What does Famous Last Words mean?

My Chemical Romance: Famous Last Words Meaning

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Album cover for Famous Last Words album cover

Song Released: 2007


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Famous Last Words Lyrics

Now I know
That I can't make you stay
But where's your heart
But where's your heart
But where's your

And I know
There's nothing I can say
To change that part
To change that part
To change

So many
Bright lights they cast a...

  1. anonymous
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    Oct 21st 2007 !⃝

    The song is about a man is sadden by his girlfriend's death. He sees ghosts of her and thinks about suicide to be with her, but now he believes he can live on without her.

  2. anonymous
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    Oct 13th 2007 !⃝

    I think this song from what I've heard from my chemIs to be a brighter side to and to never be afraid of it.

    :)

  3. anonymous
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    Oct 10th 2007 !⃝

    Hes pretty much saying that he isn't afraid of dying any more, since he knows he will be with him in the next world. Sorry, I can't really get much detail from it.

  4. anonymous
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    Aug 25th 2007 !⃝

    Okay. Well I don't really know how this song fits in with the story of the patient. I know it must in some way. But I do know how it fits in with their real life. About Mikey almost leaving the band and stuff.

    So hears my take on it.

    Now I know
    That I can’t make you stay
    But where’s your heart
    But where’s your heart
    But where’s your...

    [So I think this song is told sort of in two different POV's. I'm guessing this one would be in Gerard and the others. Telling Mikey that they know they can't stop him from leaving. But asking him to rethink it by asking him "where's your heart?" They want him to think about what the band would be like without him.]


    And I know
    There’s nothing I can say
    To change that part
    To change that part
    To change!

    So many
    Bright lights that cast a shadow
    But can I speak?
    Well is it hard understanding
    I’m incomplete
    A life that’s so demanding
    I get so weak
    A love that's so demanding
    I can’t speak

    [So here it switches sort of to Mikey's POV. Telling the band that there's nothing he can say to change what happened before. That it will always be there.

    The next part also in Mikey's POV could mean 1 of 2 things.

    (So many
    Bright lights that cast a shadow)

    Can literally be talking about the lights of the stage or arena casting shadows. Or in a more metaphoric term it could be talking about his time with the band "A bright light" but despite this light there will always be dark times, or places aka the "shadows".

    (Well is it hard understanding
    I’m incomplete)

    Hm, I'm guessing at this part he's telling the band that it's something they can't fully understand. That he's feeling some sort of emptiness despite the fact that he has so much.

    (A life that’s so demanding
    I get so weak
    A love that's so demanding
    I can’t speak )

    Here he's saying that the life he's leading is just so hard, it's demanding. As is the love from Gerard and the rest of his band. The life is making tire, weak. The love is holding him back from things he wants to say.]

    I am not afraid to keep on living
    I am not afraid to walk this world alone
    Honey if you stay
    I’ll be forgiven
    Nothing you can say can stop me going home

    [Here Mikey's basically telling everyone that he can make it on his own. That they don't always need to be there for him. Not really in harsh "I don't need you anymore" way but in a "I can take care of myself" way.

    (Honey if you stay
    I’ll be forgiven)

    I believe this part is again switching to Gerard and the rest of the band's POV. Again trying to convince Mikey to stay. But "Nothing they can say can stop him from going home"]



    Can you see
    My eyes are shining bright
    Cause I’m out here
    On the other side
    Of a jet black
    Hotel mirror

    [I'm not exactly sure about this part. I'm not really good at like metaphor-type things. But I'll try my best.

    I'm guessing Mikey's basically looking into a mirror, not necessarily a hotel mirror, and his eyes are shining off the reflection of the lights, or more likely tears. The mirror is described as "jet black" because he's thinking of some of the darker parts of his life]

    These bright lights have always blinded me
    These bright lights have always blinded me
    I say...

    [I'm guessing Mikey's saying that the band has always been a little hard for him. We all know he's always enjoyed it, but sometimes he just can't handle it.]

    I see you lying next to me
    With words I thought I’d never speak
    Awake and unafraid
    Asleep or dead

    [Here he's telling the others he wants to leave, which are the "Word's he though he'd never speak". Telling them its one of three choices. "Awake and Unafraid" meaning he's out there on his own. Ready to start anew. Unafraid of what might happen. Or asleep. Or dead.]


    So those are my interpretations. I know that their probably like way off. But I tried =]

  5. Mizzle
    click a star to vote
    Aug 20th 2007 !⃝

    Hey,
    It's me again.
    This song is about Mikey.
    I know everyone is like "It's about Gerard and his girlfriend splitting". You're wrong. "I know that I can't make you stay", meaning I know I can't me you stay in the house. Because Mikey moved out. "Is it hard understanding I'm incomplete. A life that's so demanding I get so weak. A love that's so demanding I can't speak". Mikey was engaged (now married) to Alica Simmons. It all falls in place loves.

    -Muh;liss;uh.

