My Chemical Romance: Teenagers Meaning

Song Released: 2007

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Teenagers Lyrics

They're gonna clean up your looks
With all the lies in the books
To make a citizen out of you

Because they sleep with a gun
And keep an eye on you, son
So they can watch all the things you do

Because the drugs never work
They're gonna...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   May 13th 2014 report

   "They're gonna clean up your looks with all the lies in the books to make a citizen out of you"
   Parents/Adults perspective. They are going to try and make you look 'normal' like all the cliche normal jocks, preppy's. To make you what society wants you to be.
   
   "Because they sleep with a gun and keep an eye on you son so they can watch all things you do"
   Parent/Adult perspective. They sleep with a gun because they may be partially scared knowing you (teenagers) could do something at anytime. And they're going to watch you to make sure you're turning into the 'perfect' teenager.
   
   "Because the drugs never work they're gonna give you a smirk because they have methods of keeping you clean"
   Teens may take drugs to try to ignore their parents/take away the pain that they won't be accepted but it doesn't always work. Parents know ways to 'keep you clean' keep you away from drugs which is why they smirk.
   "They're gonna rip up your heads, your aspirations to shreds another cog in the murder machine"
   Adults are trying to control them which is ripping their aspirations to shreds and causing them to become murder machines or possibly emo.
   
   "They said all teenagers scare the living shit out of me, they could careless as long as someone'll bleed. So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose maybe they'll leave you alone but not me."
   Adults perspective. Teenagers don't care until the bullies that bullied them bleed or are killed. So wear black and stuff to try to get people to leave you alone but adults/parents still may not.
   
   "The boys and girls in the clique, the awful names that they stick. You're never gonna fit in much kid."
   Jocks and preppys/cheerleaders or 'the popular' crowd will make fun of you if you're not like them. They have high expectations.
   
   "But if you're troubled and hurt what you got under your shirt will make them pay for the things that they did"
   What you have under your shirt refers to hiding a weapon like a gun and you want to kill the person that put you through all that trouble. Kinda like the whole karma's a 'bitch' thing. It also refers a bit to school shootings.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jun 30th 2016 report

   For me, the "So darken your clothes, or strike a violent pose / Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me!" part is different than what others said.
   
   I think it's in the perspective of the teenagers. They think if they dress manly or punkish, they'll scare off adults. They keep to themselves, because "Adults don't understand."
   
   Gerard is saying, most adults will leave you alone, but not him. He's reaching out to teenagers with his songs, wanting them to open up.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Oct 9th 2012 report

   It's not about how teenagers are scary, it's about how adults/society want everybody to be exactly the same and how that's bad and we should rebel. Here's how:
   
   They're gonna clean up your looks
   With all the lies in the books
   To make a citizen out of you
   
   The adults are going to try to make you into what they think is a "good person" by forcing you to look "normal" and forcing you to do things that are "normal"
   
   Because they sleep with a gun
   And keep an eye on you, son
   So they can watch all the things you do
   
   The adults sleep with guns and keep an eye on you because they want you to stay in line. It also is assuming the "you" or "son" is alternative and the adult thinks that means youre a bad person and stuff because they're brainwashed into not accepting anything other than what is "normal"
   
   Because the drugs never work
   They're gonna give you a smirk
   'Cause they got methods of keeping you clean
   They're gonna rip up your heads
   Your aspirations to shreds
   Another cog in the murder machine
   
   This could mean a few things. Either the adults are giving you pills because they think you're crazy and then they smile because they have ways of making you like everybody else or the teenagers take drugs to try to forget about the pressure from adults to be like everyone else but they never quite work and the adults are smirking because they have ways to keep you from doing drugs. Then they are going to hurt you and not let you follow your dreams because the adults go around non stop hurting kids and killing their dreams.
   
   
   
   They said now teenagers scare the living shit out of me
   They could care less as long as someone'll bleed
   So darken your clothes
   Or strike a violent pose
   Maybe they'll leave you alone
   But not me
   
   The grown ups say that teenagers scare them which is ironic because they are worse. They just want to hurt people. So rebel against them by being alternative (emo, goth, etc.) or fight against it. Mabe the adults will leave you alone. But they won't leave me alone.
   
   The boys and girls in the clique
   The awful names that they stick
   You're never gonna fit in much, kid
   But if you're troubled and hurt
   What you got under your shirt
   Will make them pay for the things that they did
   
   The adults saying that other teenagers that are "normal" are making fun of you and you will never fit in if you're alternative. This next part could mean a few things. Either the adult is still talking and they are saying that if you're troubled and hurt what you got under your shirt (either a weapon or self harm) will help you get revenge on the other teens. Which is basically saying that the adults would rather have you kill people than have you be alternative. Or that school shootings and murders are seen as more normal than alternative people. OR the verse is the people singing/writing the song saying that if you're troubled and hurt that you could always use the thing under your shirt (weapons or self harm) will make the teenagers and/ or adults regret hurting you.
   
