DARKEN YOUR CLOTHES
i_am_stich AND STRIKE A VIOLENT POSE
+Pastel_be_me MAYBE THEY WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE
i_am_stich BUT NOT ME
Blurryface The Beanie THE BØYS AND GIRLS IN THE CLIQUE
The ironic thing is that the Black Parade album is surprisingly upbeat if you look at it as a whole. It tells the story of a downtrodden guy who dies for a brief moment and goes to the land of the dead where he meets a bunch of other people who have died. In the end he wakes up and realizes he actually has a lot to live for. Granted, most songs on the album individually are fairly depressing, but each song is supposed to be from the perspective of someone who died tragically or died with an unfulfilling life. That's ultimately what makes the album's protagonist decide that he can carry on living and turn his life around.
Quinncy Duske wait... the protagonist wakes up? I thought it's about the protagonist dying of cancer and his afterlife and looks back on his life
You could probably interpret it both ways, but the chorus "I am not afraid to keep on living | I am not afraid to walk this world alone" combined with the bridging line of "I see you lying next to me | with words I thought I'd never speak | awake and unafraid | asleep or dead" always struck me more as him waking up. In fact, I'd wager that the song was written that way on purpose so you were free to derive your own interpretation.
So is welcome to the black parade him being welcomed to the dead?
Your profile pic makes this comment 10x better
@@mlpdisneylover it is. He dies of cancer
okay yeah mcr is not your style, yet you said that you are a positive and optimistic person and cannot relate.
I get that, but you have to admit that although their songs are pretty dark, they are really meaningful and deep.
I have personally been listening to them for a year now, and even though when I started listening to them I was doing fine, later on and even now, I am going through some shit in my life and now I can undertstand them better.
Oh, and mcr IS actually about finding hope. At the age of 15, Gerard was held at gunpoint. As he said in a 2008 interview, "I got held up with a Magnum, had a gun pointed to my head and put on the floor, execution-style." He went on to say that "no matter how ugly the world gets or how stupid it shows me it is, I always have faith in it".
-That's just a quick quote of him that I love and the general vibe that mcr was giving off was about finding the light into the darkness, however people criticized them constantly because they were associated with the emo lifestyle. It all stems from people's prejudice. Mcr is not about being depressed, but going through it, at least that's how I see it
I 100% agree--there's an attempt to make meaning here, and there's a lot of depth.
The Pop Song Professor great to see that we agree on that! Btw love your channel♡
WAit GERARD WAS HELD AT GUNPOINT WHEN HE WAS 15 I NEED THE INTERVIEW AND BACKSTORY PLEASE
"I was always really more of a positive and optimistic kind of person." he says with twenty one pilots picture framed behind him lol
My chemical romance's song "mama" would be great
Already did. :)
just look it up on his channel lol
If you haven't already found it, it's about a soldier writing a letter to his mother, telling her the gruesome things that he has seen and done ("we all go to hell") and saying sorry to her, I guess because of what he has done) but that's just my interpretation :)
where is it? I can't find it :(
@@ThePopSongProfessor it's not there.
Crazy = Genius - P!ATD
wrls it's shit
yung menace n0 U
u
wrls I'M LITERALLY SCREAMING.
yassssssss
Hey, I appreciate your honesty and open mindedness. You don't have to be depressed to appreciate their stuff. It helps, and to really relate to them you gotta know what it feels like to be picked on and outcast. But it's not a requirement. Thats the great thing about art.
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me...
I think it's a sarcastic song and this line is about a teenager talking to Gerard/ a person his age about not leaving him alone even though they scare him.
Sees the title
Me: I was thinking the same thing
WAIT?! WHAT?! Okay now this makes so much more sense. It is kind of sad that a song written more than a decade ago still is relevant today.
yeah idk if you like mcr but their songs are still relevant though they were written about 10 years ago...In my opinion they are timeless tbh
Whoosh
Whoosh
Whoosh
Whoosh
* Ukulele *
NANANANA OH OH
You know the song;)
Sorry I didn’t know what to comment
Reese ya got Nyce pieces ur the judge
When the leader of the bad guys sang, something soft and soaked in pain
I heard the echo from their secret hideaway
I knew what it was just from the whoosh
Plz end me
lmao I just read the "Whoosh" and I already knew
1:13
B a c k w a r d s d a b
Lol
A
nah, it's about how teenagers are wilder and more immature nowadays.
