• I’ve decided to do in-depth analysis’ of all of Coheed and Cambria studio tracks in chronological order so that myself and others might have a better idea of the story line of the universe and how the songs and the comics connect to each other. I'm going to give a line-by-line (omitting repeated lines) of my interpretation of each song and explain how it corresponds to the comics. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Devil in Jersey City is told through a combination of Patrick’s, the Jersey City Devils’, Josephine’s, and Cambria Kilgannon’s points of view. It chronicles the horrible events surrounding Josephine Kilgannon and her newly announced fiancé Patrick as they get assaulted by a motorcycle gang called the “Jersey City Devils” while parked by an old abandoned factory. ---- “Hehee, Shabutie” - (Maria and Matthew, the two youngest Kilgannon children, say this to their father, Coheed, right before he poisons them [see “Time Consumer’]. All this is for is to let us know that, in the timeline of events, the events of this song and “Time Consumer” happen simultaneously.) “New Jersey bound when sound asleep they'll find you at your most vulnerable Poll position” – (Patrick and Josephine are driving to Jersey City. Josephine is dosing in the passenger seat when Patrick parks the car in an empty lot by an abandoned factory. Poll position refers to a racer’s position in the pack. The most ‘vulnerable’ poll position is when a car is completely stopped.) “Speak up, let out” – (Josephine voices her dislike of where they are and her desire to leave) “When down the street the corner boys fuck shit up.” – (The Jersey City Devils gang are causing trouble nearby, just around the corner, while Josephine and Patrick are talking and making out. Regarding “corner boys”, imagine the archetypal image of old 50’s era hoodlums in leather jackets leaning against the wall of a street corner. Sanchez employs a lot of metaphor and imagery into his lyrics.) **The Jersey City Devils attack** “Scream loud,” – (This is coming from both Cambria and the Devils. Cambria, seeing the events as a vision, mentally urges Josephine to scream for help. The Devils also tell Josephine to scream for help; to scream as loud as she wants, because nobody will hear her out here by the abandoned factories) “-scream Sayonara!” – (Sayonara is Japanese for saying a formal goodbye. This is the Devil’s taunting Patrick and Josephine by telling them to “Say goodbye” as they get assaulted.) “Sweet Josephine, will you follow me home?” – (This is Patrick. He is essentially ask him if she’ll still marry him [make a home with him] and follow him after he let this happen to her.) “Sweet Josephine, will you fuck me back home?” – (This is Patrick as well. Now he’s thinking about his sexually charged intentions when bringing her here and the fact she’s being soiled and raped because of him. He’s wondering if she’ll ever make love to him on their wedding night. I say wedding night because of the previous allusion to ‘home’ possibly meaning marriage. Also, it is indicated later in the song she might be a virgin at this point.) “Let's fire it up, haha now. Let's fire it up haha now, Sayonara!” – (Both these lines are the Devil’s enjoying this whole thing and taunting Patrick and Josephine.) “Don't let them scare you when you're down on the floor bleeding, bastard!” – (This is Cambria watching and trying to soothe Josephine and then trying to soothe Patrick, but she can’t help but lash out at Patrick because he is the ‘bastard’ who let this happen to Josephine. While the ‘bastard’ is directed at Patrick, the rest of the line is directed to both him and Josephine.) “You'll be getting home real soon and I'll pray for you, ‘high health!’” – “Cambria again, still encouraging and soothing Josephine by ensuring Josephine that this will be over soon and she can then come home and that her mother is praying for her in the meantime. ‘High health’ is actually a toast, such as one given at a celebration like a wedding or announcement of engagement like the one earlier that day.” “Speak up let out,” – (Cambria telling Josie [short for Josephine; my fingers are getting tired] to continue screaming for help and to speak up against her attackers.) “- caught in the crossfire.” (It is revealed later in the story that Patrick has some past history with some less-than-savory types of people and goes to an old associate to procure a gun. The Jersey City Devils may actually know Patrick [and his car] from his delinquent past and thus this whole thing might be fueled by an old feud and Josie is only caught in the crossfire of that feud.) “Compared to the step to the bone that might break.” – (Patrick is being kicked and beaten while he’s down and he’s basically in a contest comparing the strength of his bones [and hence his conviction] to the strength of the thugs’ kicks [steps].) “It's too late to find a better way out of this.” – (Josie and Patrick realize that Patrick missed his chance to drive somewhere safer and that this is all his fault.) “With the finest regards that I lost in the cracks of this street” – (This is pure speculation, but it’s known for a fact that Josephine is raped by the Devils. I think that “finest regards” refers to her virginity [one of a woman’s finest gifts she can give to a man] and that this line is her referring to her virginal blood she loses to the cracks in the street.) Basically this song is a mult-view narration and commentary on Patrick and Josephine being assaulted by the Jersey City Devils. While not very graphic in any obvious sense, anyone very familiar with the comics understands how very emotionally charged the song is, despite sounding deceptively light-hearted like so many of Coheed and Cambria’s song. Like any interpretation of a C&C song, most of this is pure speculation based on things hinted at by the comics and by Sanchez himself.

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