"They Saved My Life" - An Overrated Phenomenon

Ah, yes, the over-used phraise said by millions of screaming fans, so called, ‘depressed teens’ and kids who are just in it for the music. They have claimed that their music has gone into their soul and revived their heart, but is that really the case?

My Chemical Romance, one of this century’s biggest rock bands from New Jersey came to us in 2001-2002 with their first and now well known album, “I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love,” only to be knocked off the shelves two years later from their hit, chart topping second album, “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.”

Teenagers/young adults from the age range of 11-22 made their way into the record stores to buy the bands hit maker, and were not disappointed. Along with their three hits, “I’m Not Okay (I Promise),” the somber memory of Gerard and Mikey Way’s grandmother, “Helena,” and the slow, upbeat vibe of “The Ghost of You,” the rest of Revenge was filled with angsty lyrics, gripping chords and pounding sayings.

This instantly made fans swear to ‘love the band forever,’ with their promising dedication and joy for the rock band. Armies of teens made home made shirts, signs, jackets and spray painted their bodies all saying the same thing: “MCR SAVED MY LIFE.”

Only more was to come when My Chem’s third album, “The Black Parade,” hit stores. Crying teenage girls, dedicated fans and screaming kids made their way into bigger and more crammed mosh pits of even bigger venues.

Yes, the beloved rock band of the decade had gotten even better with the success of their loving fans, and they were putting on quite a show.

“This band wants to save your life”, lead singer and front man Gerard Way has repeativly stated.

And is that what they are doing? Saving lives. I’m not one to say yes, but I am also not one to say the opposite. I’d be a hypocrite, but I look at it this way:

They never saved me from a burning building, and they never called 911 either.

Their lyrics are empowering, and they did help me get through my troubles, with lyrics such as:

I spent my highschool career, spit on and shoved to agree,
So I could watch all my heroes sell a car on tv.
Bring out the old giloteen, we’ll show them what we all mean.
If I’m so wrong? How could you listen all night long?
Now will it matter long after I’m gone? Because you never
Learned a goddamn thing.
(Disenchanted, The Black Parade)

But can they physically save their fans? That answer, my friend, stays neautral. Not only to me, but every kid out there reading this, or even listening to one of their songs. At times, there were points where I just wanted to flush it all down the drain. But did they tap on my shoulder, and whisper in my ear, “Don’t do it, you are worth it”?

No, they did not.

But was it their lyrics like, “I am not afraid to keep on living, I am not afraid to walk this world alone.” (Famous Last Words, the Black Parade) that got me through the tough times based off of school, boys and best friends? Yes, it was.

So, to my readers, what do you feel about it? Yes, “They Saved My Life,” is overrated when it comes to any band, and is faulse when it comes to physical action, but when it comes to emotional, could it be correct? Is this generation going crazy, or is their dedication to music extraordinary?

I’ll leave that up to you.