Jeffrey Patrick Macaronison kill Joy's make some noise
last time I was this early mcr was still together
I'm -not- sorry
Also mcr is now officially my favourite band.
Edit: aHHH I WAS NOTICEDD
Tyla anguige
I dont love you.
Madison Thomas now all I can hear is gerard singing I don't love you
Madison Thomas like I did yesterday
I’m not okay
Choking Noises
Are any of us?
hell yeah this is one of my favorite songs
Bumbkin Boy same
It's a good one.
Bumbkin Boy I believe you mean hell YEE
RELLA RELLA RELLA PIZZA MOZARELLA
Great video!
P.S. Can you do one about Bulletproof Heart, please?
Mcr is life
**Pills that are hard to swallow**
*This:*
I saw the title of the video and was like: Hell Yeah
Could you explain the lyrics of Mama too, please?
Already did. :)
Okay, I'm sorry xD I definitly gonna watch this video now, I really like them
You probably don't care anymore, but the whole album is about a man dying of cancer, and this talks about his unresolved relationship with his mother, due to killing people in the war- possibly Innocents.
Payton Lohre I'll always care about MCR. Thanks xD
The Pop Song Professor Well I can't find it but maybe I'm just stupid
1:14 oh God please no... A black turtle neck does NOT make you emo.
Im not telling you my name mMMmM frankie
Isn't a black turtle neck like... hipster? (IDK please don't kill me...)
I am Bluepelt I think if you were gonna put black turtlenecks into a specific style, I would say beat nick (I probably spelled that wrong) but it is coming back into “hipster” culture/style as far as I’ve noticed.
Preppo is me tho, honestly
Can you explain Mr. Doctor Man by Palaye Royale?👀
Ticket Master yes yes yes yes yes. Ik he touched on it when he explained 100 songs (maybe thanks to me cos I suggested it) but we need more!
YESYESOMLYES
Yes please!
Omg omg yes yes yes
Ticket Master I love that song 😊
1:45 "and they do a really good job on their lyrics"
*DID* *
This guy predicted the future by saying “do”. It’s 2020 & they’re releasing new music in June, folks!
I thought your name was the POP song professor.. Are you okay?
"I'M NOT OKAY!"- MCR
Pacifica Jones had a feelimg someone was going to say that
"All I know is that we're shooting teenagers."
-Gerard Way
Totally the best choice of words ever.
I clicked so fast
Same
Diddo
Same here
This is one of my favorite songs everr.
I loved this video as usual but can I just say... I know you aren't a huge fan of fall out boy, my chem etc but to be honest most of your fans are emo and this is what we want. However, you don't have to explain something because we want it, if you would be more interested making videos about other genres/bands. I don't mean that you do but just...don't feel like you have to. But if you want to then yay more emo music for me!
I like to mix it up--some that makes me happy. Some that makes others happy. But to be honest, anything deep makes me happy in general. :)
just saying I love your name
It’s not about a school shooter, but it’s about how wild and crazy/edgy teenagers have become since Gerard was a kid. But it is about how gun violence has become more common
Can you explain one of Green Day’s songs?? PLEEEEEAAAAASSEE
When I saw the title
My mind: that is incorrect
Btw it's not really all about pessimism in MCR, it's like goth, it's the beauty of dark things. Fuck "emo". MCR is not complaining, and I appreciate how you did say it, thanks!
You should do hurricane by panic! at the disco
TheSketcher96
PLEAAAAAAAASE
Thanks for the tip! I didn't think I would like a channel like this, but this is amazing! You're great at reading into songs. Keep doing what you're doing!
God I remeber listening to this song in highschool, never knew what it ment, thanks for fixing that :)
Gerard already said what it was about... he was on a train and saw a group of teenagers, after feeling intimidated and a school shooting happening he wrote Teenagers.
My Chemical Romance recorded the song: ‘Teenagers’ on July 26, 2006 at the Eldorado Recording Studios in Burbank California.
