Music

i would guess so.


one main reason why music is important: it keeps me from being bored when i can't turn on my laptop.

all i can say is that music changed my live
and it literally saved it

demolitionloversmway:

all i can say is that music changed my live
and it literally saved it

How so ?

How did music save tyou? did you plug in your earphones and suddenly feel better?

demolitionloversmway:

all i can say is that music changed my live
and it literally saved it

Really? Did Gerard jump out of the speakers and take a bullet for you?
There may be some truth in the claim that music can save lives but it certainly wouldn't be literal.

Eponine:

Really? Did Gerard jump out of the speakers and take a bullet for you?
There may be some truth in the claim that music can save lives but it certainly wouldn't be literal.

Exactly.
I say MCR saved my life, it the truest thing I have ever said.
HOWEVER. Bo didnt climb in from my window and save me from a fire.
or Frank didnt jump in the ocean and save me from drowning.
THEY encouraged me to keep going.
Without them, I wouldnt have been able to get into the right mindset TO keep going.

It all depends on the induvidual. However, it will be in an indirect way.

that's because that's not the message the music wants to present.

and saving them.. i would guess it means that the music was another outlet to vent their frustrations? turning up the music way loud on the stereo is a lot more healthy (maybe not for the eardrums) than cutting or something.

i'm in your backyard:

that's because that's not the message the music wants to present.

TO someone who just read the lyrics it could seem like MCR was death obbsessed ect.

To Zanarkand:

TO someone who just read the lyrics it could seem like MCR was death obbsessed ect.

but it's NOT what they actually mean. that's what gets fans pissed off.

showbiz.:

Not everyone thinks how the band or composer thinks...

I think I would hate it if they did. Even people who mean no harm (some may even be fans) can interpret a song or a band in a way that is opposite from what most people believe. Who knows, maybe MCR's music does make some kids depressed. (Although I don't believe that it could make them commit suicide, but I also don't believe in the holy life saving power of MCR.)

ignore

me and my stomach:

that's because that's not the message the music wants to present.

Right, but you didn't know that until you probably saw them in concert or saw/heard Gerard start talking about how suicide is bullshit, etc. If you just stuck to listening to the cds, it can easily be said that they're obsessed with death. I mean, how could you not think this is negative at first glance:

"And now these red ones make me fly,
And the blue ones help me fall.
And I think I'll blow my brains against the ceiling."

Which is about suicide. I mean, why wouldn't you, if you were a young teen, think that this band liked the idea of suicide? After all, they wrote an entire song about it. It's not hard to imagine how someone can get torn down by mcr. I know I was a much more depressed person when I listened to them.

Faye Merci:

Right, but you didn't know that until you probably saw them in concert or saw/heard Gerard start talking about how suicide is bullshit, etc. If you just stuck to listening to the cds, it can easily be said that they're obsessed with death. I mean, how could you not think this is negative at first glance:

"And now these red ones make me fly,
And the blue ones help me fall.
And I think I'll blow my brains against the ceiling."

Which is about suicide. I mean, why wouldn't you, if you were a young teen, think that this band liked the idea of suicide? After all, they wrote an entire song about it. It's not hard to imagine how someone can get torn down by mcr. I know I was a much more depressed person when I listened to them.

now. when i was in my younger teens. i thought suicide was a bullet through your head and its over. thats being dead honest. now. me and my friend were discussing Headfirst for the Halos last month. Keep in mind. Bullets came out around SEVEN years ago. And she said "I never understood the whole "red ones make me fly" bit" and when I explained it to her, she said "I would have never guessed that. I never actually thought the song was about suicide."

Now. Think about it. He's talking about the suicide and then he says "Think Happy Thoughts"....So its not like hes encouraging suicide. It seems to me that people [im not attacking anyone] dont consider what the song can be about. For all they know, it could have been about someone that they knew that killed themselves and this was their way of getting over it. Im not saying thats what the song is about, im just saying though, people dont consider these things before judging a band.

Another example of this would be that on my bus once, a girl, Shay, said "All Around Me by Flyleaf is my favourite song right now." This girl normally doesnt like the alternative genre of music, and then I told her she should give Flyleaf's other songs a listen, because I for one think they are good. BAM! She started getting ridicule because Flyleaf's lyrics are deeper than what people think. S says "Yeah Kris. Because 'my tounge dances behind my lips for you.'" and she wouldnt shut up about that ONE lyric. and then one girl, L, says to Shay, "You cant like Flyleaf unless your an emo kid!" That set me off. I started going on and on, about how that song was about God and all, and then suddenly people's eyes were opened [except for S, she is just ignorant all together].

I just think people's eyes have to be opened a bit more before they judge. That basically goes for everything, not just music.

Music makes me escape into my own world of love and not hatred. It expresses the feeling I have, but cannot let out. I am the kind of person that bundles everything up inside, then all the sudden burst, and that helps me with that. My Chemical Romance makes my anger and hatred go away. It may not make sence, but that's how I feel.

Wanting to weigh in on the "MCR saves lives" discussion:

I think when people say that, they mean that the band inspired them to take their lives back. At least, that's what I mean when I say it. The band says it as well - that the band saved their lives by giving them purpose; a reason to go on.

Obviously the band didn't physically remove the noose from around someone's neck, but Gerard's lyrics, and the band's story as a whole, are both cathartic then ultimately uplifting, and someone seeking solace could find some within them.

For me personally, I happened to catch their show during a period of loss, and their live show blew me away, so I started reading. Once I realized what TBP was about, and learned what sort of people they are, I was able to let go of my grief and find the courage to pursue things I hadn't in years. When I learned that others had similar stories, I was stoked, and so I wound up here

I say that wherever you draw your inspiration from - as long as it's positive inspiration - I'm all for it. Just don't preach is all I ask.

Just to address the initial discussion, yes I think that music is an influential source in the way that people choose to live their lives. It is quite impacting.

It's all very well saying that other people should open their eyes, or give a band [like My Chem] a chance by acquiring background knowledge before they judge, but realistically it's not going to happen in a society that doesn't have the time/bother to care. People in groups like the MCRmy and such can raise awareness about their opinions and/or belief in the music they love but I think that it doesn't really matter what the social perception is of a band like My Chem. You don't have to prove you are a fan [this applies to any subject in general] in order to appreciate music.
Bands know what they're about, and if their fans can reciprocate that knowledge, or faith/belief, by being happy with themselves and appreciating the music then that's really all that's essential. It doesn't matter what others think because a lot of the time they don't understand what they're talking about in terms of music and it's meaning[when they can only see meaning from the surface], and they don't care who they're effecting in the course of their opinions.

On interpreting music, I don't think anyone has to know what they lyrics really mean. Ambiguity is better than having everything permanent, for lack of a better word, it means you can take what you can from music and hopefully most of the time that's something positive. If not, maybe that's when you have to question the significance behind a songs lyrics in the way that you see them, if that makes any sense.

Now, what about keeping the faith? [it shouldnt be in its own topic, correct? it still has to deal with music.]

Ive seen a lot of places where people say "MCR has sold out. Their fangirls ruined it for us. The band cant save lives."

Now. Im not giving out any names, because its not on INO, but In my opinion, we should have a little more faith in them. They wanted to try something new. They were satasfied with it, and I for one like the Black Parade. Sure, its not their best album. But remember, there will be a newer album out soon, and all of a sudden, lots of people who lost their faith might get all hyped up because of it. Im just thinking here. Dont attack me.