The End

Its an introduction to the whole concept sung by the patient to the audience and it is his tragic story- "Come on come all to this tragic affair...". He doesn't like himself "if you look in the mirror..." and could have been a bad person so he doesn't expect sympathy " I encourage your smiles, I expect you won't cry". "another contusion my funeral jag" means he knows he has a health problem and will die from it. "heres my resignation, I'll serve it in drag" means he knows hes dieing so of course you'd resign from your job since there's no point working and hes fed up and doesn't care what people think anymore so he might aswell hand it in, in drag. "when I grow up, I want to be nothing at all!" he is fed up and doesn't have any hope left and doesn't care about anything really. " I said save me!" he wishes some one would save him. I think he is in a hospital bed as evidence by the heart rate sounds in the back ground at the start and end of the song. and thats about it
oh and I think the bit a bout wiping off the makeup is not literal but means getting rid of covers on the outside and opening up to the despair or feelings inside - wiping off covers and opening up. which is what the band do in this album.

When it says 'Another contusion, my funeral jag,' it almost sounds if though the person had been beaten or abused and ended up being killed because of it.

Emo_Princ3ss:

I DONT R3ALLY G3T TH3 COMPL3T3 SONG? IT CONFUS3S M3?!?!?!

I ask this with love; what the heck are you trying to say?!

the first verse explains to chat and make friends with everyone you can because u may wake up and find ur different and may be dying or summat. It also says that the person gerard is pretending to be is saying he is ugly and if u dont like the way you look then u look like him. the 2nd verse talks about the person dying and resigning from their job. He says he is serving in DRAG basically meaning he'll work in rags when he goes to hell. The rest saying 'save me' basically means he dont wanna die!

K ,now this is my first post. I was reading all the other interpretations and I couldn't resist putting my two cents in here too. This is what I think:

This song is an inroduction to the album and to the Patient's story. (Well, duh...MCR have even said this)

Firstly, the beeps at the begining, imply he's on life support at the hospital reflecting on his life, his "story".

To me, the lyrics are the Patient, himself, inviting the listener to hear his story (Now come one, Come all, To this tragic affair). He is telling the listener, "if you think your life is bad, try walking in my shoes" (If you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see, You can find out firsthand what it’s like to be me). But he's not sad for himself, he's accepted his fate. He doesn't want the listener to feel sorry/sad for him (I'd encourage your smiles, I'll expect you won't cry) I just think that he wants his story heard.

"You've got front row seats to the penitence ball" He's giving the listener a chance to see life...hear his story...from his point of view.

It's just how I see it...

I love this song i think he's talking to someone who needs to stand up for themselves

Listen to 5 years by David Bowie, specifically on the Ziggy Stardust album and you will see The End is a complete ripoff of 5 years. The song has no meaning really its is just a tribute to 5 years.

its just an introduction to the patients story.

"A resignation is the formal act of giving up one's office or position. It can also refer to the act of admitting defeat in a game like chess, indicated by the resigning player turning his king on its side"

i'm guessing resignation means some sort of defeat.
so heres my defeat, i'll serve it in drag.

i remember Gerard saying something about he went to college in drag, so i dont knwo if it's something to do with that.

it's kind of confusing. A Sharp Life could be right by saying the hospital gown was the drag. i dont know. i kind of makes sence in my head.

Melodramatic.:

In fact, "The End." is about leaving the "scene". It's literally the end.
;]

I know I should probably add to this...but meh.

So wipe off that makeup - I'm going to think that this song is a goodbye from the scene and say that this line is referring to the makeup he used to wear and or all the kids that wear the "scene-ish" makeup.
What's in is despair - Self explanatory? He's telling the kids what's in. Only not really. He's kinda mocking it, a little. I guess. x_x
Basically, he's resigning from the scene.
In drag?
It could really mean a hospital gown...since it's a dress...o.O

Emo_Princ3ss:

I DONT R3ALLY G3T TH3 COMPL3T3 SONG? IT CONFUS3S M3?!?!?!

your writing confuses me

i think it's about the someone examining their life and relizing that they doesn't really know themself

i <33 this song! it reminds me of me! a wee bit

xXxim-not-okayxXx:

i <33 this song! it reminds me of me! a wee bit

the end. its funny the end is at the start, probably a reason.
i read in another msg that theres a gerard quote sayn that the record is about dying a bit inside and being reborn, could explain why its the 1st song on the album...

When gerard says in this song
"if you look in the mirror and dont like what you see, you can find out first hand what its like to be me"
i think hes saying that he probably doesnt like himself for some reason. and there are alot of people who do the same. not liking what they see. maybe they think there just not themself or that.

i heard that 'the end' is about mcr getting rid of thier "emo" image even though there not even emo but thats what i heard so meh...stupid haters *stabby stab stab*

I think it's the patient who has decided to try and rebuke life and withdraw into himself and prepare himself, mentally, for death. He can see the end coming so he becomes really angry and loses it hence "When i grow up i want to be nothing at all". Then upon reralising this will get him nowhere he decides that he'll call for help from someone else and save himself that way. However he fails and the song leads on to Dead! which explains his frustration in his failure

This is a great song to start the album off. I think that the patient is already having thoughts of death, right from the beginning of the album. "This Tragic Affair" is probably his funeral. But he's not dead yet! He's only commenting this to the world (supposedly). "Save me!" He changes his mind abruptly and doesn't want to die! It's difficult at first, but it gets easier.

wow.. I haven't really thought about what the song means, besides that it is the patient getting ready to die.

I think it's They're way to look at death, Someone think there is no more. Someone think you'll start over. maybe what they think is that you reexsperience the greatest thing you exsperienced before you died..? I don't know. But I think that's what they think happends when you're dead.