Fall Out Boy: Centuries Meaning

Song Released: 2014

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Centuries Lyrics

Some legends are told
Some turn to dust or to gold
But you will remember me
Remember me for centuries
And just one mistake
Is all it will take.
We'll go down in history
Remember me for centuries
Remember me for centuries

Mummified my...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Dec 21st 2014 report

   Alright, aside from the obvious "leaving your mark on the world", It seems like this song alternates between the heroes and their obstacles.
   
   Let me explain:
   
   The first instance of the chorus is the desire to be somebody famous, climbing up the ladder to be somebody great.
   
   The following verses are the "words" of the opposition, saying things like "[they] are all wrong", "let me in", "I never meant for you to fix yourself", these are all the words of either a betrayed or truly evil force wanting to prevent these heroes from their dreams.
   
   The second instance seems to be a scream against all the stress that is suddenly put upon the protagonist(s), trying to fight back the opposition. This is further justified by the events in the music video, where the gladiators are being overcome one by one.
   
   Now these next lyrics are referencing the story of David and Goliath (there were too many similarities to overlook this, e.g. the slingshot, the sheer masculinity of the man in the music video, etc.)
   Goliath shouts to the army every day, and unless they bring him a challenger, he strikes fear into the Israelites. The line "until you die for me [...] my shadow's over you" is a clear reference to this.
   How about the line "you look so pretty, but you're gone so soon"? Well, the Bible describes their meeting as such: "[he] saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him" (Both from Samuel-1:17) Does this description not remind you of something young and fragile, like a cherry blossom?
   
   So, this is my interperetation at the moment; there are definitely holes, and some things I left untouched, but this is what I got from it.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jan 26th 2020 report

   that it is about someone who has had people hurt him or her emotionally and physically and they find out they are destined to be one of the most known person in history. But they turn the tables and when they are celebrating being historical they turn the tables and basically they are the ones punishing all that have made him suffer. And to top it off they make them suffer an everlasting death and he or she get to watch them suffer.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Oct 17th 2014 report

   Personally, I think that it's about being remembered for something greatly important like starting a rebellion. That rebellion is an example of something that's going to get you remembered, however, it isn't something that you will regret for the rest of your life.
4. anonymous

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   Jul 4th 2021 report

   This is possibly the best song of all time. So insperational. It is about being a legend and being remembered, for centuries.
5. Mirinda

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   Nov 12th 2018 report

   You will remember Jesus for Centuries!!!!
6. anonymous

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   Jul 28th 2018 report

   Did anyone else catch the references to the bands The Who ("The kids are all wrong") and possibly Heart ("heavy metal broke my heart")?
7. anonymous

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   May 22nd 2018 report

   I know music is interpretive, and I think one of the writers has claimed this song is about something else...something that doesn't make sense. But for me, it's clearly Christian inspired. It's not a perfect fit, but man, so much of it is directly from the Bible.
   
   "Some legends are told, some turn to dust or to gold..."
   Some stories last, others fade away. One legend has lasted not only centuries, but millennia (yes, there are multiple legends that have lasted millennia).
   
   "Just one mistake...is all it will take..."
   Man became fallen by eating the forbidden fruit.
   
   "I never meant for you to fix yourself..."
   This seals it for me. We are not on the earth to look inward, to be self-important, or self-involved. We are bent towards sin, and only God can take the sin away. There is nothing we can do ourselves to out run our sin.
   
   "Until you die for me, as long as there's a light, my shadow's over you..."
   We are taught to die to ourselves and for God. He is the light...and there will always be shadows because of His light (until the Enemy is defeated). In a way, His shadow looms over us until we come into His light and live for Him.
   
   "...you're gone so soon."
   A reference to our time on the earth, compared to eternity.
   
   "We've been here forever..."
   The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the referenced WE) have always been and always will be.
   
   I don't mean to write this to try to convince or convert people. And again, I know songs can mean different things to different people. This is what it means to me. I've listened to what it means to others, and then listened to this song again...and still it seems so clear to ME that it's inspired by Christianity.
8. anonymous

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   May 17th 2018 report

   i think that the guy in the black cloak is jesus and he is trying to help our poisoned youth because they are listening to "crap rap" and other shit music and I think he is truly trying to help us all

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
9. anonymous

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   Mar 27th 2018 report

   I think they're talking about the rebellion that took place in heaven with lucifer and GOD .he's refering to the one mistake he made for him to go down in history being remebered by everyone for his mistake of rebelling against GOD.
10. anonymous

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    Feb 15th 2018 report

    I think it's about him teaching someone about doing something with your life in the prospective of being known byou people. I think the "never ment for you to fix your self" line ment he taught the person wrong or the person dident under stand him. it's about him teaching someone basically about life and to leave a mark, and he was yousing him self as a example throut the song.
11. anonymous

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    Jan 21st 2018 report

    I personally think it's about remembering the 90's because the part at the beginning is from the 90's and it says "Remember me for centuries".

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
12. anonymous

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    Jun 12th 2017 report

    It is about being swag
    
    
    Oh and it was frozen proof not frozen fruit

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
13. anonymous

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    Mar 9th 2017 report

    I think they just ment it to mean like remember no further.
    
    Ps. its about soccer

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
14. anonymous

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    Dec 22nd 2016 report

    They talk about David and Goliath then they tell you how much we have become cowards and how we should leave a mark and how (Whoever your messiah and God is. Is watching over you.
15. anonymous

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    Apr 19th 2016 report

    I believe the song is about acomplishing a goal that everyone believed they couldn't do and now you will remember them for centuries
    
    BTW the lyrics are not "and here's the frozen fruit". The lyrics are "and here's the frozen proof'
16. anonymous

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    Jan 31st 2016 report

    I feel like the like "we are the poison youth" is in a way alluding to All Quiet on the Western Front "We are the Iron Youth". It's about how others think we are strong actually we are weak inside, but the strength is what's being remembered. Not sure if I'm right, but just a thought.
    
    Also, side note: They aren't saying "here's the frozen fruit", it's actually "here's the frozen proof"
17. anonymous

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    Jan 5th 2016 report

    Speaking with Kerrang! Pete Wentz described the idea of the song as a "David vs. Goliath story." He added, "It is us passing along the story of how we feel right before we step on stage, trading feeling small and human for all the sweat and grit and sheer power of belief it takes to stare down a giant
18. anonymous

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    Nov 7th 2015 report

    I think that this song has multiple meanings.
    
    1. That we want to be remembered forever. In the lyrics, it says, "Remember me for centuries."
    
    2. In the video, it has images portraying Biblical characters such as Jesus, I guess you can say a twist on David and Goliath.
    
    3. It displays Roman "Entertainment/Punishment." According to history books, in Roman times slaves were put in the Roman Coliseum for both sport and entertainment. I shows heroism and teamwork. The teamwork is displayed by putting all the pieces together that they were given by a character much like Jesus, to defeat the giant. (Proof to my theory of it portraying David and Goliath.)
    
    4. It shows the injustice of working class. While the government eats royally, he has people die just for his entertainment, much like the government. The government dines in peace and happiness while armies go out to risk their lives for the country only to return to having almost nothing.

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