Lyrics for Sleep as interpreted by A Red Hotel

Sleep Lyrics
Some say now suffer all the children
And walk away a savior
Or a mad man and polluted
From gutter institutions
Don't you breathe for me
Undeserving of your sympathy
'Cause there ain't no one way
That I'm sorry for what I did

And through it all
How could you cry for me?
'Cause I don't feel bad about it
So shut your eyes
Kiss me goodbye
And sleep
Just sleep
The hardest part is letting go of
Your dreams

A drink for the horror that I'm in
For the good guys and the bad guys
For the monster that I've been
Three cheers for tyranny
Unapologetic apathy
'Cause there ain't no one way
That I'm coming back again

And through it all
How could you cry for me?
'Cause I don't feel bad about it
So shut your eyes
Kiss me goodbye
And sleep
Just sleep
The hardest parts
The awful things that
I've seen

Just sleep
Just sleep
Just sleep
Just sleep
Just sleep
Just sleep
(Lie down)

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se7enth
04-16-2007

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I first misheard "terrors" as "terrorists", thinking this related to something about 9/11 perhaps. However, after learning the lyrics, this is a small stretch, but I can still see this relating to someone pitying the evil of a terrorist, the narrator.

If he was a good person he might have suffered (humored/appeased) the children, but instead he's a "madman" "undeserving of your sympathy" who's not sorry for what he did.

But he doesn't feel bad about the bad things he did, possibly because he felt they were necessary (a terrorist rationale). He's obviously going somewhere and not coming back, which implies he's dying, possibly as a suicide bomber.

The ambiguity of war makes him toast the "good" guys and the "bad" guys. Some might call him a monster: "For the monsters that I *been" (been is the actual lyric). And as he goes out to complete his final mention, he tells his spouse/kid/loved one to not worry about him and (perhaps) go back to bed?

Anyway, that's the interpretation I choose to associate with this song.

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telecasterthommy
04-17-2007

Rated 0 
Something I have noticed that links this song with the song "Famous Last Words" on the same album is that on this track, when the drums first come in, the drum beat is exactly the same as the drum beat heard on 'Famous Last Words' when they sing "Asleep or deeeaaad" at 3.41. Dunno if that is intended, as they are both about sleeping - just an observation. I'll post this comment on the SongMeanings page for 'Famous Last Words' aswell.

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CanYouStakeMyHeart?
05-08-2007

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At first I thought this ment that the person [gerard] was going on a journey and leaving someone behind to complete his journey. This acually reminded me back when I first got the "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge" and at the end of Gerards "Thanks" paragraph it said "To Katamundo [sp?]- Much Love To You And Take Care Of Olivia For Me"
So I thought this song was about Olivia, if that is his daughter, and he is leaving her at home to persue his dream, and he is telling his little girl "Shut you eyes, Kiss me goodbye, and sleep"

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tashababy182
05-13-2007

Rated 0 
ummm wow first of all the lyrics for the recording is...

tremors? theyre worse than tremors. theyre these terrors and it feels like as if somebody was gripping my throat and squeezing

sometimes i see flames. and sometimes i see ppl that i love dying...its always...

he IS screaming wake up at the end
and then the rcording says...
and i cant i cant ever wake up

and its obviously about war. the patient goes to war and is horribley affected by it.

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heartshadow
05-20-2007

Rated 0 
ok i know lots of people mite disagree with me but what i think is this band is sorta dumb. most of ther songs dont make sense. they just sound good and thats why people listen to them. i havnt understood a single song theve wrote and i dont realy like this band anymore

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loop-to-loop
05-29-2007

Rated 0 
this whole album is basically about death. It puts me in a gloomy mood when i hear the black parade. this song is moving just like the rest of their songs. I actually think it's the best one. www.myspace.com/mylovelyromancexoxo...yeah that's my website devoted to gerard mostly lol. This song is on my page. btw, when someone keeps rewinded it in the beginning to "I keep getting these terrors" or whatever is that Gerard saying that or someone else? what is he talking about?

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loop-to-loop
05-29-2007

Rated 0 
yeah heartshadow....most rock band songs dont make sense. basically it's written for imagination but not always to make sense. Open your mind a little....

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x_hanny--x
06-06-2007

Rated 0 
its all about the twin towers, september 11th. Gerard way was there when it happened. Hence th bit at th begining about the terrorists
Love this song, its fucking awesome
MCR = Sex
xox

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loveMCR!!!
06-08-2007

Rated 0 
i herd some where that this song was about nightmares gerard had, i dont no for sure though.

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seizetheday
06-17-2007

Rated 0 
i think the coma thing is right. Gerard said in an interview that the patient might not be dead, he might have a chance. i think hes in a coma but he thinks he's dead. Everything is in his head. That would fit in with the last lyric of famous last words "asleep or dead?"

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crazyevilmind
07-11-2007

Rated 0 
absolutely love this song! but i think at the beginning it's meant to say 'there ain't no way that i'm sorry for what i've done' anyway great song

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P0LKA D0TTED
07-19-2007

Rated 0 
My friend Jenna and I always thought that this song was about Gerard apologizing (sp?) to Mikey about his drinking and drug problems in the past and how he feels bad about not being able to help Mikey with the trouble he was having with his life.

