I think this song may be Gerard Way saying he is done with the fame, and he wants out.

On many other songs from this album I get the feeling that he wants to quit completly, especially when he says things like "These bright lights have always blinded me."

So, I'm kinda doubting that he enjoys making music anymore.

[The 'Patient' on the Black Parade may be himself, it all fits in my mind.]

omg the guitar part after to change... is amazingg.
just thought i'd share that with all of you.

I like the guitar at the beginning of the song.
that's all.
I don't like band much, but that's just me and my opinion, i'm not gonna belittle it or anything because I respect their talent all the same.
Peace,
= Merie Jane

anyone want my theory? Gerard said that "maybe the patient (the character who apparently dies of cancer in the album) isn't dead" i think that he is in a coma and thinks he is dead. This is when he starts to fight back

I agree. The storyline aspect of it seems like a kind of perserverance for the Patient. I think he lives.

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. Very well written and the main riff and solo are phenomenal. The whole theme of getting out of a bad situation and realizing you'll be fine is powerful and relatable. It's one of those songs that you can put a lot of personal situations to.

Also, the whole album is a metaphor for change. The Patient dying can be taken as an old life or bad habit ending in favor of a new one, of finding who you really are. There's a bunch of metaphors throughout, and the different situations and characters interwoven into the story is amazing. It's genius. Even taken literally as dying, it's genius.


"I am not afraid to keep on living..." Did I mention I adore these guys?

Not sure if someone has already pointed this out but the line should be "Honey if you'll stay you'll be forgiven" NOT "I'll be forgiven".
It's more powerful and makes a bit more sense that way.

Im pretty sure, that this song, along with almost every song on the black parade is open ended and open to interprentation as well as the songs being both about the patient as well as references to life and death in general

As in reference to the patient, it shows the end of his journey through his life, his reflection back on that life, and now his upcoming ordeal.
The first verse

Now I know
That I can't make you stay
But where's your heart?
But where's your heart?
But where's your...

And I know
There's nothing I could say
To change that part
To change that part
To change...

hes looking back at his life and he after time and time being anger and uncaring and a tendency to push people away, he actuallly wants his lover to stay and possibly help him through his ordeal

So many
Bright lights, they cast a shadow
But can I speak?
Well is it hard understanding
I'm incomplete
A life that's so demanding
I get so weak
A love that's so demanding
I can't speak

He's finally seeing things so much more clearly than he did before saying the bright lights have always blinded him and he might be apologizing for the wrong that he's done in the past, and that he took it out on his lover as well as his father and the people that cared about him and he wants to amend for the things that he's done

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

The patient has finally conquered death and is ready for whatever is coming next, hes no longer afraid of death and he is telling his lover that if she does stay with him, he will forgive her for not being there always through his hard times and if not shes not stopping him going home

Can you see
My eyes are shining bright
Cause I'm out here
On the other side
Of a jet black hotel mirror
And I'm so weak
Is it hard understanding
I'm incomplete
A love that's so demanding
I get weak

The patient is looking at himself in the mirror and realizing everything that he's been resentful for and now sees everything in a very optimmistic way

I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead

The patient sees his lover on the bed next to him and for the first time in his life he tells her that he loves her and he says that he is finally sees things in a new light but he dosent know if he's going to die or not

The chorus is repeated to show that the patient has a new approach on life and that he is going to appreciate it this time around, because i believe that the patient does actually survve and go on to lead his life with his lover, but again this is an open-ended interprentation so the patient could of indeed diied and has to walk the afterlife without his lover

But this is an open-ended song like i said, so nobody could come up and say ohhh i have figured out with this song means, and im right and nobody else is right. Each person has their own take on what this song is about and a deep meaning to everybody, as it showed me to appreciate everything i have

In a non- patient related sense it could also be referring to a relationship, possibly to one of gerard's girlfriends? Or possibly about mikey's engagement to his soon to be wife and gerard new it was coming and possibly that he didnt want to let go of his brother but realized that he has to go on and let his brother be happy, it could still even be about gerard's grandmothers death and how he has gotten over her, you need to form your own view and interprentation of this song

You're very insightful, raine, really. I love the way you made an image out of the lyrics. I know this was not how the song was intended to be, but I see this song kinda like an anti suicide song, in a way. let me explain:

Now I know
That I can't make you stay
But where's your heart?
But where's your heart?
But where's your...

