The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
They're gonna clean up your looks
With all the lies in the books
To make a citizen out of you
Because they sleep with a gun
And keep an eye on you, son
So they can watch all the things you do
Because the drugs never work
They're gonna give you a smirk
'Cause they got methods of keepin' you clean
They gonna rip up your heads
Your aspirations to shreds
Another cog in the murder machine
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
The boys and girls in the clique
The awful names that they stick
You're never gonna fit in much, kid
But if you're troubled and hurt
What you got under your shirt
Will make them pay for the things that they did
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
Oh yeah
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
All together now
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
With all the lies in the books
To make a citizen out of you
Because they sleep with a gun
And keep an eye on you, son
So they can watch all the things you do
Because the drugs never work
They're gonna give you a smirk
'Cause they got methods of keepin' you clean
They gonna rip up your heads
Your aspirations to shreds
Another cog in the murder machine
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
The boys and girls in the clique
The awful names that they stick
You're never gonna fit in much, kid
But if you're troubled and hurt
What you got under your shirt
Will make them pay for the things that they did
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
Oh yeah
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
All together now
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
Lyrics submitted by A Red Hotel, edited by skiddlez98, SmashingDestiny, troysfence
Teenagers Lyrics as written by Frank Iero Bob Bryar
Lyrics © BLOW THE DOORS OFF CHICAGO, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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if we ignore the concept for a moment, we have a song about todays teenagers, who are conditioned to be 'perfect citizens' remove orginality etc etc.we're put on drugs (antidepressants) and told how to act. in rebellion we apparently either turn goth (darken ur clothes) or go postal with weaponry (strike a violent pose). and then we have gun violence in schools, revenge with a gun because teenagers have too much pressure from society to be perfect adn to cope with multiple role expectations. the chorus reminds me of old people who hate and are scared of teenagers - it makes me laugh! now for the concept..hmm...hard one...we've just come from sleep adn nightmares to teenagers, social commentary from the dead? or he's scared for teenagers who all seem desperate to be dead, adn he doesn't want them suffering what he is? nah, too soppy...the patient is becomming extroverted maybe? pulling his head out of his own ass?
@septimusphoenix I completely agree with you except the lyric part maybe.<br />
@septimusphoenix This song comes a close second to me to Come Out and Play by The Offspring.
Aenema91 is right on. This song is about the kids who dress in black and don't want to conform, and get bullied by their envionment from parents, teachers and other kids in the "popular crowd".
"What you got under your shirt will make them pay for the things that they did" is a reference to school shootings. The verse is describing a kid getting bullied by the clique and then bringing a gun to school.
when he sings "maybe they'll leave you alone but not me" I believe the singer means that the kid can act violent and dress differently to try and intimidate their surroundings to leave them alone, but the singer understands where he is coming from and can empathize. He is saying even though you kid feel alone, I have been there once too, and I understand the problems.
I'd like to echo those trying to correct the lyrics: "DARKEN your clothes OR strike a violent pose" These are the lyrics that make contextual sense and furthermore it's what he actually sings.
lol I wish I could go back and correct my singular/plural confusion in that post but whatever<br />
I really like your meaning! :)
Ummm... I think it's cog in the Murder Machine, not cock.... "Cock in the murder machine" would either not make sense or be very, very rude.
Or just be hilarious ROFLMAO!
@Gaz_182 "cock: verb 2. raise the cock of (a gun) in order to make it ready for firing." The murder machine is a gun, and he means to cock the gun, to get it ready for firing
@Gaz_182 ouch
@Gaz_182 ouch
"'What you got under you shirt' could mean fat(lol)"
Uhhmm I think he's talking about a gun under his shirt lol.
@EvilZombie i was thinking bomb but gun makes more sense
@EvilZombie I think by that he meant selp harm marks or maybe bruises and scars from abuse ? Definitely not the "fat" one
@EvilZombie I thought maybe boobs
They gonna clean up your looks, With all the lies in the books To make a citizen out of you Because they sleep with a gun And keep an eye on you son so they can watch all the things you do
-I think this means they're trying to corrupt all teenagers [us] into "acceptable" people. And they're watching everything they do to make sure they don't fcuk themselves over. But they're saying, we have guns, and our weapons are stronger than yours.
Because the drugs never work They gonna give you a smirk 'Cus they've got methods of keeping you clean Their gonna rip up your heads, Your aspirations to shreds, Another cog in the murder machine
-It could be saying we've done so much sh*t in your life already that for the teenagers, the drugs are just a costly addiction with no effect. And then evil 'Keep Off The Drugs' man comes in and says, too bad, so sad, no more. Then you get too mad for your own good.
