Bulletproof Heart

I have a long, but (I think) accurate interpretation of this song. Keep in mind the setting of this whole album is in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future.

To me, it sounds like an outlaw, Johnny, is trying to convince a girl, Jenny, to skip town with him. In the intro/chorus ("gravity don't mean too much to me..."), Johnny's proposing the act of running away, basically telling her that he never stays in one place for too long, and he wants to take her with him when he leaves.

In the first verse, he's hyping up leaving, saying that everything will be better if she comes with him ("Got a photograph dream on the getaway mile").

The transition is him telling her that everyone will understand why she left ("How can they say 'Jenny could you come back home?' cause everybody knows you don't ever want to come back") and how he could be the perfect excuse to get her out ("Let me be the one to save you").

The chorus is the same as before, but an elaboration on that would be that he's stating why she should leave ("these pigs are after me, after you", meaning the oppressive BLI)

The second verse and transition kinda fucks with me, cos it doesn't really go with the rest of the storyline that I've mapped out...but it seems that he's talking about why he left his own town and turned into a vigilante or something ("the papers say, johnny won't you come back home. cause everybody knows you don't wanna give yourself up, tell the truth and God will save you").

Finally, the bridge is Johnny giving Jenny an ultimatum: come with him and live the life she wants, or stay in the freedomless town she's in and never see him again ("And though I know how much you hate this, are you gonna be the one to save us? From the black and hopeless feeling, will you mean it when the end comes reeling?"). And "Hold your heart into this darkness, will it ever be the light to shine you out or fail and leave you stranded" is him telling her that if she doesn't follow her heart on this that she'll end up stuck forevermore in the place she's in. "I ain't gonna be the one left standing" either way he's leaving, "you ain't gonna be the one left standing, we ain't gonna be the ones left standing" and he's taking her with him one way or another.

*Note that the whole thing is actually Johnny speaking these words to Jenny.

I heard somewhere that the Jenny and Johnny are referencing "Jenny was a Friend of Mine" by The Killers.. not sure how accurate...

Regardless, to me it's a song about undying faith in survival. Regardless of how deep they are in trouble, as long as they keep fighting the good fight and not losing that passion, they will persevere.

"Tell the truth and God will save you", meaning as long as you stick to what you know is good and right and just, you will succeed in fighting for your cause.

I think this song is about two people who are together and the world/other people are trying to separate them. They leave home to avoid their influence.

There is the obvious tie in to the rest of the album, but if you take this song by itself, I think it talks about being true to yourself and loving yourself for who you are. I think “bulletproof heart” means that if you love yourself then no one else can tear you down and destroy you. People or society can try to hurt you with words and what not, but your heart and feelings are bulletproof. If your true to yourself, god will save you. I think Johnny understands this and is trying to help Jenny. He is trying to help Jenny to stop caring about how society wants her to act or how certain people in her life want her to act and just be herself. I think that can mean different things to different people and why I feel this is an amazing song!!

Here are the lyrics from the CD booklet:

Gravity Don't mean too much to me I'm who I've got to be These pigs are after me After you

Run away Like it was yesterday And we could run away If we could run away Run away from here

I got a bulletproof heart You got a hollow point smile Me and your runaway scars Got a photograph dream on the getaway mile

Let's blow a hole in this town Too much talking with a laser blade Gunnin' out of this place in a bullet's embrace Then we'll do it again

How can they say Jenny could you come back home? 'Cause everybody knows you don't Ever want come back Let me be the one to save you

Gravity Don't mean too much to me I'm who I've got to be These pigs are after me After you

Run away Like it was yesterday When we could run away When we could run away Run away from here

I'm shootin' out of this room Because I sure don't like the company Stop your preaching right there 'Cause I really don't care and I'll do it again

So get me out of my head 'Cause it's getting kind of cramped you know Coming ready or not when the motor gets hot we can do it again

The papers say Johnny won't you come back home? 'Cause everybody knows you don't Want to give yourself up then tell the truth And God will save you

Gravity Don't mean too much to me I'm who I've got to be These pigs are after me After you

Run away Like it was yesterday And we could run away If we could run away Run away from here

And though I know how much you hate this Are you gonna be the one to save us From the black and hopeless feeling Will you mean it when the end comes reeling

Hold your heart Into this darkness Will it ever be the light to shine you out Or fail and leave you stranded I ain't gonna be the one left standing You ain't gonna be the one left standing We ain't gonna be the ones left standing

Gravity Don't mean too much to me Is this our destiny The world is after me After you

Run away Like it was yesterday And we could run away Run away run away Run away from here

Away from here Away from here

I love the whole 'gravity don't mean too much for me' vibe that this album has - just to never give up on your dreams and that nothing can stop you from getting what you want. One of my favourite tracks from Danger Days.

this is my favorite song so far, it's epic. as is this album, even if it's pretty different than their original stuff. i like all of their music, no matter how much it's changed.

With the songs on Danger Days you've kind of got to split the meanings in two - one side for the Killjoys storyline and the other for life. The Killjoys part of Bulletproof Heart is easy enough to spot (they're on the run from BLI), but what I also reckon this song's about trying to get out of your hometown. If you're born and raised in one place, sometimes you wonder 'will I ever leave?' and I know our boys have a fuckton of Jersey pride... but face it, everyone wants to get away at some point in their life.

The line "Jenny won't you come back home?" is a reference to The Killers song "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine". Yes, they said so themselves. To me the lyrics have multiple plausible meanings that are sort of ruined at other parts of the song. I think it's about leaving a place, and doing what you want, not caring what happens to you or what others think, because they can't touch you. In that sense it fits into the Killjoy story. They're doing what they went and being reckless, because they know nothing can defeat them. That's the point of "Bulletproof Heart", saying pretty much that they have bulletproof hearts and intend to use them.

I agree that it's about a guy, presumably Johnny telling Jenny that they need to get out, and even though everyone wants them to come back home- or various reasons, they aren't (Maybe more specifically Johnny is already set on not coming back).

I think the song is also him not only convincing her, he's also reassuring her that he is irrevocably in love with her and that as long as they're together everything will be okay. I pull this from the idea of a "Bulletproof Heart", even if he is shot, he will love her, if he is killed the love that he holds in his heart won't fade. I also pull that idea from :"I ain't gonna be the one left standing/You ain't gonna be the one left standing/We ain't gonna be the ones left standing" It's like saying we'll be alright, no matter what.