| The Smashing Pumpkins – Stumbleine Lyrics | 1 year ago |
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Brace yourselves for my interpretation. Like everyone saying, to me this song is about the sort of listless nature of being a teenager. Not feeling like you belong anywhere and going crazy from boredom and "Boredom's in the bathroom shaking out the loose teeth Sally's in the stirrups claiming her destiny" The boredom experienced by a teenager (who is too young and without means to do the more grown up things they want to do, but who is too old for toys and childish things) can cause risky behaviors. So to me, Billy is talking about a teen taking pills (that are reminiscent of loose teeth) from his family bathroom and another having either a child or an abortion. "And nobody nowhere understands anything About me and all my dreams Lost at sea" At that age, you feel like an outcast that no one will ever understand. "Jack it up Judy, set your heart alight Mayfair mistress of the satellites" The phrase 'Jack it up' here could mean to intentionally create chaos to feel something exciting. "Misspent youth, faking up a rampage To hold off the real slaves Paid off and staid" This line, to me, sounds like arguing with your parents who are a slave to their workplace but are paid off and probably somewhat dull in their monotony. Or perhaps the line refers to rebelling at adulthood in general. "And what you never knew Can never get to you So fake it" There's a lot you don't know at that age and you don't know what you don't know. So fake it. "I'll be your stumbleine I'll be your super queen And make you" I love the interpretation in the comments about Stumbleine being a metaphor for a person who will love your pure, authentic self and take the good with the bad. So these would be the words that a lot of people at that age would be dying to hear from someone. "Jukebox fuckup hanging 'round the drugstore No matter what you say, he'll be back for more" In an interview, Billy once mentioned playing pinball at a convenience or drug store in his hometown and the clerk being rude to him regularly. It sounds like this line is the clerk's calling him a fuckup and perhaps tells the teen to stop hanging around so much or to make something of himself, but he doesn't listen. "Mommy's in the manger with the little kids She's got her reasons, got my forgets Of tears and idle threats Misplaced" The mention of a manger could have to do with something biblical, but to me it sounds more like a mom is spending her time with the kids rather than the adults because she's possibly in an abusive relationship with the father? And being a child, they won't remember or understand the tears and misplaced idle threats from their dad to their mom. "And no matter what they do They can't get to you So fake it" This line sounds like it could refer to being tough in the face of that feeling of being misplaced, or possibly as people tell you to grow up and you don't want to listen, you pretend anyway to appease them and move on from the conversation. "Come around Ruby I could never sleep alone" A line about fighting loneliness and trying to find someone to fill that void even if they might not be your "Stumbleine." Thoughts? |
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| My Chemical Romance – Heaven Help Us Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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I think I’m late to this party, but this song never gets old for me so here’s my 2019 interpretation: In general, this song is about the tense situation they were in while writing TBP at the Paramour, the “old hotel.” More specifically, it sounds like it’s a snarky account of being treated as a martyr and therefore, not being taken seriously when telling someone of your pain or things they did that hurt you. “Hear the sound The angels come screaming Down your voice I hear you've been bleeding Make your choice They say you've been pleading” i.e. someone being sarcastic when hearing your problems and calling you a martyr and when you protest, they say “no, no you said I hurt you, so make up your mind. Either I hurt you and you’re being a martyr or you’re making it up and I did nothing wrong.” The imagery used is Catholic imagery and depicts the protagonist hurt and bleeding, sprawled out on the steps of the church asking for a miracle (in this case, angels) to save him. “I'm at this old hotel But can't tell if I've been breathing or sleeping Or screaming or waiting for the man to call And maybe all of the above 'Cause mostly I've been sprawled on these cathedral steps While spitting out the blood and screaming Someone save us” “Heaven help us now Come crashing down We'll hear the sound As you fall” The protagonist seems to just accept it, saying something amounting to “Are you going to change anything or are you just going to keep this up? If you’re going to make me a martyr then just canonize me and get it over with.” The protagonist feels like the punchline to some mean-spirited joke. “And will you pray for me? Or make a saint of me? And will you lay for me? Or make saint? 'Cause I'll give you all the nails you need Cover me in gasoline Wipe away those tears of blood again And the punchline to the joke is asking Someone save us” It concludes by concurrently promoting the same message: “And will you pray for me? Or make a saint of me? And will you lay for me? Or make saint?” As well as: “You don't know a thing about my sins How the misery begins You don't know So I'm burning, I'm burning You don't know a thing about my sins How the misery begins You don't know ‘Cause I'm burning, I'm burning” In this he is saying “you can’t comprehend our roles in this fight or that it was you that did this. So, fine. I guess I’ll be your martyr.” |
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