   There. Now please stop saying its about how teens are scary. >_<
4. anonymous

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   Mar 28th 2021 report

   Does he mean they may leave you alone but I won't?
   
   Or they may leave you alone but won't leave me alone?
5. anonymous

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   Oct 16th 2020 report

   I feel that this is about the perspective of a young teen who feels like no one understands them and who is bullied. This can also represent the struggle of someone who is trying to figure out who they are. And also how adult try there best to keep their kids in line but it seems like the harder they try the worse the kids get. But not everyone needs to be helicoptered, especially at that age when teens are figuring out life and becoming more independent. This can be hard and they need support, but they want to figure things out on there own. Sorry if this is bad.
6. anonymous

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   Sep 20th 2020 report

   I think this song has something to do with the LGBTQ+ community,
   "But if you're troubled and hurt
   What you got under your shirt" might have something to do with transgender kids trying to work out their identity.

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

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   Aug 7th 2019 report

   I think that 'Teenagers' is a song about how gay/lesbian/bi/pan/trans kids are being bullied, discriminated and cast out. The lyric 'but if you're troubled and hurt, what you got under your shirt' could refer to either trans people feeling uncomfortable about their body, or potential self-harm or suicide attempts.
8. anonymous

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   May 29th 2019 report

   i saw some one saying that pepole are hating on this song by reading the interpretations, but we are not and every ones interpretations are diffrent we all relate it to different things .
9. anonymous

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   Dec 15th 2017 report

   This song was started on a subway around a bunch of people dresses in hot topic stuff. That part is true. But the reason the song was published was actually for a violence awareness event. It shows this in the lyrics too. This song also is actually about a young teens life.
10. anonymous

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    Feb 14th 2017 report

    Teenagers are Fukin scary but it's just a front! Gee understands them no matter what his age is so take his word. He over states a tiny bit but he knows what he talks about. While I did say that it is a front some people really are that dangerous so society is wary of them all. Watch out for us teens! We fuq you up if you go too far! Jk have a good day all MCR FOR LYFE

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

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    Apr 17th 2016 report

    I agree with a lot of what is being said here but would like to address the line "Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me" I personally believe this is a window into the message of the song it is a warning and some advice created from the perspective of someone trying to spare others the same pain he experienced as a teenager and that while it is to late for the person giving this warning it isn't too late for others and this is a message I can really understand it isn't fear of the kids like others are saying it's compassion and empathy for these kids and I think that these intentions are very very powerful and relatable
12. MyPanicBoy

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    Jan 5th 2016 report

    There talking about how teenagers scare most of society because of how troubled and uncontrollable the vast majority of teenagers are.
13. anonymous

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    Sep 21st 2015 report

    I think he means that all the teenagers are forced to look though and violent, because of all the others. If you are a teenagers and act softie or different you are likely to be bullied.
14. anonymous

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    Jun 3rd 2015 report

    "Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not
    me" My interpretation: People of authority/ other older folks may disreguard them if they filter into the 'dark clothes, violent pose' category, but he's not going to leave them alone because his band, songs, and style of music is part of who they are categorizing themselves as.
15. anonymous

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    Oct 6th 2014 report

    I actually think the "Darken your clothes and strike a violent pose/ Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me" means that you can be violent or scene all you like to scare adults and authorities off, but he's been there so he gets it. And he's not gonna be fooled by that stuff, he knows what we go through and he's gonna want to help. He won't 'leave you alone'. Idk, that's probably just my more positive, feelsy romantic spin on it I suppose haha. But I like my version.
16. anonymous

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    May 24th 2014 report

    Teens are some on the most destructive beasts around and can and will do anything that seems right to them. And this is coming from my 15 yr old perspective. So it's understandable why teachers and parents get the living shit scared out of them when kids are aricing at school with guns under their shirt. Last but not least, great song, one of my favorites, love my chem romance!

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

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    Mar 10th 2013 report

    It's about High School and how society just tries to make everyone the same so they can manage them more easily, now and in the future. "The boys and girls in the clique" refers to the stereotypical people: jocks, preps, stereotypical high school 'cool guys'. "The awful names at the stick, you're never gonna fit in much, kid" is the people mentioned above bullying the nonstereotypical students about how they'll never fit in or be accepted by society. I would assume that the refrain is the nonstereotypical students being viewed from a teacher's perspective, "teenagers scare the living shit outta me." They're talking about how the teachers are scared of the people that aren't "normal" students.
18. anonymous

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    Feb 22nd 2013 report

    You all think that you have intelligence for pôsting things that you think is true, well its not, these guys ARE NOT EMO, get that into your heads, thank you. Lastly, if your only going to hate on these guys dont even post here, they are great, and this is a good song, grow up...

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