What does Teenagers mean?

My Chemical Romance: Teenagers Meaning

Album cover for Teenagers album cover

Song Released: 2007


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. anonymous
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    May 24th 2014 !⃝

    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
  2. anonymous
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    Mar 10th 2013 !⃝

    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.

  3. anonymous
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    Feb 22nd 2013 !⃝

    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...

  4. anonymous
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    Jan 12th 2013 !⃝

    i think it is about being bullied. "what youve got under your shirt " refers to a gun. "make them pay for the things they did" going to kill the bullies. "they could care less as long as someone will bleed" as long as they kill one of the bullies they will be happy. "so darken your clothes or strike a violent pose maybe they will leave you alone but not me" some bullies back off but he doesnt care he wants to kill them.

  5. anonymous
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    Apr 19th 2012 !⃝

    Okay. So far all of these have been wrong. Some have been close.
    First MCR is not afraid of teenagers because the line is- "They said all teenagers scare the living shit out of me." The song is about how the older generation veiw ALL teenagers. They veiw them all as emo's and hoodies. With guns and knives. It is also about how that teenager who that adult veiws as a dangerous emo is having a hard time at teenage life.

    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

    This is the adults perspective. The teenagers are gonna clean you up. Clean your attitude show you who is boss sort of thing. To make you scared of them and to prove to you who's in charge. They have weapons (they sleep with a gun).

    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

    Still adult. The drugs don't satisfy them enough. Smirk because they are cheeky. (Clean again show you whos boss sort of thing. The are violent and this is what teenagers will do to you (rip up heads, murder machine line)

    They said all 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

    MCR's veiw: "They said" (adults said) "teenagers scare them. All teenagers care about is violence and being emo so act like them and maybe they'll leave you alone" but we're adult and we know thats not true (But not me)

    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

    This tells the story of that kid who adults judge but is getting a hard time. Mcr's veiw:
    The boys and girls bully this kid and they are never gonna fit in. "But if your troubled and hurt what you got under your shirt will make them pay" troubled and hurt= suicidal cutting yourself will make the bullies stand back and realise we did that. But adults will always veiw teens as violent emo's (returning to the chorus)

  6. anonymous
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    Apr 11th 2012 !⃝

    The song is about how society tries to control teenagers and tell them how they should act and live. It references this by talking about how adults will "rip up your heads, your aspirations to shreds" and it also tells you what they're turning teens into "another cog in the murder machine" In the second verse it goes on to describe how this has effected teenage social interaction and you can see that they are divided against one another and are verbally and physically abusive. This is the perfect song for demonstrating how society treats kids these days and how they fear they're own children because of media mongering.

  7. anonymous
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    Dec 15th 2011 !⃝

    Gerard Way wrote this song after a few incidents with a close friend of mine called Chrystal. 'They're gonna clean up your looks' Is basically about the fact that Chrystal has a huge birthmark in the shape of a piece of shit on her cheek and when Gerard saw her he automatically thought 'oh god you need to clean up your looks'. 'Because they sleep with a gun' is basically about the fact that Chrystal tried it on with Gerard and he politely told her that he'd rather sleep with a gun. 'What you got under your shirt will make them pay for the things that they did' is about Chrystal showing her massive saggy tits to scare the kids off who did things to her in the past. and 'teenager's scare the living shit out of me' is what Gerard now says as thanks to Chrystal he is now obviously traumatized and finds it difficult to be around or see teenager. I'm telling the truth as Gerard is sat next to me as I type. Thank you, goodnight.

  8. anonymous
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    Nov 28th 2011 !⃝

    I'm sure this is about all the 'scenes' and, as mentioned in the songs 'cliques' of teenagers. If you don't follow the crowd then you're an outcast. (believe me i'd know)
    i dunno about this thing about the trains, but i'd say it's a few things mixed in together.
    'they're gonna clean up your looks, with all the lies in the books, to make a citizen out of you' <- parents and teachers trying to make teenagers civilised, wearing all the same uniform and being the same. But he doesn't fit in.
    Again with the cliques, kids are bullied for looking a certain way, dressing a certain way, or even cos they like a certain band. They don't fit in or conform. (anyone see a pattern?) it's about how some kids just don't fit in, because they're being themselves, but they are bullied for it. "make them pay for the things that they did!"
    i would carry on, but it's obvious it's, at least partly, about teenage bullying as i read in an article once.

