Lyrics:
Long ago
Just like the hearse you die to get in again
We are so far from you
Burning on just like a match you strike to incinerate
(See the rest of these lyrics)
 Top Rated Interpretation
2006-01-21 19:31:38
'Things are better if I stay' could suggest that he felt so bad about her death that he wanted to join her, ie kill himself, but then he decides not to, realises that he can still survive and says 'things are better if I stay'.'Can you hear me/ Are you near me?'reflects him still believeing that she is nearby and some vain hope that she can in fact hear him, and will respond. His plea 'Can we pretend to leave and then we'll meet again...' appears to him him assuring her that although he won't be joining her just now, he'll be with her again someday. In this way, he is able to put himself at peace.
Other points:
'When every star fall brought you to tears again' is a reflection on the pain she went through while alive, and probably expresses regret that he was not there for her more
'We are the very hurt you've sold'could be something to do with manipulation
There are several stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. His harsh comments towards her ('Every heart you break' 'ther very hurt you sold')reflect the anger stage. Typically, this is comprised of 'how dare they leave me', so he could be masking bitterness at this. Bargaining is not a huge theme, but 'can we pretend' reflects this to a small extent. I think depression's an obvios one (=P). Therefore, we could say that it is a song about grief. And it does appear to me that he eventually accepts her death.
I think the video reflects this. Her rising again to dance is his inability to accept that she is dead, but when she falls back in the coffin, he is at peace with her death and has grown to accept it. At the end, the placing of her in the hearse puts an end to it. Mind you, I think this is irrelevant to the song itself as I read somewhere that Gerard did not really want to have her dance, just thought it was an interesting side-point.
So, in the end it is irrelevant whether it's about his grandma or some secret girlfriend or whatever. It's a song about loss, and surviving that loss.
(Btw, when I say 'he' I don't mean Gerard necessarily, I mean the man in the song, just before we all gather to bite my head off =P Although this could be the story of him trying to get over his grandma)
anonymous
2006-09-12 16:08:46
************look people get it straight****************
gerard is upset that he won't be able to afford a flying mount in world of warcraft, the burning crusade. He is only lvl 34 and only has 22gold. The funeral is for his character name in warcraft, helena - undead shadow priest. He decides to delete his character, thence the hearse, and disenchants all of his items. He then takes his money from all the disenchants and shoves them up his ass. Because all the stories he has told everyone about this song are misguided and ficticious. After he pulls the money out from his ass he gives it to someone else that is close to affording one. Thence, "it doesn't matter if I stay." meaning: he doesn't need to travel that quickly to get where he's going. Hes probably better off ganking lowbies in duskwood.
Evanescencefreak
2006-09-24 13:49:43
I've heard a billion different opinions on what this songs meaning is...But I still say it's about gerard's and mikey's grandmother who died, and how angry they were when they couldn't make it to thier grandmothers funeral. That's just my interpretation.
anonymous
2006-10-05 17:44:02
Other then the people who are saying it's about gerards and mikeys grandmother. Haven't any of you ever heard of metaphors, just because when you first read it sounds like someone commited suicide cos of the blade thing, it's a metaphor for pain.
Burning on just like a match you start to incinerate
the lives of everyone you knew
and whats the worst to take, from every heart you break (heart you break)
and like a blade you stain
well I've been holding on tonight
see this verse is saying that her death caused a lot of pain in a lot of peoples lives. The match is a metaphor for her actual death. Not every song is literal...
anonymous
2006-10-15 00:49:41
This song is an angry open letter than gerard wrote to himself, because since my chemical romance getting so big he never get to spend as much time as he wanted with his grandmother elena in the last years of her life.
It's a tribute, and if you ever go to any mcr shows before they play this song he always gets the crowd to say "hi grandma!".
This song could possibly be called "helena" because of it's links to the name elena, and because the misfits also had a song called helena.
I agree with the above, and I thik all of you need to stop saying things you don't know anything about. Ask gerard himself, or shut the fuck up.
anonymous
2006-10-16 18:57:54
Okay stupid people. Their grandma's name was elena. They changed so it wasn't so obviose to their family.
anonymous
2006-11-13 18:36:01
I'm gonna say this once
its about his girlfriend now I live and breath on this song if I don't listen to this once daily I die
or at least I try to. I cut myself . This is about his girlfriend why would he write a song I live on about his grandma he dedicated the whole album to all the people who died in his life.And if you people who obviously haven't seen the video.(hint hint grandma thinking,zorro people)its not zorro or a grandma is it!?!Bcuz I don't think so that song in particular is about his girlfriend who died!Thankz
-mel (mcr addicted)
anonymous
2006-11-24 11:49:24
Well a video with an old lady in it probably wouldn't sell very well, would it?! It's a nice idea that the video should match the meaning of the song, but let's face it, the guys want to make money, too. Not meaning to sound mercenary, but the guys have to eat.
