This past Friday, my daughter and I went to a concert: My Chemical Romance kicked off their reunion tour in Seattle. The Violent Femmes opened. MCR’s performance was pretty epic, full of theater, energy, flashing lights, and pyrotechnics. They played for about two and a half hours and never slowed down.
Lyrics are a close cousin of poetry. Well, I suppose they are poems, just to music. Below are some of the lyrics from MCR’s song, S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W. The words have always intrigued me. They evoke childhood and childish games but with adult realities sprinkled throughout; it’s like someone realizing that children’s games warn and prepare us for real monsters lurking in adulthood.
To get the full effect, listen to the song here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BlcXYr-7qgk. The music has a sing-song quality that adds to the childlike feel of the lyrics.
S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W
Move your body when the sunlight dies
Everybody, hide your body from the scarecrow
Everybody, hide
Make a wish when your childhood dies
Hear the knock, knock, knock when she cries
We're all alone tonight
Hold your breath when a blackbird flies
Count to 17 and close your eyes
I'll keep you safe inside
He burns my skin
Never mind about the shape I'm in
I'll keep you safe tonight
Yeah, yeah (shut up and run with me)
Move your body when the sunlight dies
Everybody, hide your body from the scarecrow
Everybody, hide
Move your body when the sunlight dies
Everybody, hide your body from the scarecrow
Everybody, hide
Blow a kiss at the methane skies
See the rust through your playground eyes
We're all in love tonight (all in love tonight)
Leave a dream where the fallout lies
Watch it grow where the tear stain dries
To keep you safe tonight
He burns my skin
Never mind about the shape I'm in
I'll keep you safe tonight
Yeah, yeah (shut and run with me)
Move your body when the sunlight dies
Everybody, hide your body from the scarecrow
Everybody, hide
Move your body when the sunlight dies
Everybody, hide your body from the scarecrow
Everybody, hide
A Wandering Minstrel 