The music video for the song was recorded on
March 17th 2007.
"...They are just like blah blah blah ....and start complaining about everything.."did you ever considered a career as a comedian😂 I just can't stop laughing because it's kind true...okay it is true😑😂...but okay here's a the question could you share your wisdom with me and explain the song "speeding cars" by walking on cars I listened to this song toooooo many times but I'm stil unsure about the meaning😅💙...
Plz can u explain Boy Division by My Chemical Romance I feel like No one really cares about conventional weapons
Hetalian Edge yes!!
I liked that at the end of the music video for Teenagers, it says violence is never the answer. They had to clarify because some people (who didn't know MCR) just heard that last verse and thought it didn't condemn the violence enough.
i love this song!! glad to see this video :)
THEY SAY THAT TEENAGERS SCARE THE LIVING SH¡T OUT OF ME
*sees title* well duh
teenagers is actually just about gerard's fear of teenagers. He said in an interview he was on the train once when all the teenagers were let out of school, and they were vvv loud and rough and violent and he said they scared him, hence the creaton of teenagers
Yea love dis song
That intro had me howling, Im subscribing hahaha
Do the Sharpest Lives!
Ruby Starr Yes!
Definitely! That's my favorite song of the album!
The iPod picture below your little plant is a bit crooked. It bothered me the whole time. Lmao sorry
I never thought of stanzas that way.. thanks.
As always, amazing in-depth analysis!
Thanks! :)
I always thought "what you got under your shirt" was the teenager's heart or soul. While they were always outcasted and hurt by the world, their heart, soul, or perhaps even spirit, is so strong and pure that they will prevail in spite of hardships. It seems that I have been mistaken.
Same. In fact, the song talks more about "They" than teenagers.
They say that...
Only later if you get swept into the narrative, you lose hope in understanding teenagers and sing "all together now"
MCR tells the story deeply. And gun violence is a cycle that starts at homes/societies/schools, not in a teenager's hand.
So yeh 'darken your clothes or strike a violent POSE maybe theyll leave you alone but not me. '
This can mean 'yeah try those things . They didn't work for me and I have the darkest clothes here. '
Or
"Reflect their fear back at them but I won't give up on you."
YOU REALLY DID IT I'M ABOUT TO CRY CAN I CRY?
Go for it.
Preppo... Interesting...
Anyway, if you like happy stuff, listen to "Danger Days : The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys"
By MCR... I know, not your type, but this is the last album, and it's reaaaaally different from the others albums.
Can't NOT sing along to this song. ever.
It's super catchy.
This song can be overlooked . Not in the way about not singing the song or people not liking it but about how it has a very catchy beat and it’s very pleasurable to sing but it’s overlooked in the message that it’s trying to spread it’s not supposed to be scary it’s a message that this world really really needs . Even today .
I originally thought this just about being afraid of teenagers but this much better
THE WRITERS TIP OMG! I'VE NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT UNTIL NOW
I love this song! Great job! I love to hear your insite on things! I clicked this as soon as I saw. And Yes, great emo turtleneck.
Thank you for noticing my emo turtleneck.
At the end of the official Teenagers music video it has a website link that is about trying to stop gun violence
YESSSSSS I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
Yay love you're videos!
Thanks!
You should do fade to black by Metallica (I must not give up)
Tbh I could already understand the Lyrics and this was just confirmation, is this a gift and people really don't understand most lyrics of songs or what's up with that?
awesome work keep up the great work
Pop song? In what universe is this pop?
Good analysis! I have a tendency to just listen to music because it matches my mood. I've been clinically depressed for about 10 years now, and I started listening to MCR on a whim 3 years ago. I keep all their albums in my frequency rotation. You're right about them appealing to people who've been through darkness, and that they don't wallow in it, but try to find hope and perseverance.
This song is so genius, and I’m always discovering new layers to it. As a young preteen, I always thought the “they” in the “they could care less”, were the adults not caring about kids as long them conformed to their murder machine and bled for them, and that us teens should rebel by darkening our clothes, etc. Then as a young adult I realized that the “they” were the teens being rebellious and unpredictable, and that maybe if adults darkened their clothes and tried to be relatable to the teens (as big companies running murder machines often try to do), they would calm down and stop causing trouble, and “but not me” was saying teens could see right through that. After this video now I have to ponder if Gerard meant to say he was with the teens and their rebellion. This song just continues to morph into different meanings for me during different parts of my life. It’s special when a song can do that.