  9. anonymous
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    Nov 25th 2011 !⃝

    Its a song about bullying and how far it can go. It sounds like its about a school shooting and pressure. I like this song because it talks about how things that seem like harmless teasing can turn into something far more sinister.

  10. anonymous
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    Nov 15th 2011 !⃝

    its fun being a teenager that can scare old people : )

  11. anonymous
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    Nov 4th 2011 !⃝

    *REMEMBER THIS IS MY INTERPRETATION, IM NOT SAYING THIS IS RIGHT AND IM NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT MCR'S INTERVIEW ABOUT THE SONG*
    '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'

    I think this part is talking about all the 'popular' kids (i.e. the jocks, preps, etc etc) and how they influence you and can make your life miserable

    '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 may be about how some kids take drugs for certian things but they dont work and the other kids make fun of them. It could also be how the kid is doing drugs to try and fit in with the other kids but they still make fun of him so the drugs dont work.

    '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'

    I think this means that the kid is being bullied by the other kids. 'But if you're troubled and hurt What you got under your shirt Will make them pay for the things that they did' means that the kid has some ability of some kind (like hes good at art, music, etc etc) and when he grows up he will become famous and all the other kids will regret teasing him.

    Chorus

    They said all 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

    This is basically saying how all adults think of teenagers as violent.

  12. anonymous
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    Oct 8th 2011 !⃝

    I think its about teens vs other teens vs the world
    The first verse I think is about teens vs the world. 'Thet're gonna clean up your looks/With all the lies in the book/To make a citizen out of you'= Adults try anything(propraganda)to make teens behave.
    'Because the drug never work'= teen vs world or other teens. The person is depressed, and takes drugs to try and forget all the bad things, but it never works/only made things worse
    'Your aspirations to shreds/Another cog in the murder machine'= Other teens bully the person,and he's not willing to take it any longer. His 'murder machine' is his anger towards others until he brings a gun to school.
    'The boys and girls in the clique/The awful names that they stick/They could care less as long as someone'll bleed'= Teens in the popular crowd label others, and bully them. 'care less as someone'll bleed' is about how they don't care for people, or think it's just a fun game until someone kills or does suicide.
    'But if you're troubled an hurt/What you got under your shirt/We'll make them pay for the things that they did'= The person intends to kill those who bullied him because his 'murder machine'/anger is working. Also reference to school shooting by students who were bullied.

  13. anonymous
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    Aug 31st 2011 !⃝

    he wrote it on a train..."TEENAGERS SCARE THE LIVING SHIT OUTTA ME" pretty much says it all!!xx

  14. anonymous
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    May 18th 2011 !⃝

    This might not be what they meant by it, but my interpretation was some what like that of the point of view of the character Winston from George Orwells 1984- he's scared of the youth because they'll turn him in to the "Thought Police"; the lyrics "they've got ways of keeping you clean" also remind me of the book considering they constantly brainwash the public. The references to drugs (and lack of them working) also reminded me of the novel. Haha, I know it's sort of random, and you may have to of read the book to understand but the first time I heard this song I thought of 1984.(:

  15. anonymous
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    May 3rd 2011 !⃝

    This song is Gerard telling his teenaged fans that he still understands what it was like.

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

    It means that they (the adults) are gonna try to get you to be this model citizen with lies and conspiracies.

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

    They (The adults) are scared of you, because you could do anything. So they will watch you and make sure you become what they want.

    "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"

    These adults are gonna lie and give you these fake smiles because they have ways to get you to conform one way or another. They will go to any length to get you into this ideal picture in their head.

    "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"

    Make the adults even more scared. Eventually they give up and leave you alone, but I'll (Gerard) will always be there so you will never be completely 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"

    Even the other teenagers (the conforming ones) are gonna try this on you, by stereotyping you until you don't have friends. But no matter what happens you will have something they will never have. (meaning your originality or youth or whatever it is you have that they don't.)




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