And I know
There's nothing I could say
To change that part
To change that part
To change...

[I think that sounds kinda like someone saying "I can't stop you from taking your life, but have a heart and stay for the people who love you."]

So many
Bright lights, they cast a shadow

[Light may be like hope and happiness to some people, but to him they only make the bad things more apparant.]

But can I speak?
Well is it hard understanding
I'm incomplete

[Can't really figure that part out]

A life that's so demanding
I get so weak
A love that's so demanding
I can't speak

[Obviously, life is much too difficult and edmanding for him to follow through with]

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone

[This is sorta like the mantra that this guy should live on, not being afraid to look pain and hardship in the face]

Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven

[This is another person saying "If you stay on earth, I'll be forgiven for all the things I've done.]

Nothing you can say can stop me going home

[Then this is the dude talking again saying "Nothing can stop me from taking my life."]

Can you see
My eyes are shining bright
Cause I'm out here
On the other side
Of a jet black hotel mirror

[So he's saying that now that I've killed myself I'm happy. The Jet Black Hotel Mirror I thikn symbolizes the pain that life brings to us]

And I'm so weak

[Yet even though he's on the other side and supposedly happy, he's still weak in the sense that he does not have the courage to overcome the obstacles that life threw his way.]
Is it hard understanding

I'm incomplete
A love that's so demanding
I get weak

[Still can't figure that part out]

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

These bright lights have always blinded me
These bright lights have always blinded me
I say

[Once again we come back to the lights. He reiterates himself and says that the bright lights of hope have always blinded him from the raw truth]

I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead

(How can I see, I see you lying) 'Cause I see you lying next to me
(How can I see, I see you lying) With words I thought I'd never speak
(How can I see, I see you lying) Awake and unafraid
(How can I see, I see you lying) Asleep or dead

'Cause I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead

'Cause I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead
[The point of view shifts to the anti-suicide person who was telling him "I can't make you stay, etc...". I thikn that the anti-suicide person is seeing his dead body, and the words he thought he's never speak are something along the lines of "You coward." because this guy that killed himself was afraid of dealing with life.]


I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
(Or dead)
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home
(Or dead)
I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
(Or dead)
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home
(Or dead)
I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
(Or dead)
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

-----

I know, it's very scatter-brained, and I'm sorry. But this was, honestly, what the song said to me. Apologies to people who disagree/hate me for my point of view.

Gerard obviously lost someone close to him. I was thinking his father because of "Welcome to the Black Parade". It reminds me of my dad when my grandpa died. Think about it, it makes alot of sense...

This song rules and it describes how i feel at this moment. torn between two thoughts of leaving and staying...

At the core this is still obviously a song about being betrayed by someone close to you, and having the strength to not let it get you down.

The repeated phrase "I see you lying" (note that next to me isn't always repeated) is a cool double entendre. He finally sees through the blinding lights of his idealism and sees the lying.

People who think it has something to do with Gerard/Mikey/patient merging with a bright light should be music video directors, not lyrics interpreters ;P

Wow...this song is damn powerful. It's just so...inspiring. It's crazy good. It's practically left me speachless. Shivers up the spine man, shivers up the spine...

THIS IS MY SONG!! when ever i feel depressed or thinking about suicide i sing it or listen to it and it helps...adults say mcr dosent save lifes yes they do take it from me.....my step dad hates me my aunt ditched me a year ago and never called when me and her are close my mom cant stnad me and yeah so thats me the thin everyone loves to hate!!