I'm not quite sure if we were right now that I've read all of your guys's answers.

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musixmyreligion
07-26-2007

Rated 0 
It sounds like he's being haunted for what he's done.
For example:
Maybe his involvement in drugs/alcohol.


"mad man and polluted"-- a madman from all of drugs/alcohol, and being 'polluted' by it.

"gutted institutions" --the rehabs


"the hardest part is letting go of, your dreams"

when your addicted to something, it's hard to achieve what you've always wanted to do.

"and through it all, how could you cry for me? because i don't feel bad about it"

-and-

"Dont you breathe for me,
Undeserving of your sympathy"

how could people be sorry for him for putting himself through this?


((Anyways, just thinking about it. I love this song and it's probably one of my favorites on TBP...When they performed at the concert it was amazing!))

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Darkdreamer
08-01-2007

Rated 0 
At first I thought this song was just about insomnia and night terrors, but I'm beginning to think it's about the patient being ready to die too... but I'm not sure.
"How could you cry for me?
'cause I don't feel bad about it"
- people would grieve for the patient, but he's ready to die.
"So shut your eyes
Kiss me goodbye"
- So just let it go, he's chosen to let go, so you have to let him go..
But I think I am probably wrong...

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devilchild8389
08-13-2007

Rated 0 
This was instantly my favorite track when I first listened to the whole album. It's so powerful. To me, it is about not regretting your past decisions/mistakes, but they still come back to haunt you, whether it be in nightmares or some other way. As a part of the story, I think it is a continuation of "Mama." Like living with the horrible things that he did in war.

The "WAKE UP!" part is what got me. So fucking amazing.

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devilchild8389
08-13-2007

Rated 0 
by the way, to say that this band writes songs without meaning is like saying that peanut butter isn't delicious. IT JUST AIN'T TRUE! lol

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daniixx38
09-10-2007

Rated 0 
i fucking love this song.

my favorite part is the very ending where he says "and i cant ever wake up"
that line made me cry sooo freaking hard.
i have no idea why.
it was like "ahhhwww ooohmygooooddd"

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7awsomedude7
10-01-2007

Rated 0 
if kitiekutthroat89 says is true that must have been scarry for gerard(i see people that i love dieing)as said in the song

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Az Awk
10-27-2007

Rated 0 
I think that it sounds like they are describing a soldier telling a story of war, eg iraq or afghanistan, oh i think the recording says "and its like and it feels like someone is grippin my throat, squeezing,
there not tremors they're worse than tremors they're these terrors" or something like that using bits of it at different times

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Starfckrs2
12-26-2007

Rated 0 
I love this song.
I think it's about a man who's done so many things wrong. He's in love with a woman, but he doesnt feel that his life is worth living anymore. Deciding to kill himself, he kisses her goodbye, and tells her to sleep. In the end, when Gerard is screaming, "wake up!", I think that's supposed to symbolize the woman finding the man she loves dead and trying to bring him back.

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OnlyPainIsReal
01-11-2008

Rated 0 
I think this song it's about a breakup... I mean, he is breaking up with her and he knows that she is suffering, so he say things like 'So shut your eyes,
Kiss me goodbye
And sleep'

And he tries to tell her that there are things worse that what she is feeling right now 'Some say now suffer all the children'

He dont show any regret about it 'And through it all,
And could you cry for me?
'Cus I dont feel bad about it'
'Three cheers for tyrany,
Unapologetic apathy,
'Cus their aint no way,
That im coming back again'

That's how I interpret the song, but my english is kinda limitated :x

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ChloeLOVEtheKillers
01-15-2008

Rated 0 
Oh... I'm listening to it now and my skins shivering...

Ohh they won't stop...

Errrr

I love this song. Although, The Black Parade (in my opinion) isn't the best album... So to all you teeny boppers who only bought/ downloaded this album cos My Chem hit mainstream a little while ago, go buy Three Cheers... and you'll see why all their' other fans love them so much! It is seriously THE BEST ALBUM EVER- Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, that is.

Ohhhh I love My Chem.

Their ability to connect with the youth of today and their understanding towards kids that feel they don't "belong" is AMAZING...

Three Cheers for My Chem!! I love you!!

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whenIwasalittleboy
01-17-2008

Rated 0 
I think it’s like what Drowning--lessons said. How this is a follow-up to “Mama”, and his night terrors are about all the shit he have done in his life, especially in the war. And I think when he goes to sleep, he is haunted by the images. But he doesn’t want forgiveness for what he did, because he doesn’t regret it. And because of that, he just goes to sleep and keeps tormenting himself with reliving all the shit he did.

But someone tries to help him, get him out of his horrible night terrors and try to live in the present instead of what has been, thus the desperate screaming of “wake up”, and maybe the patient really wants to just forget and go on with his life, but he realises it to late, and he’s to deep in it and there is no return, thus the “I can’t wake up in the end”.

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whenIwasalittleboy
01-20-2008

Rated 0 
The last bit should be "I can't wake up" in the end.

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Your Guardian Angel
01-28-2008

Rated 0 
This is definitely one of my favorite songs of all time and probably my fave My Chem song ever. It could be interpreted in many different ways and despite the accepted fact that it's about Gee's night terrors, I have a deeper connection with this song, feeling it is about saying goodbye to the one you love...

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