The Light Behind Your Eyes

From the moment I first heard this song, I always interpreted it as a bit of a suicide note.

So long to all of my friends, Everyone of them met tragic ends, With every passing day, I’d be lying if I didn’t say, That I miss them all tonight… And if they only knew what I would say

-His friends have all left him for one reason or another. He misses them, and is sad that they won't be around to hear his last words-

If I could be with you tonight… I would sing you to sleep, Never let them take the light behind your eyes…

-He doesn't want his loved ones to feel the way he does. Even if he can't save himself, he wants to save them.-

One day, I’ll lose this fight… As we fade in the dark, just remember you will always burn as Bright

-The "fight" is depression. He's saying that he is going to lose the fight (therefore commit sucide), and again, he wants to save his loved ones from this same fate.-

Be strong, and hold my hand. Time becomes for us, you’ll understand. We’ll say goodbye today, And we’re sorry how it all ends this way… If you promise not to cry, then I will tell you just What I would say

-He's telling his friends and family that he won't be around for much longer, and that he is sorry and doesn't want them to hurt because of it.-

I’ll fail and lose this fight,

-He's one step closer to ending it than he was in the last chorus.-

Sometimes we must grow stronger and, You can’t be stronger in the dark. When I’m here, no longer, you must be stronger

-He's saying that if he keeps living this life, he won't grow, he won't change, he'll just be stuck in this never ending cycle of depression. He wants his friends and family to continue being strong and living where he can't. To continue his legacy, in a way. To live for him.-

I failed and lost this fight, -He took the final step and ended it.-

i think the meaning of this song is how the band is breaking up but you should stay strong anyway. So many people lives were saved by MCR and it's obvious that they know that. So I think when they wrote this song, they knew that they weren't going to make anymore music after this, but they wanted their fans who were with them, and stayed strong, to continue to. If that makes sense.

SO I used to kind of see this as a suicide note but recently my baby brother died and now I think this song is like a goodbye forever to a late family member or friend and another reason that I thought about is Gerard is a catholic so to me a lot of this is him talking about the dead person shining in heaven looking down on him. But that's just my opinion!

I think the song is about a soldier that fighting in the army and the enemy killed most of the other soldiers "So long to all my friends Everyone of them met tragic ends" and suddenly his best friend got shot and he helps him to fight about his life. "Be strong and hold my hand" the light behind your eyes is actualy life and "Never let them take the light behind your eyes" means that he will never let the enemy take his friend's life. the injured soldier may lost consciousness "And if I could be with you tonight" so he is not with the speaker mentally. "I’ll fail and lose this fight" means he will fail the actuall fight. or maybe I think this way just because there is a war now and all over the TV I hear about dead soldiers and once a day we havw to go to the shelters and many citizens forced to join the army...

I think the song is about MCR breaking up. In the song it says " be strong and hold my hand time becomes for us you'll understand we'll say goodbye today and we're sorry How It Ends this way" I think Gerard is talking about how MCR has saved many lives and many of the people have been listening to the music for a while, and when then break up the fans would understand, and when they broke up they said goodbye that day with a post on their website, and they where sorry for how sudden it was. The song also says " sometimes we must grow stronger and you can't be stronger in the dark when I'm here no longer you must be stronger" In this part of the song it is basically saying that we need to be strong and not commit suicide or self-harm. MCR helped people with this and after they broke up some people weren't strong but others where. Gerard wants the fans to stay strong after they broke up.

"Never let them take the light behind your eyes" This is saying that you shouldn't let the mean words of others get to you.

Although a suicide note is a very valid interpretation, I don't believe it fully captures the essence of the song. I've always felt that this song is a personal outpouring over a lost lover.

The author is talking about his relationship with someone, but that for some reason (be it death, societal pressure, familial pressure etc.); they cannot be together. He is singing about how the fire ("light") behind her eyes is now gone...she has become a shadow of what she once was. Her passion, fiery nature has been suppressed...One gets the same feeling when seeing a majestic animal such as a tiger or a lion, trapped in a tiny cage. The author sees the horrible truth, how her very nature has been "tamed", and thus destroyed...

He sings how if he could be there, he would sing her to sleep, never let them take the light behind her eyes, how he would fight for her and keep her away from those that wish to control her. But he sings in retrospective....knowing full well the damage has already been done.

But yet he makes a last desperate attempt...he asks her to never fade in the dark, to remember she'll always burn as bright. Even though he can't be there with her because of the barriers which separate them, he hopes that she will choose what's best for her by herself. That she will find her fire...that she won't be tamed....he desperately hopes, but deep down knows, her light has gone out forever...it's his fault, and there's nothing he can do about it.

I think this song is about somebody that Gerard knows that is dying and he is saying be strong and don't let the light behind your eyes fade.

This song kind of reminds me of CANCER, by MCR. If you listen to the words to Cancer and the words to this, they both have this really sad feeling behind them.

This song has to be about the band breaking up. Though it is purposely disguised as a suicide song in a way, the band broke up in 2013 not long after the realease of the song. MCR helped so many people by there inspiration and strong lyrics with so much meaning. I think there saying that even though we are splitting up and moving on, you need to stay strong and remember that you are special and beautiful in your own ways. They were such an inspirational band... and even though they aren't writing any more inspiriring songs and helping those in need to "carry on" (haha get the joke) that you need to continue and burn your beautiful light hiding within you!

I never really saw this song as a suicide note of the narrator (Gerard). I always read it as an ode of encouragement to a close friend who is going through a hard time or facing some tough issues. Or maybe an end of an old friendship that ended due to addiction or suicide and the narrator is asking for forgiveness or a second chance to mend the relationship. Either way it is a beautiful song and the best rock ballad of the century.