Interpretation of My Chemical Romance's song "Teenagers"

Summary

The song is a song of a hurt persona. He has been maltreated as a teenager. He was called names, bullied, adults always say that there are things wrong about him and how his aspirations to be a famous rock star is impossible. But he didn't listen to them. He used all the pain they brought to him and used it to strive for his aspirations. And look at where he is now, he is very successful. And where are those people who treated him bad? They're living the shity life normal citizens live. :)

You will never fit in

If you're meant to stand out.

I

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

Verse I- In my perception, "They" are the adults and teachers in schools. This verse (for me) meant like, Adults and teachers will say things from books(norms) and tell teenagers how they should look like to be just like everyone else.

II

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

Verse II- Adults are always observing what teenagers are doing. And when you commit a crime(a mistake/a simple wrong) even in the times you think they are asleep, they're ready with their sermons and lectures.

III

"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"

(Line 1,2,3) Adults will diagnose a lot of things wrong about teenagers. But they wont give 'em medications. No. They'll use all their(methods) genius and all their might to cure teens of those said illnesses(oddities).

(Line 4,5,6) They'll mess with your head with all their talks. They'll say your dreams aren't practical and that you should first finish college.

cog-component

Another cog in the murder machine- they'll make another move to kill/ruin you life.

IV

"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"

(Line 1) Teenagers are so unstable, that the persona is scared of all the things that these kids are capable of doing to themselves.

(Line 2) They don't really care about these kids, even if they cut themselves because adults somehow think that slashing yourself is another trend that teens fall in to.

(Line 3,45) They act and dress all goth and punk so that adults wont think they have problems, and that they are just entering an ugly phase of adolescence.

(Line 6) But not the persona. He'll always care because he knows how they feel. Maybe because the persona was an ultimate victim when he was a teenager.

V
"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"

(Line 1) The Jocks and Popular girls

(Line 2) may say a lot of hurtful things about you.

(Line 3) You'll never be like them.

(line 4) But all the pain and anger you have

(line 5) that your keep inside your heart

(line 6) If you use those pain as inspiration to strive for success. Then you can slap that success in all their faces because "Success is the best Revenge".