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 16th 2007 !⃝

    I think that the song has really nothing to do with the patient but I'm pretty sure I'm wrong.

    "now I know that I can't make you stay"

    his girlfriend/wife is about to die.

    "but where's your heart?"

    but don't you love me?

    "I know there's nothing can say to change that part"

    there's nothing I can say to keep you from leaving me

    "I am not afraid to keep on living I am not afraid to walk this world alone"

    even though your going to die I am not afraid. (to walk this world alone)

    "honey if you stay I'll be forgiven"

    not quite sure but I think it means if you don't die I won't have to suffer.

    "nothing you can say can stop me going home"
    no clue

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 27th 2007 !⃝

    I've read in an interview that there were times in Gerards life, when he was younger, when he didn't want to live, so I think this song can be about him getting over those thoughts. It can also be about the patient surviving his disease and waking up in the hospital.

    Now I know that I can't make you stay.
    (If you don't want to live anymore)
    But where's your heart.
    (Where doe's your heart lies. Do yoy want to leave everyone you love)

    So many bright lights they cast a shadow.
    (Getting rid of all the dark thoughts and see the light. The patient is waking up in the hospital and he's starring into the bright lamp above him)

    I'm not afraid to keep on living. I'm not afraid to walk this world alone. Honey if you stay I'll be forgiven.
    (I want to keep on living even if I'll be alone. But if you stay than I'll be forgiven for all the terrible things I've done)
    Nothing you can say can stop me going home.
    (You can't stop me from taking back my life)

    Can you see my eyes are shining bright cause I'm out here on the other side.
    (Out of the dark)

    I see you lying next to me with words I thought I'd never speak. Awake and unafraid. Asleep or dead.
    (He's happy to have her by his side and he tells her that he loves her, but he doesn't know if it's a dream or if he's dead.

  8. anonymous
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    Jul 22nd 2007 !⃝

    Umm I have a question.

    Why doesn't anyone ever just ask the artist?

    That could save so much trouble.

    And if the artist doesn't want to tell, then obviously they want you to figure it out for yourself and have your own meanings for it.

    That's how music works.

    Got it?

    Good.

    --Brandy L.

  9. Mizzle
    click a star to vote
    Jul 17th 2007 !⃝

    This song is about Mikey. Even Gerard says it. Mikey went through depression issues in the making of The Black Parade. I've been a loyal My Chemical Romance fan for 4 years. They have helped me through everything. I know this cd is about 'The Patient' but I think it has a lot to do with Gerard, Ray, Bob, Mikey , and Frank. I saw them in concert on April 18th (and Mikey wasn't there) and Gerard seemed sad. The Way brothers only have each other.


  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 14th 2007 !⃝

    I think it's the narrator's girlfriend/wife/lover whatever, really saying goodbye before he dies and accepting the loss.

  11. Anseam
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    Jul 11th 2007 !⃝

    I think this song is about a couple and the girl is about the break up with him and he says that there's nothing he can do
    "now I know
    that I can't make you stay"
    and he wonders why but wheres your heart
    then after that he decieds he dosn't need any one to stay alive "i'm not afarid to kept on lining I'm not afrid to wake this world alone" but he also says that if you gome back he will take her "honey if you stay I'll be forgive"
    but she dosn't. Then he finds antor girl that he likes and they get togheter but they also break up becuse at the end the chours plays

  12. anonymous
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    Jul 10th 2007 !⃝

    AmiJane is absolutely correct. Gerard admitted several times in interviews that he broke up with a girlfriend during recording and it was a really tough time for him. This song has nothing to do with Mikey at all. Gerard cheated on his girlfriend for another woman; if you do enough detective work you can find the 'other woman's blogs which state clearly 'I'll take the backseat and wait for you' just one year before he split with his longtime girlfriend.

  13. mikejlvhs
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    Jul 10th 2007 !⃝

    Ok so I think I figured it out

    After the whole story is told the patient comes back to life (he still had his pulse when he died)

    Earlier in "this is how I disappear" we learn the love of his life. This theory is also supported in welcome to the black parade, when the patient mentions "she's watchin' over me"

    So maybe as he marches with the parade he anticipates death because he will be reunited with the one he loves

    But somewhere along the line he realises he's not afraid to live the rest of his life without her, and he will live the rest of his short life better then he has in the past

  14. anonymous
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    Jul 2nd 2007 !⃝

    This song is so obviously about coming out of a really demanding relationship and how hard it is on the mental and spiritual side of Gerard but he is regaining his strength and is moving on.

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 17th 2007 !⃝

    So this is what my friend told me. She said that it is about Gerard Way breaking up with his girlfriend. And it kinda makes sense, too. The lyrics say "I am not afraid to keep on living I am not afraid to walk this world alone, Honey if you stay You'll be forgiven, nothing you can say will stop me going home." That means that his girlfriend won't stop him going home and that he is not afraid to keep on living without her. Which makes me happy because I just absolutely LOVE Gerard Way!!!




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