Perhaps Gerard didn't mean it to mean this, but this song could easily be interpreted as a song about overcoming addiction. The whole song is directed towards this addiction, whatever it may be, and basically says: "I'm not afraid to live without you."

the song is about Mikey. it was the first song written after he left during recording. it's Gerard saying that he will keep on going on living his life, even if Mikey can't be there with him. as much as that hurts, he won't give up his dreams. he wants him there with him, but Mikey just can't take the whole rock scene. and Mikey can't stop him from coming home, because they're brothers, so they have to see each other again.

but when mikey left the band, they almost broke up...

i like this song,it's the first one i heard by this band...i'm new to MCR so can someone tell me waht they think their best songs are? i've already listened to black parade and thanks for the venom tho

Well, I'm not sure about "The patient" thing, since I'm not a big fan, I only listen to MCR because my sis likes it, but when I heard the lyrics I felt the song kinda fit my situation... I have a boyfriend and he's so selfish, he wants me to accept everything about him but he can't accept the way I'm, when he does things that I don't like, he wants me to ignore it, but when I do thing that he doesn't like he just wants to break up... So here is my idea...

Famous Last Words

Now I know,
That I can't make you stay.
(No matter how hard I try, you'll always get mad at me for the same things)
But where's your heart?
But where's your heart?
But where's your,
(If you love me "that much", why it is so hard to demonstrate?)

And I know.
There's nothing I can say.
To change that part.
To change that part.
To change.
(I definitely can't make you change if you don't want to)

So many,
Bright lights they cast a shadow,
(Too many things I've done to ignore the things you can't do for me)
But can I speak?
(Would you let me speak someday?)
Well is it hard understanding,
I'm incomplete
(I need things that you can give me but you don't want to or you can't demonstrate)
A life that's so demanding,
I get so weak.
A love that's so demanding,
I can't speak.
(I give too much I and don't get what I need, I can't even talk about it)

I am not afraid to keep on living,
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
(You can leave if you want to, I won't stop you anymore)
Honey if you stay I'll be forgiven,
(If at least you could try, you'll forgive me and understand me better)
Nothing you can say can stop me going home.
(I want to be happy and don't care anymore if is it you with or without you)

Can you see?
My eyes are shining bright,
'Cause I'm out here, on the other side,
(I'm watching filled with sadness, I still have so many to give)
Of a jet black hotel mirror,
And I'm so weak.
Is it hard understanding?
(It's harder because you don't even want to try to understand)
I'm incomplete.
A love that's so demanding,
I get weak.
(All I do is give, give, give, without getting what I need)

I am not afraid to keep on living,
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay I'll be forgiven,
Nothing you can say can stop me going home.

I am not afraid to keep on living,
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay I'll be forgiven,
Nothing you can say can stop me going home.

These bright lights have always blinded me.
These bright lights have always blinded me.
(It's like when give too much, I get paid like this)
I say.

I see you lying next to me,
With words I thought I'd never speak,
(I never thought you'd be so selfish)
Awake, and unafraid.
Asleep, or dead.
(You can do what I asked you to, but you don't want to or you just can't do it because you don't feel it)

The rest is pretty much the same, I'm not sure about it, but this is the way I see this song =P

i agree with some guy from like a year ago. this song is a really frickin sweet way to end the Black Parade, but I Never Told You was a way cooler end to its album, respectively.

peace

140 plays on iTunes, and counting!!!

(can't believe I'm Not Okay has 7 times the comments!!!)

this songis so...i don't know but this song is great
this song tells that sometimes you will found that one moment you see what life is that that you are feeling weak and incomplete.

"I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home"

Im getting these lyrics tattoed.
The lyrics are so powerful and have helped me out a numerous amount of times.

"now i know that i cant make you stay.. but wheres your heart.."

he knows he cant MAKE her stay with him, but if she really "had a heart" then she would stay.

"I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone"

if she leaves, hes not afraid to keep living, he'll keep living even if he has to walk the world alone


"I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead"

he never thought he'd be able to talk to someone like he talked to his girl unless he was dreaming, or unless he was dead.

inspirin

luv it


guess its like hes not scared of death anymore

same for me really

thanks to this song


dunno why tho


just luv it!

song to good for words.
i recond best on album