Brother

This song is most likely to be about Mikey, hense it's called 'Brother'. Even if it's not about Mikey, it's about/to someone who has acted like a brother to him. Lot's of imagery of sleeping on couches in the city, could be about early MCR days when they'd probably have to live rough. Even if it's not that, the idea of being a brother to someone, letting them sleep on the couch when they need to, supporting someone when they haven't got anything. High chance that the song is about Mikey as there's reference to going to gigs 'we would hear them play'. Makes me think of when Mikey and Gerard saw the Smashing Pumpkins in Madison Square Gardens NYC. Perhaps when either one of the Way brothers had depression the other would support them through letting them stay round?

I am pretty sure this song is about his brother, Mikey Way, who was also the bassist of MCR. I think this song is somewhat of an 'ode' to him, in some way.

"Does anyone have the time to bring me down? And can I sleep all night long to the drums of the city rain? Just make it up Cuz I'm awake all night long to the drums of the city rain"

This refers to the lifestyle of band members, always out and about and never really having the time to stop and think or take a break, chaos.

"And brother if you have the chance to pick me up? And can I sleep on your couch to the pound of the ache and pain? I'm my head cuz I'm awake all night long to the drums of the city rain"

Mikey, Gerard's brother, is comforting to him. Mikey is a pick me up for Gerard and helps him get through the pains of the fast paced life that they were living in when they were a part of MCR.

"The lights we chase The nights we steal The things that we take to make us feel this I can't go back Don't think I will I won't sleep tonight as long as I still Hear the drums of the city rain"

The chorus is my favorite part of this song. The first two lines refer to them living the high life, how great it is being on the top of the world. The next two lines, 'the things that we take, to make us feel this' are about Mikey and Gerard's drug/alcohol addiction, how they felt like they needed to use these substances in order to feel good. 'I can't go back, don't think I will' Is about how they have recovered and moved on from that. The last two lines are about the memories and how he regrets abusing substances.

"Does anyone have the guts to shut me up? Cuz I believe that every night There's a chance we can walk away So hold on tight Because I won't wait too long in the drums of the beating rain"

I think Gerard was trying to say there is always a chance to get better, to walk away from whatever is holding you back from living a better life.

"Cuz the nights don't last And we leave alone Will you drive me back? Can you take me home?"

No matter who comes and goes, Mikey will always be there for him.

"Faces I don't know I am tired in the glow Of the freezing glow Keep me breathing don't make the lights come back Can you take me home? We all need this when we leave alone"

This is also about My Chem, the ending of them that is. 'Faces I don't know' is the large amount of fans, and being 'tired of the glow' is him not feeling it anymore onstage. As most My Chem fans know, during the end of MCR he was drinking again, so 'Keep me breathing, don't make the lights come back' is him saying that he can't do MCR anymore without being depressed or using drugs/alcohol. Lastly, the bottom two lines of this portion are, again, how even when the band is over or when Gerard is suffering, Mikey will be there for him.

"Remember when you and I would make things up? So many nights, just take me down to the place we would hear them play I miss that sound Cuz now we don't sing so loud To the drums of the city rain"

He has lost the spark that came with MCR, he has no more creativity and he misses being able to express himself like he used to. 'Cuz now we don't sing so loud, to the drums of the city rain' is him losing touch with MCR.

"Like strangers laugh and like subways feel Things I'm trying to break Oh, just wait until this is all we have to keep us ill I won't breathe tonight as long as I still hear the drums of the city rain"

The memories about MCR but more importantly his depression and addiction makes him feel uneasy.

In no way was this ment to seem like Gerard is dissing MCR. All I'm saying is that there were bad parts, obviously a song dealing with addiction and all wont be about the good times.

IN NO WAY IS ANY OF THIS INFORMATION CORRECT OR INCORRECT, IT IS ALL MY INTERPRETATION OF THE MEANING AND NONE OF IT IS CONFIRMED AS FAR AS I KNOW.

I hope my opinions aren't too far off and this helped some people better understand the message of the song, or at least the message I got.

If you listen closely to the beginning of the song you can hear gerard talking to a phone operator saying: Gerard- where is he, where's Mikey? Operator- call down honey, it will be okay. Gerard- where is he, where's my baby brother? Operator- it will be okay I promise it will be okay. I need to tell you something... Mikey... Gerard- Will he be okay? Mikey? Where's Mikey? Operator- he killed himself. I found this on tumblr.

I read somewhere that this song indeed is about his brother, Michael (or Mikey) Way. That Gerard wrote it at his hospital bed in 2014, after Mikey had overdosed on drugs. I don't know whether it's true or not, but I have the Hesitant Alien album on my phone, and I cry every time Brother comes on.

This song is about Mikey, who was in a coma at the time, and it was thought that he wouldn't wake up. So Gerard wrote this for him.