For the record, I think it's the grandma story...I recall Gerard saying nobody should get in a bad enough condition to have to commit suicide at a gig I went to, so the chances of him entering into a pact to do just that seems unlikely...
anonymous
2006-11-25 14:15:50
Sorry guys, but really, I think the band would be disappointed in you.
The idea isn't to analyze the music, as interested as we are as to why/who the song was written for!
Helena is a good song. It's obviously about heartbreak or bereavement. Maybe you should just settle with that.
Whatever the reason may be as to why they wrote it...
They wrote it. That's the main idea. They wrote it. And it's a good song. Gerard obviously experienced loss and the song is about not who/what he lost, but how it felt when he did.
So, people, stop being so annoying and just accept it's a good song and it's not about who it was written/dedicated to!
much love xxx
anonymous
2006-12-05 15:45:56
Well, this album is an extension of the concept from the song "Drowning Lessons" from the first album. It's basically about a man whose girlfriend dies(possibly of suicide, considering the whole "like the blade you stain thing). He mourns for her and strikes up a deal with the devil. He must get the souls of 1000 evil men to get his girlfriend back. He puts his girlfriend's body in an empty well until he can get the souls.
This song carries on this theme. It's about the man and his girlfriend, but Gerard's grandmother, Elena Lee Rush, died when he was writing this song. He then dedicated this song to her. The lines "Are you near me, can you hear me?" are specifically about her.
So there, that is the proper story.
anonymous
2006-12-08 23:52:02
He lost the girl he loved
anonymous
2006-12-09 13:31:54
i think it is about gerards girlfriend helena that died because if it wasnt why would it say we'll meet again when both our cars collide?
anonymous
2006-12-22 21:15:10
>>>All you dumb fucks who think it is about a girlfriend, it is not. Gerard is not that fucking disrespectful to use his grandmother to cover up for an ex/girl. What great MCR fans you guys are.<<<<
I TOTALLY AGREE!!! why would he be saying his grandmother for his girlfreind he ISNT THAT SHALLOW!! this song is clearly about his grandma, and if you think it's about his girlfriend YOUR A FUCKING MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE POSER!!!!!!!! 'like a blade you stain' could be figurative language for 'u hurt me so much, why did you go?' Jeez, some people, if you think its his girlfriend you must be retarted or a poseur. Ok, yeah.
anonymous
2006-12-28 17:12:16
LOL! It's not like they're going to search the internet to see what their fans think the song's about, is it?! Chill; so long as you're buying the record, I don't think they'll give a damn whether or not you create a dead girlfriend.
And for the girl who thinks broadcasting her self harm on the web is big and clever: newsflash, it's not.Go and get yourself some professional help if it's a genuine problem. If not, stop attention seeking. Self harm destroys lives. I think perhaps a site admin should excercise caution here: it's all very well for song lyrics to refer to such matters, but for someone to post something like that on a forum and for it to be left there is just downright irresponsible.
xanarchyxforeverx
2007-01-05 15:06:26
Jeez, so much fighting about one song...Okay, the song was dedicated[also]written for Gerard and Mikey's dearly beloved grandmother who died. Along with that the album was dedicated to her also. Okay? And who ever thought up the idea for this song being about a girlfriend really needs to re-check their priorities. What is it with people and broken relationships? It's such a stupid obsession.*Ahem* Anyway, I rest my case here, so no more complaining. If you're a true MCR fan you wouldn't be arguing...I'm sure the band wouldn't like to see you do that over a song.
- xanarchyxforeverx
anonymous
2007-01-05 22:35:53
This song is about Gerard and Mikey's Grandmother.
anonymous
2007-01-08 10:21:27
why don't you all just read the inside of the CD cover? "this album is dedicated to Elena Lee Rush" or [something to that effect.] the song is about Gerard and Mikey's grandma.
matraxo
2007-01-13 18:30:51
If anyone is interested, I'm pretty sure I explained every little detail of the song further up the page. If you're trying to figure out why he would say certain things about his grandma, I might've covered it. If not, ask and maybe I can add something...and by the way, this just occurred to me. Maybe Helena is short for "hello elena"? Sounds a bit out there, but someone said that at a concert the band had everyone say "hello grandma". So just maybe.
anonymous
2007-01-18 19:14:43
Well...I know for fact it's about someone dying...I don't give a care on who died it's just specificly stating that someone has died.
anonymous
2007-01-26 20:27:42
listen. In my opinion, this song has double meanings. it has to do with the death of gerard and mikey's grandmother, but it also goes along with the story of the album: he and his girlfriend die, they go to hell, and he makes a deal with the devil that if he collects the souls of a thousand evil men, they can live again. or maybe its neither. mabye, rather than arguing, people can learn to accept that Helena, just like any song, can be interpreted however the listener feels. who knows, maybe the world of warcraft thing is right!
PS-the grandmothers real name was Elena, but many people called her Helen, so Gerard mixed them together and called her Helena
satanslilwhore_666
2007-01-30 16:26:26
This is about Gerard and Mikey's grandmother dying. Thy said so themselves!
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