This has nothing to do what the video content but I genuinely love your black turtleneck.
That one verse had one meaning to me:
Self harm
“If your troubled and hurt, what you got under you shirt, will make them pay for the things they did”
Amazing content!!! As usual 😄
What MCR... 2018???
Oh. I always thought the thing under your shirt line was about, you know, self-harm scars but maybe I'm just not thinking about all the possibilities.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NO CLUE. GERARD WROTE THIS SONG ON A CROWDED BUS SURROUNDED BY NOISY TEENAGERS AND BEGAN WRITING WHILST HAVING A PANIC ATTACK BECAUSE OF BEING SO CROWDED. THIS SONG IS LITERALLY HIS THOUGHTS.
Before I even watched this video I remember listening to it and came to the realization that some of the lyrics seemed to talk about gun violence and I just paused it anf stood in shock. Glad people were able to clear it up.
i hope you'll make a lyric breakdown to greenday "jesus of surburbia" i dont know why but i find interested on this kind of lyrics and i hope you will breakdown to some people :D
I would love if you could explain "cemetery drive" I understand one thing but all my friends understand another
I would actually love to see you analyze I've Got A Dark Alley.... (I don't wanna type out the full title) by Fall Put Boy. It's a song that means a lot to me so I'd love to see your take on it.
Like you, PSP, this is my favourite MCR song along with WTTBP. It actually reminds me a lot of some of the English rock music songs of the 70's
that lyrics on a chorus is catchy to me tho. I noticed the song has a cuss words on it on a chorus part but it's about a gun violence (Didn't even noticed that) also the piano part on a last chorus I hear also the guitar chords.
I would love to hear your thoughts on some of My Chem's later work, perhaps Summertime, Bulletptoof Heart or The Only Hope For Me Is You.
I've always wonder about certain lines in this song, thanks for explaining it!
Also, could you do Butterflies and Hurricanes by Muse please?
Preppy + Emo ≠ Preppo
Preppy + Emo = Premo: aka the silence before the storm
I don't know if it's worth explaining it, but could you do All the Angels by MCR next? Or Mama, these two are my favourite MCR's songs right now. By the way, great video
Could you please explain boy divison?
The explanation that I believe the proper reason for goes as following:
Gerard was on the subway or something and there was a big group of teenagers who were being rather violent and he realized. “Wow. I’m scared of teenagers. I’m getting old.” I believe it ended in him having an anxiety attack so he started writing that song in his head to get his mind off it.
The sharpest lives is a great mcr song. Looking at the rhythm and instrumentation coins be a good angle to look at it from.
I'm 19, MCR has been a part of my childhood, teenagers has been my anthem almost my whole life; I believe when he said "they Say all teenagers scare" and it's like, he know youth see reality in another way, youth is going to lead the world to better things, and older generations are afraid cause they don't wanna pay for what they did (all the hatred and racism, homophobia etc).
When he was talking about the "lack of completion" part... that reminds me of Big Bang Theory and Sheldon's need to complete stuff. On a lesser level, all of us can relate
This is my favorite song because i relate to the beginning of it about the way society views teenagers
Hmmm what i thought “what you got under your shirt” part was refrencing cutting but ig not
plz help me understand the meaning off -dance with the devil- by Breaking Benjamin
teenagers was about when gerard went on (i think it was a train) a train everyday and there was teenagers and gave him anxiety. but yet again im commenting this before watching the video
Can you do thank you for the venom? Its my favorite song and has helped me through a lot of shit
I always saw the second verse as gestueing more towards scars being under the kids shirt
Could you please explain turn it off by paramore please
Thank you I love your videos!
Please explain The Light Behind Your Eyes
I'd love to see you do a video on the Gorrilaz lore. I know your niche is lyric analysis, but you could get more out of the songs if you knew the lore. (Of course I don't know if you're aware of the lore, but I think you would enjoy it if you looked into it.)