They said now Teenagers scare, The living shit out of me They can care less as long as, Someone will bleed So darken your clothes, Or strike a violent pose, Maybe they'll leave you alone But not me
-Now this is saying, you know, we're going ot do something about this, but they're fighting back in their own way. But Gerard, he's saying, if you act all goth or whatever, it's not going to stop me telling you drugs are bad, because I've been there and I've done that.
The boys and girls in the clique, The awful names that the stick, Your never gonna fit in much kid But if your troubled and hurt, What you got under you shirt, Will make em pay for things that they did!
-This is like, society rejects me, so I'll reject them back and blow their heads off. I've got a gun under my shirt, but it'll be too late when they find out. Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge.
They said now Teenagers scare, The living shit out of me They can care less as long as, Someone will bleed So darken your clothes, Or strike a violent pose, Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me whoa yeah!
-Now I think this part is going on about how Gerard thinks that he won't give up no matter how much people like me scare him with our dark clothes and stuff, because he wants to let us know what's right.
They said now
Teenagers scare, The living shit out of me They can care less as long as, Someone will bleed So darken your clothes, Or strike a violent pose, Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me
All together now!
Teenagers scare, The living shit out of me They can care less as long as, Someone will bleed So darken your clothes, Or strike a violent pose, Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me
Teenagers scare, The living shit out of me, They can care less as long as, Someone will bleed so darken your clothes, Or strike a violent pose, Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me
That's basically what I think the songs means (not the part in the story, the actual song) and I think that although not the best song on the album, it's pretty funny and entertaining. It gets stuck in your head too. (And I fixed up the lyrics a bit too, for example. It's Strike a violent pose, not stike.)
<br /> <br /> I always saw the chorus as more of a jab at the adults and their ignorance towards teenagers. It's so stereotypically sarcastic. Good over all analysis. <br /> <br />
I doubt Gerard meant this, but I always thought that "what you've got under your shirt will make them pay" always meant that you have a heart underneath. Kill them with kindness, or show them that you won't stoop to their level and bring a gun, instead turn away and slam the door (totally not a Frozen reference)<br /> But, yeah, he could mean a gun.
Aren't the lyrics to the choruses "So darken your clothes, or strike a violent pose. Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me."
Pretty sure there's no "dock in" or "tuck in" your clothes, or "I'll strike a violent pose."
I think this song is about the cruelty that goes on between teenagers in modern society and the impact that it's under because of controlling higharchy in society, telling younger people all the things they can and can't do, because that's when they're most rebellious.
By the "what you got under your shirt" thing I think he means the way that kids have been picked on come to school strapped with a bomb and make the popular kids "pay" for all the teasing, just generally the way society nods its head at whatever the hurt the American teenagers can think to inflict upon themselves.
I LOVE THIS SONG!I havent heard too many of their other songs but i really like this one..
r anymore of their songs like this or as good as these??? :)
oh yeah totally! and if you like this one, then you will like the band The Used. <br /> Heres a few of The Used's songs<br /> Poetic Tradegy<br /> The Taste of Ink<br /> The Bird and the Worm<br /> Liar Liar (Burn in Hell)<br /> All on Itunes<br /> and for my chemical romance, heres a good songs<br /> "Welcome to the Black Parade"<br /> :) Hope it helps!
@emogurl13 I like Til The End, and basically all the songs on that album \r\n
I LOVE THIS SONG!I havent heard too many of their other songs but i really like this one..
r anymore of their songs like this or as good as these??? :)
oh yeah totally! and if you like this one, then you will like the band The Used. <br /> Heres a few of The Used's songs<br /> Poetic Tradegy<br /> The Taste of Ink<br /> The Bird and the Worm<br /> Liar Liar (Burn in Hell)<br /> All on Itunes<br /> and for my chemical romance, heres a good songs<br /> "Welcome to the Black Parade"<br /> :) Hope it helps!<br /> Read more at songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858631776/
I think it's directed at most of the fans and other "emo kids". He's saying how most of his fans get away with not fitting in because they'll just be "emo". ("So darken your clothes, or strike a violent pose). Gerard is directing himself when he was younger or an outcast kid. This kid is staying true because he's not becoming "emo" (maybe they'll leave you alone but not me). "What you got under you shirt, Will make em pay for things that they did!" could be referring to a gun, but I always thought it was referring to his heart <3. Anyway, I believe this song is generally about Gerard talking to the fans that don't like My Chem. b/c they're emo, but solely because they like the music. All the popular kids will watch them to tease them ("They gonna clean up the looks,With all the lies in the books,To make a citizen out of you,Because they sleep with a gun,And keep an eye on you son so they can watch all the things you do". I think the chorus is directed at his "emo kid" fans. Maybe not. Thanks <3333 XD